Impact of genomics on fungal biology

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Organisation

Programme

Participants

Aspergillus

Neurospora crassa

Laccaria bicolor

Ustilago maydis

Amanita muscaria

Alternaria

Coprinus comatus

Actinomycete spores

Abstract submission deadline: 1 August 2006

All participants are invited to present a poster on their research - please submit your abstract by 1 August 2006. All abstracts will be published in the symposium program and will be made available on the
symposium website.

Grants

We have ten travel grants available for students and early-stage career scientists (researchers in their first post-doctoral position) wishing to attend. Each grant will consist of a free registration plus 215 Euros towards travel expenses.

If you wish to apply for a grant please accompany your poster abstract submission with a brief (no more than 200 word) statement indicating your position (graduate student/postdoc), reasons for wishing to attend and a supporting statement from a scientist who has agreed to act as a referee for your application, usually your group leader (please include their contact details).

Applications should be received by 1 July 2006 and decisions will be notified by 14 July 2006.

Abstract guidelines

Format

Abstracts should be no more than 200 words and should fill a space no larger than half an A4 page
Single spacing, Arial font, 10 point
First line: title in bold lower case
Second line: the author(s)' name(s) in upper case. Underline the name of the author presenting the work
Third line: full address of the institution(s) where the work was carried out, in italic lower case
Leave a single line space after the address
Main text: provide concise details of the background and objective(s) of the investigation, methods used, results and conclusions

Example abstract:

The origin of Helianthus deserticola: survival and selection in a desert habitat
BRIANA L.GROSS, NOLAN C. KANE, CHRISTIAN LEXER & LOREN H. RIESEBERG
Department of Biology, Indiana University, Jordan Hall 142, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA

The diploid hybrid species Helianthus deserticola inhabits an extreme environment relative to its parental species H. annuus and H. petiolaris. Adaptation to the arid desert floor may have occurred via the acquisition of novel phenotypes resulting from transgressive segregation in early hybrids. We have explored this possibility through a field experiment designed to test the direction and intensity of phenotypic selection, using crosses between the parental species as proxies for the ancestral genotype of the ancient hybrid species. Helianthus deserticola, H. annuus, H. petiolaris, and early-generation hybrids between H. annuus and H. petiolaris were all grown in native H. deserticola habitat, and a selection analysis revealed that several traits were subject to strong selective pressures. Several of the traits under selection were also extreme or transgressive in H. deserticola, and the range of variation present in BC2 hybrids suggests that many aspects of the H. deserticola phenotype are easily recreated. Thus, transgressive segregation may have contributed to the adaptation of H. deserticola to the desert habitat.

Submission

Abstracts should be formatted as .DOC or .RTF documents and emailed as an attachment to Holly Slater (newphytol@lancaster.ac.uk). In the subject header of the email write 16th NPS Abstract – followed by the name of the author presenting the work.
(e.g. 16th NPS Abstract – H Slater).

Receipt of abstracts will be notified by email.

Poster guidelines

Posters should be no larger than A0 size, portrait (118 cm high x 84 cm wide)

Fungal genomics symposium logo by Sam Day. Illustrations: Aspergillus and Neurospora crassa confocal images courtesy of Patrick Hickey (LUX Biotechnology Ltd, Edinburgh). Laccaria bicolor–Douglas fir interaction courtesy of D Vairelles (INRA-Nancy). Tumor formation in maize induced by an Ustilago maydis infection, courtesy of Regine Kahmann and Jörg Kämper (MPI-Marburg, Germany). Confocal image of spores, courtesy of Patrick Hickey (LUX Biotechnology Ltd, Edinburgh). Amanita muscaria, Alternaria in conidia phase, Coprinus comatus, and micrograph of Actinomycete spores images courtesy of Gordon Beakes (University of Newcastle upon Tyne; LTN Bioscience). Impact of genomics on fungal biology is sponsored by the New Phytologist Trust.