International scientists converge at Virginia Tech to further plant health research
For the first time in three decades, the International Conference on Plant Pathogenic Bacteria was held in the U.S., and Virginia Tech was selected as its host.
The weeklong event held in July brought 250 plant health scientists from 27 countries who work in academia, industry, and government to Blacksburg for an exchange about the global food chain.
Held every four years at universities throughout the world, this was the 15th plant pathogen conference but the first time it was combined with the International Symposium of Biological Control of Bacterial Plant Diseases.
“This more holistic view has brought the two research communities together and combined into a single conference,” said Boris A. Vinatzer, professor in Virginia Tech's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and chair of the event’s organizing committee.
An affiliated faculty member in the Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Vinatzer, who is a regular attendee at the conferences, was approached about bringing the event back to the United States by the conference’s scientific advising committee.
“Hosting an international conference always draws a lot of attention to the hosting institution and really raises the reputation of the institution,” said Vinatzer, who is also affiliated with the Translational Plant Sciences Center.
Throughout the week, researchers shared their projects through poster sessions and presentations. They took part in a variety of networking activities, including an ice breaker session led by Patti Raun, director of the Center for Communicating Science, and a mentor-mentee lunch. And they visited Virginia Tech research facilities, including a mid-week trip to Kentland Farms to learn about the Virginia Tech soybean and small grain breeding programs with Bo Zhang and Nicholas Santantonio, assistant professors in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences.
“This combined event stood out as a superbly organized and interactive international conference featuring cutting-edge advances in contemporary phytobacteriology," a branch of bacteriology that deals with organisms associated with or pathogenic for plants, said Sheng Yang He, distinguished professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Duke University. “I am especially impressed by the breadth and depth of top-level science presented, inclusiveness of energetic early career scholars, and outstanding network activities.”
More than half the attendees were graduate students and postdoctoral scholars and two-thirds of attendees identified themselves as belonging to populations currently underrepresented in their field of study, according to a post-event survey.
“This conference provided an invaluable opportunity for our faculty and graduate students to network, share their research, and gain diverse perspectives, fostering both academic and personal growth,” said Aimée Surprenent, dean of Virginia Tech's Graduate School and a guest speaker at the conference. “It also allowed us to highlight the outstanding research being done by our graduate students at Virginia Tech, particularly from our interdisciplinary graduate education programs.”
One such student was Abby Heimbach, a Virginia Tech graduate student in biological sciences, who presented during the conference.
“It is intimidating to network and talk with professionals in the field, but I was also excited for this opportunity to step outside my comfort zone and start forming connections and introducing myself to other scientists,” Heimbach said.
Attendees also explored the New River Valley, including a tour of Mountain Lake Resort, wine tasting, hiking at the Rocky Knob Recreation Area, and lessons on flatfooting, the two-step, and square dancing in Floyd.
Aside from organized activities, attendees made the most of their time together during meals, coffee breaks, and the excursion.
“The conference was a great opportunity to hear about open positions that I was unaware of or hadn't been posted to job boards yet,” said Mariah Rojas, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. “The ability to talk face to face with potential employers was really great because it allowed me to get to know them much better than if I had just sent an email.”
The event was supported by funding from several Virginia Tech units, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the National Science Foundation.
