Workshop: The Pathway to a Roadmap: Phytobiomes 2015, Designing a New Paradigm for Crop Improvement; Washington, D.C., June 29-July 2, 2015; and Winter, 2015

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Co-PIs: Gwyn Beattie (Iowa State University); Kellye Eversole (Eversole Associates)Two workshops will assemble an interdisciplinary and diverse group of scientists to develop a roadmap for advancing the study of phytobiomes. Defined as all the organisms that interact with plants, phytobiomes are understudied biological systems such as microbes, fungi, insects and algae that significantly affect the growth, development and function of plants. Understanding how phytobiomes influence and are influenced by plants will provide information that can transform plant science and agriculture. During the first workshop in June 2015, scientists and educators from around the world will identify gaps in knowledge, training and tools needed to advance the study of phytobiomes. Workshop participants will discuss over-arching questions about the nature of the science, discuss how the science can move forward and explore how educational outreach can be promoted. The second workshop in the fall of 2015 will synthesize the community-driven ideas into a guiding document, or white paper, that will serve as the roadmap for future actions. Such documents are the gold standard for newly emerging communities to identify needs, establish new collaborations and develop international partnerships. A systems approach is needed to understand the multitrophic interactions that occur among phytobiomes, plants and the environment. A major goal of the workshops is to develop an effective roadmap that incorporates cutting edge scientific approaches from all disciplines. The workshop structure will facilitate discussion and networking to help establish interdisciplinary collaborations. Scientists of all career stages and across broad representation in the US and globally will participate in the discussion. Specific outcomes of these workshops will be: (1) the public dissemination of the white paper via a project website, scientific journals and public agencies; (2) publication of a special issue of a top scientific journal will be devoted to the outcomes of the workshop followed by peer reviewed articles in the area of phytobiomes; (3) a summary of surveys and evaluation procedures to guide next steps and (4) establishment of a phytobiomes website (www.phytobiomes.org) that will be a public portal to all outcomes, collaborations and information related to phytobiomes. (www.phytobiomes.org)