The main objective of the Symposium is to present the latest developments in metagenomics, metataxonomics, metatranscriptomics, metabolomics, microbiology, and mycology in the context of contemporary European and global trends related to agriculture and horticulture, including environmental quality, biodiversity, and phytopathology. The conference aims to promote research on microbiomes and mycobiomes, mainly in agroecosystems, fitting into the new concept of the plant, according to which the plant is a holobiont, i.e. a host of coexisting organisms that, through metabolic cooperation as well as exchange of signals and nutrients, ensure the proper functioning and immunity of plants, which is extremely important for maintaining the state of ecological balance and protecting against states of dysbiosis.
The Symposium also aims to provide scientific discussion and demonstration of state-of-the-art methods used in studies of micro-organisms, including genomics, genetics, and molecular biology, which provide a better understanding of the biochemistry and physiology of bacteria and fungi as well as their importance in environmental and agricultural protection. The Symposium will present techniques and results of ‘omics’ research in the analysis of environmental samples. This research makes it possible to explore new microbiomes, monitor the composition of the microbial consortium, and assess the potential for their use in agriculture and environmental protection.
The symposium will provide a forum for the exchange of experience in the application of state-of-the-art research methods and ‘omics’ techniques, including bioinformatics and data analysis, facilitating comprehensive identification of microbial biodiversity in different environments. This scientific event will allow the integration and establishment of new and strengthening existing contacts of the scientific community from the field of agricultural, biological, environmental, and biotechnological sciences, especially in terms of conducting interdisciplinary research and joint research projects. This conference is the only cyclic event in Poland covering, promoting, and disseminating the use of high-throughput sequencing techniques for application in agriculture and horticulture and comprehensive identification of microbial biodiversity in agroecosystems.
The Symposium provides an opportunity for young students of science to present their research results. Each edition of the Symposium to date has been attended by more than 100 scientists, who are specialists and experts in the fields of microbial ecology, phytopathology, genetics, microbiology, bioinformatics, environmental protection, and agriculture.
The ninth edition of the Symposium will be another opportunity to bring together researchers using different sequencing techniques and will enable the continuation of discussions on the possibilities and perspectives of studying environmental samples using metagenomic methods.
