Events

Supported through OGI’s Genomics Capacity Building (GCB) Workshops program, the University of Western Ontario hosted a scientific meeting on “Genomics in Sustainable Agriculture” on March 30, 2010 in London, Ontario.

It is widely understood that declining water resources and increasing climate instability threaten plant productivity worldwide. Yet the demand for healthier, safer and sufficient food and feed supplies continues to grow globally. Gains in production achieved by plant breeding cannot offset losses from environmental and biotic stresses. Responses to such stresses are complex multi-locus traits, making it difficult to improve yield and quality through conventional breeding. However, targeted research using genomics technologies could play a pivotal role in maintaining and improving the yield, productivity and sustainability of Canadian crops.

The purpose of this meeting was to bring together leading Canadian and international scientists in the fields of plant and agricultural pest genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics, as well as Canadian agriculture producers, to identify areas of concern and to develop and coordinate the Canadian effort in genomics research towards crop improvement for future agricultural and economic climates.

A key element of the workshop was to identify and establish new research collaborations between Ontario leaders and international groups, and pave the way for joint grant applications such as the inclusion of Ontario leaders into the European FP7 program.

As a result of this workshop, Drs. Miodrag and Vojislava Grbic have submitted an Expression of Interest to the Transnational Plant Alliance for Novel Technologies – toward implementing the Knowledge Based-Bio Economy in Europe (PLANT-KBBE) as part of the transnational “Scientific and Technological Cooperation in Plant Genome Research as basis of the Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy” research program. This submission includes academic collaborators, including Drs. Jose Martinez-Zapater and Yves Van de Peer, and industry partners from Spain, Germany, Portugal and France. In addition, this workshop exposed undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Western Ontario to agricultural genomics research.

For more information and a list of attendees, please see the meeting poster, agenda, meeting report and attendee list.