Full title: "New Frontiers in Forest Genomics: Sequencing and functional Understanding of the Conifer Genome"

The symposium took place in Madrid, Spain. It was supported by the Ramón Areces Foundation, an institution created with the objective of fostering scientific and technical research of excellence.

The ultimate goal of this symposium was to discuss recent advances in conifer genomics, as well as ongoing world-wide initiatives, including advances in other plant species, and the tools available for the analysis of large and complex genomes. Ecological importance of conifers pairs with its great economic importance as the group includes mayor forest tree species.

Conifer diverged from angiosperms more than 300 million years ago and the study of their genome may reveal unique information which cannot be inferred from currently sequenced angiosperm genomes (such as poplar or Arabidopsis). Due to the large size of their genome and its structural complexity, conifer genome sequencing implies a very important challenge from a technological standpoint.

The development of new high-efficiency sequencing and genotyping technologies, as well as new bioinformatics tools, which enable the assembly of sequences belonging to complex genomes, makes it possible to consider this challenge as a goal within attainable range for specialists. Intact gene identification will likely lead to genetic dissection of productive traits (for production of wood, paper, cellulose, lignin derivatives, hemicellulose and other valuable compounds which valorize forest tree biomass into biofuels and other energy applications), metabolic pathways accounting for species specific structural chemical diversity (of particular interest are green chemistry products) as well as adaptive traits (for resistance to pathogens and plagues, phenological control and reduction of climatic change impact related traits such as drought and cold stress).

In this spirit, the symposium brought together experts from the U.S., Canada and Europe who contributed to cutting-edge discussions. Sessions included both applied and basic aspects of conifer genomics.

Please visit the congress website to see detailed information about the symposium topics, location and invited speakers.

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