Progress 03/15/22 to 03/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The Inaugural, 2022 Genetic Biocontrol Gordon Research Conference took place June 26-July 1, 2022. 109 registered to attend the first meeting from various backgrounds. 28% of attendees identified as females and 90% of registrants had never previously attended a Gordon Research Conference. The available demographics for the meeting are listed below: Attendees by Professional Status: Professor 28 Graduate Student 20 Research Scientist/Engineer 18 Post Doc 16 Associate Professor 11 Other 8 Assistant Professor 5 Research Director 3 Attendees by Country: USA 58 United Kingdom 18 Australia 6 France 3 Germany 3 Italy 3 Israel 2 Kenya 2 United Arab Emirates 2 Uruguay 2 Belgium 1 Burkina Faso 1 Canada 1 Czech Republic 1 French Polynesia 1 Ghana 1 Mexico 1 New Zealand 1 South Africa 1 Taiwan 1 Attendees by Professional Background: Academic 84 Academic/Industrial 13 Government 9 Industrial 3 Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This conference was unique in that it will bring together investigators, implementers and regulators of all of the current sub-domains of genetic biocontrol with the objective of sharing science and knowledge, addressing current challenges for field implementation and to foster the development of a community of practice. Science and technology were featured prominently in the program and there are sessions on national and international regulatory frameworks relevant to genetic biocontrol. A discussion of diversity and inclusion within the genetic biocontrol community was featured, with funding provided to support participation of young investigators and under-represented minorities. Bringing together the various sub-domains of this field, which are largely defined by the technological approaches to genetic biocontrol, will optimize scientific methodologies, best practices for implementation and the development of a community of practice. The field of genetic biocontrol hadvery few opportunities to convene as a whole and this meeting - if sufficiently successful in terms of the participation by domain experts and number of attendees - could be adopted by Gordon Research Conferences and be convened on a biennial basis, providing the field with an important platform for continued interaction, growth and innovation. Importantly this meeting was enable the genetic biocontrol field to articulate and plan to address the challenges it currently faces including sex separation methods, improving and optimizing genotypes, moving genetic biocontrol technologies from lab to field, identifying and navigating appropriate regulatory approval processes, engaging public input and obtaining social license to operate. The meeting brought ample opportunities for networking between junior and senior scientists, creating a welcoming environment. One evaluation indicated the meeting was a "fantastic experience making it easy to engage with senior investigators in my field through close proximity of meals and free time." The balance between junior investigators and senior investigators was a benefit and added to the training and professional development surrounding this meeting. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Genetic biocontrol is an approach for controlling or eliminating specific organisms that threaten public health, food security and biodiversity that uses genetic variants (natural, induced or transgenic) of the target species as the controlling agents to affect the target species in ways that reduce its undesirable impacts. Robust transgenic and genome editing technologies are fueling expanding research and development of genetic platforms and systems for combating pathogen and parasite-transmitting mosquitoes, plants and insects that reduce food security, and invasive species that are destroying biodiversity. This unique conveningfocused exclusively on the topic of genetic biocontrol and will serve to foster community-building and consequently encourage cooperation, collaboration, communication, and new and exciting science at a time when new technologies such as gene drive and Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility are being developed. This meetingbroughttogether researchers investigating genetic systems with potential applications to genetic biocontrol with technology developers and those implementing genetic biocontrol strategies to share knowledge, foster new research, compare lessons-learned and develop best practices. This conferencefeatured discovery research along with technology development and ongoing operational experiences of those moving existing technologies to the field. The meeting was biological system-agnostic and wbrought those working on insects, plants, fish, mammals, and other organisms together. This was an opportune time to bring researchers, developers, and practitioners together so that future genetic biocontrol activities will take place within a community with shared interests and values.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
The conference program can be found at the conference webpage at this link here:https://www.grc.org/genetic-biocontrol-conference/2022/
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