Bridging Concepts and Approaches Across Organismal Diversity

The 2026 Plant and Microbial Cytoskeleton GRC will address diverse concepts of spatiotemporal organization, the function of multiple cytoskeletal systems, and how they orchestrate cellular and biophysical processes in model and non-model organisms. This meeting will encompass walled and wall-less cells across macroscopic (plants, fungi, protists) and microscopic (fungi, protists, archaea, and bacteria) species. The core scope of this meeting is to promote the exchange of expertise by (1) connecting scientists focused on similar cell biology problems but in divergent organisms (e.g., cell division in plants and bacteria), (2) introducing researchers outside the cytoskeleton field but who can contribute with fresh ideas to address persistent problems, and (3) Guest speakers with expertise in tool development, including new microscope systems, computational analysis, and cutting-edge chemical biology of new probes for cell biology. Historically, participants have been exposed to cutting-edge tools, such as microscopy, in vitro reconstitution, biophysical, and computational approaches. The event will include 27 talks from invited speakers, 25 talks selected from submitted abstracts, and dynamic poster sessions.