The Generation Challenge Program 2005 Annual Research Meeting was held in Rome, Italy, from 29 September through 1 October, with over 150 scientists from 27 countries participating. A poster session was initiated this year, and 87 GCP project posters were presented. Almost every current GCP project PI gave a presentation of their project as well, and PDFs of those presentations can be found below. Please contact the PI directly for copies of individual slides or with questions.

The GCP also held a ?brainstorming session? to collect the feedback and input of participants on what the GCP should have as outputs by 2008 (our mid-way point) and how we should get there. A three-hour session on the last day of the meeting was devoted to this brainstorming exercise, and the participants were split into five large groups and then many smaller breakout groups to discuss a set of output categories and outputs and how to develop projects that will produce those outputs. The reports from the brainstorming session are still trickling in to GCP Headquarters, but the first batch can be found below, and we?ll keep adding them as they come in.

AGENDA
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
2005 EXECUTIVE SUMMARIES
2005 MID-YEAR REPORTS

PRESENTATIONS:
*NOTE: Documents with a ** next to them are larger than 1MB and may take longer to download. We are currently working to make them smaller. If you cannot download a presentation that you urgently need, please email us at k.lesnick@cgiar.org for help.

DAY 1
Session I: Exploiting Allelic Diversity
Hari Upadhyaya, ICRISAT ?
Completing genotyping (barley, wheat, sorghum, chickpea)
Andy Pereira, WUR ?
Systematic evaluation of rice mutant collections for conditional phenotypes with emphasis on stress tolerance
**Mark Sawkins, CIMMYT ?
Development of Informative Markers through Association Mapping in Maize to Improve Drought Tolerance in Cereals
Richard Bruskiewich, IRRI ?
Development and application of the GenerationCP domain models

Session II: Gene Discovery and Mining
Mathias Lorieux, CIAT ?
Exploring natural genetic variation: developing genomic resources and introgression lines for four AA genome rice relatives
Michael Baum, ICARDA ?
Allele Mining Based on Non-Coding Regulatory SNPs in barley germplasm
**Abdelbagi M. Ismail, IRRI ?
Revitalizing marginal lands: discovery of genes for tolerance of saline and phosphorus deficient soils to enhance and sustain productivity
Graham McLaren, IRRI ?
Improvement of quality of existing databases

Session III: Marker Development
Rebecca Nelson, Cornell ?
Targeted discovery of superior disease QTL, alleles in the maize and rice genomes
**Martin Fregene, CIAT ?
Development of low-cost technologies for pyramiding useful genes from wild relatives of cassava into elite progenitors
Scott Chapman, UQ/CSIRO ?
Optimizing marker-assisted breeding systems for assisted breeding systems for drought tolerance in cereals through linkage of drought tolerance in cereals through linkage of physiological and genetic models
**Tom Hazekamp, IPGRI ?
The Generation Challenge Programme Information Infrastructure

Session IV: Molecular Breeding and Delivery Plans
**David Bertioli, UCB ?
Unlocking the genetic diversity in peanut's wild relatives with genomic and genetic tools
Zhi-Kang LI, CAAS ?
Drought Tolerant Rice Cultivars for North China and South/Southeast Asia by Highly Efficient Pyramiding of QTL's fro Diverse Origins
Carmen De Vicente, GCP ?
The GCP Strategy for Enabling The GCP Strategy for Enabling Delivery

DAY 2
Subprogramme 1:
Jean Christophe Glaszmann, SP1 Leader --
Plan for the day and report of the Chennai workshop
Hari Upadhyaya, ICRISAT --
Groundnut core collection/genotyping #03f
Bonnie Furman, ICARDA --
Lentil core collection/genotyping #03e
Hari Upadhyaya, ICRISAT --
Pigeon pea core collection/genotyping #03b
Jean Christophe Glaszmann, Agropolis --
Coconut genotyping: LD assessment #03g
Marc Ghislain, CIP --
Sweet potato core collection/genotyping #03c
**Martin Fregene, CIAT --
Cassava genotyping: traditional and breeding materials #02j and #08
Susanne Dreisigacker, CIMMYT --
Maize genotyping: migrations out of America #02a and comp#14
Andrzej Kilian, DArT PL --
DArT markers #04
Marc Ghislain, CIP --
Potato genotyping: wild/traditional and breeding materials #02j and #08
**Ken McNally, IRRI --
Rice genotyping; #02c, #35 and #05; high throughput SNP development
**Ken McNally, IRRI --
EcoTILLing
**Frederico Duraes, EMBRAPA --
Phenotyping network at Embrapa

Subprogramme 2:
Hei Leung, SP2 Leader --
Plan for the day
Hans-Joachim Braun, CIMMYT --
Wheat genetic stock assembly and utilization
Matthew Blair, CIAT --
Legume mutant resource development/drought mapping in bean
Merideth Bonierbale, CIP --
Tuber genetic stocks and gene function validation tools
Sarah Hearne, IITA, and Tom Hash, ICRISAT --
Stress response-enriched EST resources for targeted species (cowpea and pearl millet)
Roland Schefleitner, CIP --
Validation of conserved orthologous markers
Nour Ahmadi, CIRAD --
QTL mapping for drought tolerance
**Takuji Sasaki, NIAS and Nicolas Roux, INIBAP -
Targeted Musa genome sequencing and frame map construction
**Ken McNally, IRRI --
Genome-wide SNP discovery across multiple rice varieties
Pietro Piffanelli, CIRAD --
Functional genomics of cross-species resistance to fungal diseases in rice and wheat (CEREALIMMUNITY)
**Mark Sawkins, CIMMYT --
Determination of a common genetic basis for tissue growth rate under water-limited conditions across plant organs and genomes
Tiegang Lu, CAAS --
Crop gene expression profiles and stress-gene arrays
John Bennett, IRRI --
Identifying Genes Responsible for Failure of Grain Formation in Rice and Wheat under Drought
Jurandir Magalhaes, Embrapa --
Isolation and Characterization of Aluminum Tolerance Genes in the Cereals: An Integrated Functional Genomic, Molecular Genetic and Physiological Analysis

Subprogramme 3:

**Kazuko Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, JIRCAS --
Overview of DREB research at JIRCAS
John Bennett, IRRI --
Progress in evaluation of DREB transgenics
Willy de Greef, IPBO --
Biosafety concerns specific to the deployment of abiotic stress transgenics
Shawn Sullivan, GCP legal counsel --
Liability and redress issues related to GMO products
**Victoria Henson-Apollonio, IPGRI --
IP issues and product development pathways for molecular breeding technologies
Nollie Vera Cruz, IRRI --
Low-cost marker technologies in major cereal crops [rice, maize, and wheat ? barley and sorghum]
Festo Massawe, IITA --
Status of marker-assisted selection technologies in legumes and clonal crops [cowpea and groundnut ?chickpea, pigeonpea, lentil]
Martin Fregene, CIAT --
Status of marker-assisted selection technologies in clonal crops [cassava and banana ? yam and coconut]
Alfredo Alves, EMBRAPA --
Cassava drought physiology
Marcel de Raissac, CIRAD --
Whole plant physiology modelling
Fred van Eeuwijk, WUR --
New approaches to GxE and QTxE
Subhash Chandra, ICRISAT --
iMAS integrating mapping and molecular breeding software
Jiankang Wang, CSIRO --
Future plans for molecular breeding simulation tools
Hans Braun, CIMMYT --
A practical perspective on the application of molecular breeding simulation tools

Subprogramme 4:
Theo van Hintum, SP4 Leader --
Opening comments
Graham McLaren, IRRI --
Development of an Integrated Information Platform
Richard Bruskiewich, IRRI --
Development of GenerationCP Domain models
Guy Davenport, CIMMYT --
Creation and maintenance of templates for GenerationCP data storage in repositories
Tom Hazekamp, IPGRI --
Development of GenerationCP Central Repository
Richard Bruskiewich, IRRI --
Application of MOBY for GenerationCP Consortium
Milko Skovic, IPGRI --
Implementation of web services technology in GenerationCP Consortium
Thomas Metz, IRRI --
GCP Software Engineering Collaboration and Management
Xavier Perrier, CIRAD --
Development of decision support systems for sampling germplasm
**Anthony Collins, CIP --
Integration of High Performance Computing (HPC) facilities in the GCP toolbox
Graham McLaren, IRRI --
Improvement of Quality of Existing Databases

Subprogramme 5:
Carmen de Vicente, SP5 Leader --
SP5 presentation and update
**Suresh Kumar --
GCP Fellowships + Travel grants
**Daniel Fonceka --
GCP Fellowships + Travel grants
Heru Kuswantoro --
GCP Fellowships + Travel grants
Marja Thijssen --
Development of training materials and Helpdesk
S. Chandra --
GCP Training Program
Karine Malgrand --
Project proposal design and writing training workshops
Theresa Fulton --
Interactive Resource Center
Robin Pistorius --
Regional Courses, Workshop in China Symposium and Distance Policies
Thordis Moeller --
Asset Inventory and IP matters

PARALLEL SESSION 1: Strategies for mining diversity and how to cope with large collections
PARALLEL SESSION 2: Strategies allele discovery and how to cope with complex traits
PARALLEL SESSION 3: Reaching the Breeders
Jonathan Crouch, CIMMYT --
Reducing Global Poverty through Molecular Breeding
Richard Edema, AMBIONET --
The African Molecular Marker The African Molecular Marker Applications Network (AMMAnet): Mission, Objectives and Activities Mission, Objectives and Activities
Luz George, CIMMYT --
Maize-MAS in Asia: The Asian Maize Biotechnology Network

DAY 3

BRAINSTORMING SESSION REPORTS:
GROUP A ? moderated by Jonathan Crouch
Outputs for Discussion ? Group A

Breakout Group 1
Rapporteur: Claire Billot
Feedback report on Genetic and Genomic Resources and Capacity Building

Breakout Group 2
Rapporteur: Peter Balint-Kurti
Feedback report on Traits and Software and Data Management

Breakout Group 3
Rapporteur: Sarah Hearne
Feedback report on Genetic Basis and Breeding Tools

GROUP B ? moderated by Carmen de Vicente
Outputs for Discussion ? Group B (not available as of 7 Oct)

Breakout Group 1
Rapporteur: James Gethi
Feedback report on Genetic Basis

Breakout Group 2
Feedback report on Breeding Tools

Breakout Group 3
Feedback report on Capacity Building

Breakout Group 4
Rapporteur: Michael Baum
Feedback report on Genetic Resources

Breakout Group 5
Rapporteur: Guy Davenport
Feedback report on Traits

Breakout Group 6
Rapporteur: Richard Bruskiewich
Feedback report on Data Management and Bioinformatics

GROUP C ? moderated by Theo van Hintum
Outputs for Discussion ? Group C

Breakout Group 1
Rapporteur: Andrew Farmer
Feedback report on Software and Training

Breakout Group 2
Rapporteur: Rajeev Varshney
Feedback report on Genetic Resources

Breakout Group 3
Rapporteur: Bonnie Furman
Feedback report on Traits and Breeding Tools/Protocols

GROUP D ? moderated by Hei Leung
Outputs for Discussion ? Group D

Breakout groups summary
Rapporteurs: Jan Leach, Elizabeth Arnaud, and Merideth Bonierbal
Feedback report on outputs

GROUP E ? moderated by Jean Christophe Glaszmann
Outputs for Discussion ? Group E (not available as of 7 Oct)

Breakout Group 1
Rapporteur: Vincent Vadez
Feedback report on Traits/Breeding

Breakout Group 2
Rapporteur: Bridget Crampton
Feedback report on Capacity Building

Breakout Group 3
Rapporteur: David Bertioli
Feedback report on Genetic Material/Genomics

PICTURES FROM THE ARM:
Coffee Break Picture 1
Coffee Break Picture 2
Brainstorming Session Picture 1
Brainstorming Session Picture 2
Griselda and Ibti
Jenny and Jean-Marcel
Patti and Jenny
Secretariat Computers
SP4 Presentation Picture 1
SP4 Presentation Picture 2

GCP Posters -- Rome 05