Goal
In September 2014, we organized a workshop on the origin and evolution of plants and their interactions with fungi and other microorganisms to elucidate the co-evolution of plants and eukaryotic symbionts during the early development of terrestrial ecosystems. Our overall goal for this subsequent workshop is to highlight the progresses made since that time and to move the field forward by bringing together a multidisciplinary group of specialists to discuss recent developments and expand the network of collaborations initiated in 2014.
We will bring together experts from diverse disciplines, including specialists in evolutionary biology, genomics, phylogenomics, and palaeontology. Our aim will be to investigate the evolution of plants, fungi, and other plant-associated microorganisms, and their interactions with the environment. We will focus on early and more advanced terrestrial ecosystems by integrating the expertise from these disciplines.
We will explore questions which cut across multiple scientific fields. For example, we will investigate the knowledge of terrestrial life prior the advent of plants and examine how fungi have adapted from aquatic to land-based environments. We will also examine ways to link new findings on gene functionality with morphological characteristics. In addition, we will explore the genetic basis of the interactions between plants and their microbiota. Furthermore, we will address the need for further advancements in the construction of fungal and plant phylogenetic trees. This will benefit from focused discussion by experts on living fungal systems, developmental biologists, genomics and palaeontologists.
The proposed workshop will be the next phase of collaborative efforts within the community. Our aim is to sustain international cooperation while advancing the field through the potential development of cross-disciplinary research networks.
Rationale and scope
The early development of terrestrial ecosystems relies heavily on fungi and other microorganisms, with various relationships established early on, impacting the early evolution of life and Earth systems and continuing to do so. This dynamic research area draws on contributions from multiple disciplines.
Recent progress in genomics, phylogenetics, and palaeontology has yielded new insights into plant and fungal evolution since the previous New Phytologist Workshop (2014). Key developments include the following:
Enhanced understanding of land colonization (cyanobacterial role).
Progress in fungi and plant genomics and phylogenetics.
Refined fungal phylogenetic trees.
Expanded knowledge of holobiont concepts.
Innovative techniques for studying fossil microorganisms (confocal microscopy, FLIM, Raman analyses, and chemical analyses).
Interdisciplinary discussions regarding the integration of these approaches are crucial.
Following the 10th New Phytologist Workshop, we established a collaborative network. We include key collaborators in the current workshop and introduce new speakers from different areas. Our individual and joint efforts have broadened our understanding of key aspects of plants, microorganisms, especially fungi, and their interactions. We aim to expand our network to colleagues who can contribute by their expertise to answer new questions that have emerged over the past decade.
Organising Committee
Christine Strullu-Derrien, Paul Kenrick, Francis Martin and Marc-André Selosse