The International Conference and Workshop on Comparative Genomics and Interactomics for Agriculture (ICCGIA 2018) was held on 30^th October – 2^nd November 2018. The organisation of both conference and workshop was led by the Institute of Plantation Studies (IKP) in collaboration with the Faculty of Agriculture and Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UPM. UPM was grateful to the collaborators from the University of South Wales, United Kingdom and the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus for their important contributions in ensuring successful staging of both international events. ICCGIA 2018 which caters for a rather specialized audience has attracted participation from several countries including the United Kingdom, France, Australia, China and the Philippines. It proved to be a very beneficial conference with a strong line-up of international and local speakers and an interesting coverage by the poster presenters.

Comparative genomics and interactomics are specialized fields with great potential in tapping information imbedded in plant genomes for offering solutions to agricultural problems. These fields have come to the forefront since the availability of sequence information from genomes of many important crops such as the oil palm, rubber, rice and wheat in the last few years. The main objective of ICCGIA 2018 was to provide an international platform for scientists and researchers to share their research findings and gather important information related to the latest advancement in the fields of comparative genomics and interactomics.

ICCGIA 2018 provided a unique platform for scientists to engage with international experts from world leading universities and research centres. The topics presented by them demonstrate the tremendous advancement in the utilization of resources in genomics as well as the different tools in functional genomics and bioinformatics for better comprehension of biological processes. This in turn can enhance precision in improving crop performance. The participants that attended the hands-on workshop were very keen to apply the acquired techniques for advancing their own fields of interest.

ICCGIA 2018 witnessed the signing of MoU between UPM and the University of South Wales, United Kingdom. This is intended to spur interest among researchers from both universities to explore opportunities particularly in the fields of comparative genomics and bioinformatics. It will facilitate the advancement of science as well as strengthen the ties between both countries.

Date of Input: 29/01/2019 | Updated: 29/01/2019 | muhammadfaiz