2022 Summer Institute in Plant Breeding

Six in-person short courses at the Plant Breeding Center of the University of Minnesota in June 2022

Summer Institute in Plant Breeding (in person)

20 - 24 June 2022

Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA

Offered by the

Plant Breeding Center at the University of Minnesota

Modules

Participants can register for one module in Set 1 (Monday to Wednesday noon) and one module in Set 2 (Wednesday afternoon to Friday afternoon):

SET 1

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• Plant Breeding 101 (Dr. Jim Anderson)
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• Data Bootcamp for Genomic Prediction in Plant Breeding (Dr. Aaron Lorenz)
• 
  
• Machine Learning Applied to Plant Science (Dr. Tolutola Oyetunde)

SET 2

• Polyploid Genomics (Dr. Laura Shannon)
• 
  
• Applied Plant Genomics and Bioinformatics (Dr. Candy Hirsch)
• 
  
• Genomewide Markers in Plant Breeding (Dr. Rex Bernardo)

Target Audience

Plant Breeding 101 is intended for those who seek a course in the fundamentals of plant breeding (technicians, data scientists, managers, non-plant breeding graduate students, etc.) The five other modules are intended for M.S. and Ph.D. students, postdocs, and industry scientists

Costs

US $475 for graduate students, postdocs, and faculty

US $625 for industry participants

Cost include lunch and morning and afternoon breaks. Breakfast, dinner, and accommodations are not included. We regret that scholarships or reduced fees are unavailable.

If the Pandemic Worsens

The Summer Institute will switch to delivery via Zoom if the pandemic worsens (we certainly hope not) and travel and meeting in-person become unsafe. Should this happen, participants can be in only one module (rather than two). Participants can then choose to:

• Cancel their entire registration, with a full refund of fees paid; or
• 
  
• Cancel one in-person registration (with a full refund of fees paid) and participate in one module delivered via Zoom (with a partial refund to reflect lower fees for a Zoom course).

The Summer Institute will not be responsible for any monetary losses that participants incur due to a switch to Zoom delivery. Please bear this in mind as you make travel arrangements. Travel insurance is suggested.

Questions?

Contact Dr. Rex Bernardo by email ([email protected])

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Module descriptions

Plant Breeding 101. This course is for those who seek to learn the fundamentals of plant breeding (e.g., technicians, data scientists, managers, non-plant breeding graduate students, etc.). Each session will include lecture/discussion, demonstrations, and problem-solving with sample data.

Data Bootcamp for Genomic Prediction in Plant Breeding. This course will cover common data structures, analysis techniques, and tools used for genomic selection in plant breeding. The sessions will include lectures and hands-on activities.

Machine Learning Applied to Plant Science. This short course provides an introduction to core concepts in machine learning and data science. It will separate hype from fact, demystify machine learning, and critically examine prospects and limitations of data science as applied to plant science. Lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on exercises are designed to encourage the participants to think of ways of applying machine learning to solve practical problems in their current and future research.

Applied Plant Genomics and Bioinformatics. Principles, applications, and limitations regarding the development and use of genomics resources in plants. This course will include lectures, discussions, and hands-on activities.

Polyploid Genomics. Polyploidy (and accompanying rediploidizaion) is a major component of plant evolution. All flowering plants have undergone at least one whole genome duplication event in their history. Furthermore, a wide variety of important crop plants are current polyploids. Despite the ubiquity of polyploidy, polyploid genomes are difficult to analyze. They complicate many of the tools and models most commonly used in genomics and breeding. This course will involve lecture, discussion, problem sets, and hands on data analysis activities.

Genomewide Markers in Plant Breeding. Principles, concepts, and practices regarding the use of molecular markers to improve quantitative traits in plants. The course will include both theory and hands-on computer sessions in an active-learning format.