Approximately 250 scientists from the United States and abroad will gather June 21-24 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Sacramento to discuss developments in biotechnology that affect agriculture in Pacific Rim nations. The four-day conference, "Molecular Crop Agriculture for the Pacific Rim," is the first in a series of conferences on food and agriculture biotechnology in the Pacific Rim that will be hosted by the UC Davis Biotechnology Program. Keynote speaker on Sunday, June 21, will be internationally recognized geneticist and rice breeder Gurdev Khush. An alumnus of UC Davis, Khush is director of the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines, where he has been instrumental in developing high-yield rice that is resistant to disease and insects and is tolerant of poor soil. He will talk about "Science in the Service of Crop Improvement." Conference sessions will cover issues such as improving crop traits, gene identification, crop protection and propagation, the physiology of crops after harvest, novel crop products and transfer of technology.