Introduction
Authors: Dunstan D. I. 
Published: April 2011

Conifer biotechnology research has proceeded at a rapid rate of development in the 3 years since the last International Conifer Tissue Culture Work Group (ICTCWG) meeting. Since the first detailed account in 1985, somatic embryo induction has become a routine technique in many laboratories, and direct protoplast regeneration to somatic embryos has now been reported. The Fourth Meeting of the ICTCWG, which was held in Saskatoon between August 8 and 12, 1988, was therefore timely and was attended by 90 participants representing 10 countries. The meeting comprised 10 invited keynote speakers, 32 contributed oral and 21 contributed poster presentations. The topics covered the fuller scope of conifer biotechnology as it is now evolving. In the area of regeneration from zygotic embryos by organogenesis, contributed papers described the considerable progress being made toward controlled shoot and root induction, these were exemplified by the data provided by John Frampton (North Carolina State University, Raleigh) on field performance of tissue cultured plants. In-depth studies of the physiological and biochemical events associated with regeneration are yielding results pertinent to recalcitrant species, according to Trevor Thorpe (University of Calgary, Alberta). Further, Wesley Hackett (University of Minnesota, St. Paul) considered that the study of cellular and biochemical characteristics associated with maturation would help in understanding phase change and assist in the propagation efforts.Somatic embryogenesis in conifers is a current focus of attention in many laboratories. Indra Vasil (University of Florida, Gainesville) showed that there were remarkable similarities with monocot angiosperms in the malleability of somatic embryo cultures and in the regenerative potential from protoplasts of somatic embryos. The accumulation of storage proteins in maturing somatic embryos reflects the process in seed (zygotic) embryos, an analysis by Inger Hakman (Institute of Physiological Botany, Uppsala) that will be helpful in assessing somatic embryo maturation prior to transplantation. Techniques developed for the cryopreservation of somatic embryos show that it is now possible to store valuable genetic stock, and to potentially explore cold tolerance criteria, according to Kutty Kartha (Plant Biotechnology Institute, National Research Council of Canada, Saskatoon). Researchers would find it useful to occasionally review the availability of potential regenerative tissues in source plants, and in this respect, John Owens (University of Victoria, British Columbia) discussed suitable target tissues and provided observations from his studies of vegetative and reproductive phenologies. Larry Fowke (University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon) showed that the type of cultures now available (somatic embryos and protoplasts) lend themselves to investigations of the conifer cytoskeleton and cell walls, in a manner analogous to studies with other plant species.Basic studies on organelle inheritance and use of gene probes are being carried out, and genetic transformation research is still in its infancy. Ron Sederoff (North Carolina State University, Raleigh) felt that exciting results from such studies will probably be heard at the fifth meeting in Kent, England, in 1990. Finally, Maurice Moloney (University of Calgary, Alberta) anticipated that we may also then have answers to some of the remaining questions in conifer molecular biology, such as molecular evolution of genes; the role of introns, repeated sequences, and transpositions; the regulation of gene expression; and promoter function. Workshop topics during the meeting were markers of morphogenesis, economics of tissue culture propagation, phase change, and gene manipulation.The following papers, presented during the meeting are a reflection of some of the progress that is being made in conifer biotechnology research. The ICTCWG was formally renamed Conifer Biotechnology Work Group.