September 25, 2015
Plant pathology researcher leads discussion at White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Microbiome Innovation Forum
Plant pathology research professor Kevin McCluskey will lead the discussion on the role culture collections play as we exploit knowledge of human, animal and plant microbiomes at the 2015 White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Microbiome Innovation Forum, Sept. 25, at the Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C.
Building on successes with the U.S. Culture Collection Network — a National Science Foundation Research Coordination Grant activity-NSF DBI 1203113 — and the American Phytopathological Society Public Policy Board Phytobiome Initiative, the inclusion of foundational infrastructure elements in the discussion of microbiomes represents a recognition of the essential value of open access to validated microbial strains. As we transition into the post-genomics era, culture collections are like the Carnegie libraries of the early 20th century and will allow rapid advancement in translating knowledge about microbiomes into applications for human, animal and plant health.