Preceding the 22th International Fungal Genetics Conference held March 18–22 at the Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, California, USA, about 50 Phytophthora researchers gathered for a workshop organized within the framework of the Phytophthora Molecular Genetics Network. This meeting was the second in a series of annual meetings of the Network that is sponsored as an NSF Research Coordination Network in Biological Sciences. The first workshop was held in August 2002 as a satellite of the APS annual meeting in Milwaukee, WI, USA. Co-sponsors of the Network meetings are Pioneer Hi-Bred International and Syngenta.

The scientific program, organized by Paul Morris from Bowling Green State University, Ohio, and Christine Smart, Cornell University, covered various aspects of the molecular genetics of Phytophthora and related oomycete pathogens. In two days of total of 21 oral presentations was offered as well as a number of posters. The participants were representatives from universities and research institutes in the US, Canada, England, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Scotland and Australia. The full program, abstracts and list of participants can be downloaded from the GILB website at www.cipotato.org/gilb/

Open inspiring discussions and numerous opportunities for informal networking among participants characterized the meeting. One recurrent theme in the presentations and discussions was the impact of genomics on Phytophthora research. There was an update on the status of two Phytophthora genome sequencing projects, P. ramorum and P. sojae, ongoing at the DOE Joint Genome Institute at Walnut Creek, CA. Sudden Oak Death, caused by P. ramorum is emerging as a devastating disease on the west coast of the US. Initiatives for a genome sequencing project of the late blight pathogen P. infestans were presented by the Whitehead Institute, Cambridge MA. Participants also discussed the need to coordinate efforts in securing funding for the P. infestans sequencing project.

In addition to funding and organizing the annual meetings the Phytophthora Molecular Genetics Network allocates funds for travel awards and training internships. Also the establishment of a Phytophthora Resources Center, including a website site and a biological stock center (containing a.o. strains, libraries, mapping populations and microarrays) are activities of the Research Network. Further information on the NSF network is available from Brett M. Tyler at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (bmtyler(at)vt.edu).

Francine Govers, Wageningen University, Netherlands

Email: Francine.Govers(at)wur.nl