A vital part of the APS-MSA Joint Meeting, workshops on a variety of topics pertinent to plant science are scheduled for this year's meeting, offering even more educational value to meeting attendees.

Comparative Fungal Genomics with MycoCosm

Saturday, August 10
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Organizer: Igor Grigoriev, DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, U.S.A.
Fee: $35
MycoCosm is a web-based fungal genomics resource developed by the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute. It integrates genomic data from more than 200 fungi with interactive analysis tools. This workshop will give participants hands-on experience exploring genomic data in both a genome-centric and comparative genomics manner.

Genotyping-by-Sequencing

Saturday, August 10
1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Organizers: Lance Cadle-Davidson, USDA-ARS, Geneva, NY, U.S.A.; Katie Hyma, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, U.S.A.; Maria Jimenez-Gasco, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, U.S.A.
Sponsoring Committee/Sponsor: Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics
Fee: $60
Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) uses barcoding and next generation sequencing of DNA or RNA samples for high-resolution, low-cost genotyping. In this workshop, we will provide an overview of GBS theory and library preparation followed by step-by-step computational analyses of sequence data. Attendees will become familiar with resources for GBS, its limitations, and some real-world examples of its applications, including those for organisms without a reference genome.

How to Get Engaged: Advocacy Etiquette

Saturday, August 10
1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Organizers: Angela Records, APS Policy Fellow, Washington, DC, U.S.A.; Jan Leach, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, U.S.A.
Sponsoring Committee/Sponsor: Public Policy Board
Fee: $40
This workshop will train participants in how to devise a compelling message and deliver it to legislators in both oral and written formats. Our plan is to invite an active congressional legislative assistant to participate in the training and mock advocacy meetings. In addition, expertise will be provided by professional policy advocates.

Sampling Terms, Concepts, and Best Practices for Plant Pathologists

Saturday, August 10
10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Lunch on own 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.)
Organizers: Forrest Nutter, Jr., Iowa State University, Ames, IA, U.S.A.; Paul Esker, University of Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica
Sponsoring Committees/Sponsors: Epidemiology; Crop Loss Assessment and Risk Evaluation (CARE); Pathogen Forensics
Fee: $50
The processes of selecting sampling units (pathogen isolates, plants, leaves, fields, etc.) without bias is an everyday necessity in plant pathology. In this workshop, sampling terms, concepts, and best practices will be presented. Emphasis will be placed on examining relevant issues related to the power of the test, sample size estimation, hierarchical sampling, and sampling for bulk tests. Examples related to pathogen detection, mean separation, yield loss estimation, and seed health tests will be used.