James T. Staley of the University of Washington has been awarded a grant to to support 8 U.S. PIs and 8 students/postdocs to attend a 2-day public symposium and 1-day workshop entitled "Genomics: Beyond the Sequence" in Edinburgh, Scotland, 26-27 March, 2001. The event is sponsored by the Systematic and Evolutionary Group of the Society of General Microbiology and the International Committee for Systematic Bacteriology. Participants at the symposium and workshop will discuss, digest and forecast the impact that genomics will have on our understanding of the evolution of prokaryotes and their inter-relationships. It is intended that speakers will draw heavily from data, tools, etc. derived from complete genome sequencing projects and develop a perspective of future developments at the interface of microbial systematics and genomics. Prokaryotic microbes are the oldest, most abundant and most diverse forms of life on earth. They are responsible for maintaining Earth's biogeochemical cycles, sustaining its ecosystems, and regenerating the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, and the soil in which we grow our food. Microorganisms are also at the foundation of the modern revolution in biotechnology. An understanding of the evolutionary patterns and processes of these organisms is essential to all microbiological research, and genomics offers the ultimate tool for resolving their phylogeny, taxonomy and classification. Half of the funds of this award will go to supporting training for students and postdoctoral participants in the symposium and workshop.
