The International Congresses on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions (IC-MPMI) have become the major venue for the presentation of the latest research in this area. Topics covered include pathogenic and symbiotic bacteria, fungi, Oomycetes, viruses, and nematodes. Sessions are also organized on technological advances, biocontrol, functional genomics, evolution of host/pathogen interactions, and biotechnological applications. The format is composed of morning plenary sessions, afternoon concurrent sessions, evening poster sessions and ad hoc workshops on specialized topics. A workshop will be held on the professional development of younger scientists. The meeting is held every other year, alternating between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, and usually attracts more than 1000 participants. Speakers are selected by an international advisory board composed of the officers of the International Society for Plant-Microbe Interactions (IS-MPMI) and are balanced for age, gender, and country. The proceedings of the meeting will be published by IS-MPMI (St. Paul, MN). This award will be used to defray expenses for young scientists from the U.S. attending the Twelfth IC-MPMI to be held in Cancun, Mexico in July, 2005.
