Scientific Discovery Through Imaging and Robotics

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center will host its 15th Annual Fall Symposium, September 25 – 27.   The theme of this year’s event is PhenoDays: Imaging and Robotics for 21st Century Science.

The event will highlight cutting-edge science that is ramping up the pace of scientific discovery generating increased biological understanding in a wide range of organisms. Leading scientists from the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, and Australia will share insights into a variety of topics that address how imaging can improve and accelerate scientific understanding of photosynthesis, biomass and growth, root development and dissecting complex traits, with a goal of improving crop yield.

Two members of Danforth Center faculty, Todd Mockler, Ph.D., Geraldine J. and Robert L. Virgil Distinguished Investigator and Ivan Baxter, Ph.D., USDA-ARS research scientist, and principal investigator, are organizing the event.

The symposium will feature a special presentation on Thursday, September 26th at 2:15 p.m., New Technologies and Applications for Baseball Analytics, byChris Correa, Director of Baseball Development at the St. Louis Cardinals. Correa leads a group that provides statistical analysis and decision support tools to all areas of Baseball Operations. His presentation will address technological advances that are opening up new opportunities for analysis of the game of baseball, and will include examples of existing research using rich datasets available to major league baseball clubs today as well as an outlook on future technologies and applications.

Last week, the Center announced the opening of its new Bellwether Foundation Plant Phenotyping Facility. The Facility will further strengthen the Center’s imaging and robotics capabilities that accelerate the pace of scientific discovery. The one-of-a-kind facility will automate continuous plant imaging, and provide accurate control over experimental conditions and will be showcased at the Symposium.

These types of technologies allow the Center to continue to achieve its mission to improve the human condition through plant science by accelerating discovery faster than ever before.

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