In order to increase scientific interchange between early career scientists in the US and EU, a joint United States-European Union Workshop on Genomics and Environmental Biotechnology will be held at The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR), Rockville MD, US on March 29-31, 2004. The goals of this Workshop include the following. 1) An exploration of current applications of genome science to environmental biotechnology- what is the present state of the art? 2) The examination of future roles that genomics can play in environmental biotechnology- what are the potential applications for the future and what needs must be met to realize this potential? 3) To provide a forum for scientific exchange of knowledge and ideas by researchers investigating these issues thereby presenting new opportunities for collaboration. 4) To encourage the next generation of leaders in the field. Topics to be discussed through formal oral presentations and poster presentations include the following. 1) The use of metagenomics approaches and their relevance to studying environmental diversity and biotechnology. 2) The use of bioinformatics to examine sequence information derived from metagenomic approaches. 3) The application of genomic approaches to understanding bioremediation and biotechnology. The Workshop will foster the exchange of knowledge and ideas between early career and senior scientists from both the US and EU, and its broader impacts will be to engage young, creative scientists in the field of environmental biotechnology, to foster international collaborations, and to train researchers in bioinformatics tools. Eighteen Senior Scientists (nine from the EU and nine from the US) attending the workshop will be asked to identify a promising early career scientist (Graduate Student, Post-Doctoral Fellow or Junior Investigator) who will also be invited to participate. Additional training will be provided in the use of bioinformatics tools through the organization a special half-day iahands onla session focused on the use of a web-based bioinformatics platform.
