Dear colleagues, We are delighted to announce the 21st Biennial Penn State Plant Biology Symposium,"Wild and Tamed Phyobiomes", which will be held at PennState's University Park campus June 19th - 22nd, 2018.
The term “phytobiome” has been defined as a system of organisms that consist of plants, animals (insects and nematodes) and a wide diversity of microbes (viruses, bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, amoeba, and algae). Phytobiomes are also influenced by the non-living components of the environment, such as soil physicochemical characteristics and climate. The complex components of these systems greatly influence various plant functional traits such as plant health, productivity, and response to pathogens, pests, and environmental stresses. Understanding the composition, dynamics, mechanisms, and other characteristics of the individual constituents of these diverse systems requires basic and applied research efforts and innovative approaches, involving interdisciplinary teams with diverse expertise. This Plant Biology symposium will serve as a platform to catalyze new interactions and exchange ideas in the areas of basic and applied phytobiome research. Approximately 15-20 invited lectures from worldwide leaders are planned. Additional short talks and posters will be selected from the submitted abstracts. The symposium program also includes plenty of opportunities for networking and social interactions. Postdoctoral researchers and students are particularly encouraged to attend. A limited number of travel grants will be available. Individuals from under-represented groups are encouraged to apply for travel awards. The 21st Biennial Penn State Plant Biology Symposium is organized by the Plant Biology graduate program of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and the Phytobiome Initiative of the College of Agricultural Sciences. We hope that you can join us at University Park from June 19-22, 2018! Come and meet our diverse group of Penn State faculty and students involved in a variety of microbial and plant sciences, including molecular biology, genetics, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, physiology, breeding, and ecology. Symposium attendees will be eligible for reduced publishing costs in Phytobiomes Journal, as first or corresponding authors, for up to 6 months following the symposium. More info and registration at http://bit.ly/2HOGbqD
