Problems from the Inaugural Mathematics in the Plant Sciences Study Group, 17-20 December 2007, at the University of Nottingham

1. The tetrapyrrole biosynthesis pathway in higher plants as an example of a subcellular network

Problem presented by Alison Smith and Michael Moulin (University of Cambridge)

Report by John Ward (Loughborough), Michael Moulin (Cambridge), Francois Feugier (Newcastle) and Saul Hazledine (John Innes Centre)

2. Network properties underlying seed germination control

Problem presented by Steven Penfield (University of York)

Report by Steven Penfield (University of York) and John Fozard (University of Nottingham)

3. Measuring genetic diversity?

Problem presented by Peter Iannetta and Jane Wishart (Scottish Crop Research Institute)

Report by Jane Wishart¹, Kim Evans², Theodore Kypraios², Simon White², Simon Preston², Graham Begg¹, Ian Dryden², Pietro Iannetta¹ (¹Ecosystem Plant Interactions, SCRI; ²School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham)

4. The mechanics of Arabidopsis seed germination

Problem presented by Tara Holman, Darren M Wells, Michael Wilson and Michael Holdsworth (University of Nottingham)

Report by A.M. Middleton¹, R.J. Dyson¹, L.R. Band¹, S. Grandison², D.M. Wells¹, T.J. Holman¹, and J. Twycross¹ (¹University of Nottingham; ²John Innes Centre)

5. A systems approach for improving tea aroma

Problem presented by Alex Marshall, Charlie Hodgman and Jacquie de Silva (University of Nottingham; Unilever Research and Development, Sharnbrook)

Report by Jonathan Wattis (University of Nottingham), Marcus Tindall (Centre for Mathematical Biology, Oxford), Alan Champneys (University of Bristol) and Shyam Rallapalli (John Innes Centre)