Symposium examines future of agricultural biotechnology

What does the future hold for food safety, animal health, plant genomics and crop management? What role will biotechnology play in these changes? A symposium at Memorial Union Thursday, April 1 will explore these and related topics.

“We want to bring together people from the university, with those from agriculture, industry, government and citizen advocacy groups to begin to explore agricultural biotechnology in the next millennium,” says Jo Handelsman, director of the UW–Madison Institute for Pest and Pathogen Management.

Located in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Institute for Pest and Pathogen Management studies agricultural pests and human pathogens. The institute strives to develop management strategies that are sustainable, cost-effective, and safe for the environment, growers, and consumers.

The institute is sponsoring the conference, “Frontiers of Biology: The Future of Agricultural Biotechnology Symposium.” In addition to the talks, the event includes a luncheon, a poster session featuring current research of scientists associated with the institute, and a reception at the Monona Terrace Convention Center.

For information about the institute and the symposium, visit: http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/ippm. Register for the symposium at the Web site or by contacting CALS Outreach Services, 263-1672.