Genetics and conservation biology have a long and complex history of interaction, and the AGA has contributed to this interaction for many years. The question before us, and the goal of this year’s AGA symposium, is to ask if, and when, a discipline of genome-enabled conservation biology will become a reality. Our goal is to brainstorm about how the genomic data that we anticipate becoming available in the next few years can be best used to conserve biodiversity on the planet.

The meeting will be held from 26-28 July, 2010, at the University of Hawaii, Hilo campus. To encourage broad attendance, we will keep registration low ($150), which includes an opening mixer and evening luau. We have negotiated very reasonable hotel accommodation in Hilo as well as dormitory space at UH. Funds will be available, on a competitive basis, to help defray costs of student attendance.

Please join us- Hilo is an amazing setting, and we look forward to an engaging, enlightening three days.

Conference organized by Brad Shaffer and Oliver Ryder

Further details and registration at: AGA 2010

The Fifth International Conference on “Advances in Canine and Feline Genomics" Wednesday, September 22 through Saturday, September 26, 2010 at the Baltimore Marriot Waterfront Hotel, Baltimore, MD, USA.

The conference will bring together researchers studying the genomes of dogs and cats as well as those studying comparative genomics, hereditary diseases and polymorphic traits.

Details at caninefelinegenomicsconference.org

The Genome 10K Community of Scientists is assembling a collection of over 16,000 representative vertebrate species spanning evolutionary diversity across living mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fishes (circa 60,000 living species). From this collection, the Genome 10K Project intends to promote the orderly progression and curation of genome sequencing for 10,000 representative vertebrate species. The elements of this seemingly audacious proposal are described in the Invited Perspective arising from the first meeting of the Genome 10K Community, convened by David Haussler, Ollie Ryder and Steve O’Brien earlier this year.

In recognition of the rapid advances in genomic diversity already underway, the Journal of Heredity is pleased to make available free online the collection of Invited Reviews arising from the AGA symposium, ‘'Mechanisms of Genome Evolution’', convened by Michael Lynch and Eva Allen in 2007. These articles are available for downloading from the Journal’s special collection, Genome Evolution.

To celebrate the 100th volume of the Journal, Oxford Journals offers free access to all online content in the first issue, plus free access to the 100 most-cited articles in the history of the journal and free access to Perspective articles published throughout 2009. Visit http://www.oxfordjournals.org/page/3398/4

The American Genetics Association grants awards each year to AGA members for support of special events. Eligible events include specialized workshops open to Association members in areas of great current interest and short courses in some aspect of organismal genetics, but any event that would advance the purpose of the Association is eligible for support.

The AGA Council is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Special Event Awards, approved at their June, 2009 meeting:

1. $13,000 to Gary Stacey and Perry Gustafson (University of Missouri): “Support for Junior Scientists to attend the 9th International Congress on Plant Molecular Biology”

2. $13,500 to Stephen O’Brien, Warren Johnson, Bailey Kessing (Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, Frederick, MD), Harris Lewin (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Eduardo Eizirik (Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil): “Latin American Conservation Genetics & Comparative Genomics Training Course”

3. $14,700 to Andrea Premoli, Cintia Souto, María Cristina Acosta, Marina Arbetman, Paula Mathiasen, María Paula Quiroga (Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Argentina): “Plant Ecological Genetic Insights in the Southern Hemisphere, VI Southern Connection Congress”

Please contact Anjanette Baker, Managing Editor (agajoh@oregonstate.edu) for application details for the 2010 awards.

The Stephen J. O'Brien Award for the best student paper published in the Journal of Heredity the previous year is awarded at the annual meeting of the AGA and includes a cash prize of $1,000. The award honors Dr. O'Brien's many years of exemplary service as Chief Editor of the Journal of Heredity. Papers are eligible for the 2009 award if the first author was a registered student at the time of manuscript submission and if the article is published in Volume 100 of the Journal of Heredity. Please contact the Managing Editor (agajoh@oregonstate.edu) regarding candidates.

See special announcement regarding the 2008 award recipients here and at jhered.oxfordjournals.org/

At their June 2009 meeting, the Council of the American Genetic Association granted the annual Stephen J. O'Brien Award for best student-authored article published in Journal of Heredity’s 2008 volume, Vol 99. The award honors Dr. Stephen J. O’Brien, Chief of the National Cancer Institute’s Laboratory of Genomic Diversity and head of the Section of Genetics, who served as Editor-In-Chief for the Journal from 1987-2007.

Full Article and Summary/Biography of SJOB Winners >>