The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
(NIMBioS) is now accepting applications for its Investigative Workshop,
"Insect Pest Resistance Evolution," to be held November 14-15, 2013, at
NIMBioS.
*Objectives: *Crop protection strategies help stabilize food supplies
and economies worldwide. Pest resistance to protectants and cultural
practices represents a serious risk in terms of both economics and the
public good. Mathematical models have come to play a central role in
insect resistance management (IRM) and now inform the development,
stewardship, and regulation of crop protectants. Such models confront a
vast array of factors representing the major challenges facing
ecological and evolutionary theory in general, including genetics,
behavior, population dynamics, and spatial processes. Agricultural
systems are highly manipulated landscapes and their theoretical
idealization can be used to explore the consequences of managed spatial
and temporal heterogeneity. This investigative workshop will bring
together scientists with diverse backgrounds, including empirical
entomologists, applied and basic modelers, geneticists, and government
agency scientists familiar with regulatory goals. The workshop will
address two overarching goals. First, it will focus on developing a
modeling framework that can provide guidance on the absolute time
required for resistance to evolve in given systems. Second, it will aid
in designing sustainable crop protection strategies through the
investigation of resistance evolution across landscapes. The workshop
will synthesize the state of knowledge about resistance evolution,
define focused research goals for both the theoretical and empirical
community, foster greater connection between theory and application, and
broaden the role of agricultural entomology in elucidating general
phenomena in applied evolution.
*Location: *NIMBioS at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
*Co-Organizers:* Nicholas A. Friedenberg, Applied Biomathematics, Inc.,
Setauket, NY and David Crowder, Dept. of Entomology, Washington State
Univ., Pullman
For more information about the workshop and a link to the online
application form, go to http://www.nimbios.org/workshops/WS_pestresist
Participation in the workshop is by application only. Individuals with a
strong interest in the topic are encouraged to apply, and successful
applicants will be notified within two weeks of the application
deadline. If needed, financial support for travel, meals, and lodging is
available for workshop attendees.
*Application deadline:* August 12, 2013
The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
(NIMBioS) (http://www.nimbios.org) brings together researchers from
around the world to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to
investigate solutions to basic and applied problems in the life
sciences. NIMBioS is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture with additional support from The University of Tennessee,
Knoxville.
*****************************
Catherine Crawley, Ph.D.
Communications Manager
National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS)
University of Tennessee
1122 Volunteer Blvd, Ste. 106
Knoxville, TN 37996
e ccrawley from nimbios.org
t +1 865 974 9350
f +1 865 974 9461
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