Xth Meeting of the Working Group
Biological control of fungal and bacterial
plant pathogens
Molecular Tools for Understanding and
Improving Biocontrol
September 9-12, 2008
Interlaken, Switzerland
SECOND CIRCULAR
Registration and Accommodation
Call for Abstracts and Papers
MEETING ORGANIZATION
Organizing committee: Brion Duffy, Monika Maurhofer, Christoph Keel, Cesare Gessler,
Yigal Elad, Sebastian Kiewnick
Local contact: Brion Duffy (duffy@acw.admin.ch), Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil
IOBC/WPRS WORKING GROUP
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF FUNGAL AND BACTERIAL PLANT PATHOGENS
(‘Phytopathogens’)
CONVENOR: YIGAL ELAD, Dept. of Plant Pathology, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250,
Israel; email: elady@volcani.agri.gov.il, Tel. ++972 3 9683539, Fax ++972 3 9683688
Former convenor: Nyckle J. Fokkema, IPO, Wageningen, The Netherlands
http://www.iobc-wprs.org/structure/index.html
http://www.iobc-wprs.org/wg_sg/06_wg_plant_pathogens.html
PREVIOUS MEETINGS OF THE ‘PHYTOPATHOGENS’ WORKING GROUP
IIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIIIIX-
New Approaches in Biological Control of Soil-borne Diseases, Copenhagen, July 1991.
Biological Control of Foliar and Post-Harvest Diseases, Wageningen, The Netherlands,
Dec. 1992.
Biocontrol of Sclerotium-Forming Pathogens, Wellesbourne, UK, Dec. 1994.
Biological and Integrated Control of Root Diseases in Soilless Cultures, Dijon, France,
Sept. 1995.
Role of Molecular Methods in Disease Control, Delémont Zurich, Switzerland, 1996.
Session on Biocontrol of Plant Diseases, 7th ICPP Congress, Edinburgh, August 1998.
Biocontrol agents: modes of action and integration with other means of control, Sevilla,
Spain, Nov.-Dec. 2000.
Influence of a-biotic and biotic factors on biocontrol agents, Kusadasi, Turkey, May 2002.
Management of plant diseases and arthropod pests by BCAs and their integration in
agricultural systems, S. Michele all’Adige, Trentino, Italy, June 2004.
Fundamental and practical approaches to increase biocontrol efficacy, Spa, Belgium,
September 2006
INVITATION
Following the Spa meetings of the phytopathogens WG we will organize the next meeting
in scenic Interlaken, Switzerland in September 2008. The meeting will be organised by
colleagues from Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil, ETH-Zurich, and Université Lausanne,
Switzerland according to the tradition established in the previous meetings. We are looking
forward to seeing you in Interlaken.
WORKSHOP THEMES
This workshop is focused on molecular approaches to understanding and improving
biocontrol of plant diseases. Any pathogen controlled with any type of biological antagonist
on any crop plant is covered. The following themes are proposed:
a) elucidating and enhancing biocontrol mechanisms
b) strain isolation, fingerprinting and monitoring
c) antagonist-pathogen-plant interactions
d) molecular ecology
e) ‘OMICS’ applications in biocontrol
Any other aspect of biocontrol of plant diseases will be considered.
The general aim is to bring together students, researchers and implementers dealing with all
aspects of biocontrol of plant pathogens to discuss approaches that can be taken to
increase biocontrol efficacy. As at previous meetings, we expect 100-150 participants from
many countries to participate in the meeting. There will be oral and poster presentations with
ample discussion time. Proceedings will be published in the IOBC/wprs Bulletin.
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PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
Tuesday 9 September
8:00-10:00
Registration/Poster setup
Oral presentations
Dinner
Wednesday 10 September
Oral presentations
Poster session
Free afternoon
Boat cruise and dinner
Thursday 11 September
Oral presentations
Poster session
Workshop BBQ
Friday 12 September
12:00
Oral presentations
Close of meeting
REGISTRATION FEE (SWISS FRANCS, NOT INCLUDING HOTEL!)
Before 15 May 2008
Standard
350
Student (fax copy of student card)
250
Late
450
350
Registration includes, book of abstracts, internet access, cruise dinner and session
participation.
Make payment to:
Account Holder:
Bank:
Swift:
Clearing Number:
IBAN:
Account Number:
Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil ACW
Schweizerische Nationalbank; 3003 Bern
SNBZCHZZ30A
001158
CH49 0011 0001 5305 0003 6
Girokonto BE 1530-5-030 z.G. Konto 101-161-7020
Remark:
IOBC2008
NOTE: Bank charges must be paid by you: the full amount of registration must be deposited in this account.
Send registration form by e-mail to duffy@acw.admin.ch before 15 May 2008. Space is
limited to 150 persons.
ACCOMMODATION RATES (BOOK DIRECTLY WITH THE HOTEL!)
The official venue of the meeting and accommodation is the Mattenhof Resort
(www.mattenhofresort.com). A special full-pension rate has been arranged. In the
Mattenhof rooms especially single rooms are limited and will be reserved on a first-comefirst-served basis. People who book late will be placed, at the same price, in a nearby hotel
(10 minutes walk). Book your room early, directly with the Mattenhof Resort.
Single: 500 Swiss Francs
Double: 440 SwissFrancs (Sfr per person)
NOTE: Prices include all meals and room for the entire meeting time from 9-12.9.2008
(Monday night Sept. 8 not included).
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NOTE: You must arrange own accommodation before or after the meeting dates directly with the
hotel. Arrange own additional nights before and after meeting through the conference Hotel
are provisionally at reduced rates of 120 Sfr for a single and 100 Sfr/per person for a double
room (this is in addition to the above package rate for the conference time accommodations).
Table wine is included with dinners, other drinks are pay-as-you-go.
Anyone not booking accommodation at Mattenhof will still pay a surcharge of 230 Swiss
Francs for room charges, meals, etc. payable with registration fee.
HOTEL VENUE AND LEISURE
Mattenhof Resort is situated in the heart of the Swiss Alps and is ideally located for
outdoor activities before and after the meeting. This is one meeting you won’t regret
combining with a vacation!
The Mattenhof is a globetrotter favourite for outdoor enthusiasts on a shoe-string budget.
Guests have access to a game room and outdoor swimming pool. Best of all though, they
offer an extensive array of activities from the ‘relaxed’ to the ‘xxx-treme’. Visit their website
for information on everything from trains in the Alps or biking tours to bungy-jumping and
para-sailing! Book your activites directly with the Hotel before or during the meeting;
www.mattenhofresort.com.
Interlaken is located in the heart of the Swiss Alps. It is a quaint little town with scenic
streets nestled between two lakes. Tourist information is available for Switzerland and
Interlaken (http://www.myswitzerland.com/). Use the search button for ‘Interlaken’. Fringe
programmes as ideas for excursions on your own can be found at http://www.interlakencongress.ch/rahmenprogramme/.
The weather during September is ideal for sight-seeing, hiking in the Alps, and swimming
in the lakes. Check www.meteo.ch for up-to-date information on weather.
REACHING INTERLAKEN
Interlaken is easily reached by Train from airports in Zürich, Basel, Geneva or Lugano.
Trains are direct or with stops in Bern to Interlaken (2-2.5 h from Zürich Airport). For train
connections check www.sbb.ch. Exit the train at Interlaken West station!!!
Reaching the Mattenhof Resort is easy with a 5 minute walk or by bus from Interlaken West
train station. Detailed information on reaching the Resort is available at
http://www.mattenhofresort.com/mattenhof/pages/howtofindus.html
ABSTRACTS (deadline 15 May 2008)
A one-half A4 page abstract (< 250 words) should be submitted for all presentations. From
the abstracts, the organizing committee will select speakers for short oral communications
(10-15 min) or posters. Selected authors will be informed regarding the oral/poster
presentation assignment, by 1 July 2008.
Send abstracts by e-mail by 15 May 2008 as a Word document to duffy@acw.admin.ch.
ABSTRACT FORMAT
A4 format, single spacing (1/2 page, <250 words including title, authors and affiliations),
Times New Roman 12 pt. Underline the presenter name and provide presenter e-mail.
No subheadings, figures or tables. Follow the example below:
Genomic sequencing of Pantoea agglomerans and applications for biosafety assessment of
strains
T. Smits1, F. Rezzonico1, C. Pelludat1, V. Stockwell2, J. Frey1, E. Montesinos3, B. Duffy1
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2
Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland;
Dept. Botany Plant Pathol., Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, 97331-2902 USA;
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3
Univ. of Girona, Campus Montilivi, 17071 Girona, Spain
Pantoea agglomerans strains are among the most effective biocontrol agents for fire blight
and other diseases. However, clinical reports that involve human pathogenic strains
complicates commercialisation efforts. We are using comparative genomics and diversity
analysis to identify discriminatory markers for beneficial vs. clinical isolates. We have
sequenced the complete genome of P. agglomerans C9-1. We selected this biocontrol
strain because of its commercial development, well-studied activity and extensive
genetic/ecological data available. The sequencing (25x over-sampling), revealed a 4.8 Mb
size, and is currently in 5 scaffolds (>500 bp; total >1.2 million high-quality filtered
sequence reads). Final assembly and annotation are in progress, as is the sequencing of a
clinical isolate for comparative genomics purposes. Total genomic, phenotypic and specific
gene diversity of biocontrol and clinical strains has yielded some potential discriminatory
markers for these two groups of strains.
TALKS
All talks will be as powerpoint files with projector. Participants must bring your talk on a
memory stick and provide this at Registration OR the evening before the talk. NO CDs,
NO Apple formats and NO own laptops will be possible!!
POSTERS
All posters will remain standing throughout the meeting. No oral presentations will be
made for posters. Standard A0 format. Adhesive will be provided in Registration packets.
PROCEEDINGS
The meeting proceedings will be published in the IOBC/WPRS Bulletin. All presentations
(talks/posters) are encouraged to be prepared as short papers (4 pages single spaced).
Papers must be submitted before or during the meeting - NO EXCEPTIONS!!
Instructions for manuscript preparation will be sent to presenters 1 July 2008. Note that
publication in this bulletin does not preclude subsequent submission of the same data in
different form as full papers to other journals, but do not exactly duplicate text, figures, etc.!
IMPORTANT DATES
Hotel booking
Deadline for submission of abstracts
Deadline of payment of meeting registration fee at "early rate"
Participants notified of abstract acceptance as talk/poster
Refund of registration fees (full refund minus bank charges)
(no refunds thereafter)
ASAP
15 May 2008
15 May 2008
1 July 2008
until 15 July 2008
Please post this circular and pass it on to your colleagues.
For further information related to the IOBC 2008 Interlaken Biocontrol Workshop:
Dr. Brion Duffy
Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil
Postfach 185, Schloss
CH-8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland
E-mail: duffy@acw.admin.ch
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REGISTRATION FORM
Dr./Mr./Ms./Mrs.: _____
First/Last Name: _______
Organisation: _________
Address: ___________
Email: _________
Registration fee transferred to bank (DATE ____)
Standard __
or
Student __ (attach scanned PDF copy of student-card)
Hotel booked (with Hotel directly; DATE ____)
Hotel booked independently, will pay 230 Swiss Francs surcharge at registration
(Yes__; No__)
Meal preference (Standard ___); (Vegetarian ___); (Lactose free ___)
Presentation (Yes ___) or (No ___)
Preference (TALK___) or (POSTER___)
Return to duffy@acw.admin.ch
ATTACH abstract as MS Word file
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