DR. SHIRLEY C. Agrupis, associate professor of biology and chief of international programs, attended the 2007 Plant Biology and Botany Joint Congress held at the Hilton Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, USA, July 7-11.  She also met with officials of the Natural Resources and Environment Unit of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, DC.

The scientific conference encompassed the annual meeting of four scientific societies in America such as the Botanical Society of America, the American Society of Plant Taxonomists, the American Fern Society, and the American Society of Plant Biologists. It aimed to promote the growth and development of plant biology and provide a forum for molecular, cellular, and environmental biology and biophysics of plants.

Agrupis presented the paper “Important algal polysaccharides extracted from Undaria undarioides (Yendo) Okamura” which she authored with Jun-ichi Azuma of the Kyoto University Graduate School of Agriculture Laboratory of Forest Biochemistry.  The paper discusses the potential viability of fucoidan and alginate (two important polysaccharides plant species) farming in Philippine waters.  It is about practical application of producing these plant species under Philippine sea condition. The paper fell under the phycological section and was presented July 10.

The conference was attended by plant biologists and research scientists from over 25 countries in the world and featured special joint sessions and symposia, workshops, exhibits, poster sessions, and field trips. This provided Agrupis opportunity to participate in a highly interactive community of diverse plant researchers.  Aside from this, the conference also offered her opportunity for scientific networking and future research collaboration.

Meanwhile, her visit to the USDA last July 12-13 on the other hand, was upon invitation of Dr. Catalino A. Blanche, national program leader of the USDA Natural Resources and Environment Unit, which she met during the Philippine-American Association for Science and Engineering (PAASE) Conference last year at the Century Park Hotel in Manila.

During the meeting, she and Blanche discussed a framework for the development of an international database of Ilocano scientists and administrators which she presented to him during the said PAASE conference.  Aside from this, she also visited the USDA director of international programs for potential collaborations. She further visited the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) to explore opportunities for technical exchange and support.  FAS has an office in Manila and her introduction to the people at the US Headquarters would be very helpful.  While there, she also explored the opportunity to acquire research equipment granted by USDA.

Her travel expenses and other costs were shouldered by the Commission on Higher Education upon recommendation of Commissioner and former MMSU President Saturnino M. Ocampo Jr. and approval by Chairman Carlito S. Puno.