Leading plant genomics researchers and breeders from the University of Georgia and across the world will meet May 18-21 at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Alabama, to discuss the latest genomic technology in plant breeding and crop improvement.

Presented by HudsonAlpha and the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the CROPS 2015 conference will focus on improving crop sustainability through genomics. The conference will be co-chaired by Jeremy Schmutz, HudsonAlpha faculty investigator and manager of the Genome Sequencing Center, along with Scott Jackson, director of the UGA Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, and Peggy Ozias-Akins, director of the UGA Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics.

CROPS 2015 will bring together leading researchers who are applying genomic-based techniques to crop improvement, plant molecular breeding experts and traditional breeders interested in applying these techniques within their crops of interest.

“We are honored to partner with the HudsonAlpha Institute to bring the best researchers in the world—working on the application of genetics and biotechnology to crop improvement—to share their cutting-edge research with crop scientists from around the world,” Jackson said.

Tremendous progress has been made in plant genomics in just a few short years. Plant researchers have gone from generating a single reference genome for a single plant to generating hundreds of reference plant genomes.

“Applying genomic technology in plant research is very powerful because we can actually breed plants to achieve a desired outcome,” Schmutz said. “With the advancement of genomic technology, we are able to identify the target traits in a plant that may be crossed to produce coveted characteristics.”

For more information about speakers, abstracts, poster submissions or to register, visit www.CROPSconference.org.