This proceedings is based on a joint meeting of the two IUFRO
(International Union of Forestry Research Organizations) Working
Parties, Somatic Cell Genetics (S2.04-07) and Molecular Genetics
(S2.04-06) held in Gent, Belgium, 26-30 September, 1995. Although a
joint meeting of the two Working Parties had been discussed in the past,
this was the first such meeting that became a successful reality. In
fact this meeting provided an excellent forum for discussions and
interactions in forest bioteclUlology that encouraged the participants
to vote for a next joint meeting. In the past decade rapid progress has
been made in the somatic cell genetics and molecular genetics of forest
trees. In order to cover recent developments in the broad area of
biotechnology, the scientific program of the meeting was divided into
several sessions. These included somatic embryogenesis, regeneration,
transformation, gene expression, molecular markers, genome mapping, and
biotic and abiotic stresses. The regeneration of plants, produced by
organogenesis or somatic embryogenesis, is necessary not only for mass
cloning of forest trees, but also for its application in genetic
transformation and molecular biology. Although micropropagation has been
achieved from juvenile tissues in a number of forest tree species, in
vitro regeneration from mature trees remains a challenging problem in
most hardwoods and conifers. The mechanisms involved in the transition
from juvenile to mature phase in woody plants are poorly understood.
This transition can now be investigated at the molecular level.
