International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions

International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
Name	International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
Abbreviation	IS-MPMI
Formation	1970s
Headquarters	International
Leader title	President

International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions is a professional association that concentrates on the molecular bases of interactions between plants and microbes. Founded by researchers active in Max Planck Society, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and university departments such as University of California, Berkeley, the society connects scientists from institutions like Johns Hopkins University, University of Cambridge, and ETH Zurich with agencies such as the National Science Foundation, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Its activities involve collaboration among investigators affiliated with Scripps Research Institute, The Rockefeller University, University of Tokyo, Wageningen University, and national programs including USDA, CSIRO, and INRAE.

History

The society emerged during a period when labs led by figures from Ronald Fisher-era statistics groups, Stanford University molecular genetics teams, and University of Wisconsin–Madison plant pathology programs began integrating concepts from groups at University of California, Davis, University of Oxford, and Harvard University. Early meetings featured researchers from Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, and Chinese Academy of Sciences laboratories, and drew participants funded by Wellcome Trust, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Over decades, the society developed ties with conferences hosted by Gordon Research Conferences, EMBO, and the American Phytopathological Society, reflecting influences from investigators connected to Cornell University, Michigan State University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and University of British Columbia.

Mission and Objectives

The society's mission aligns with priorities set by agencies such as European Research Council, National Institutes of Health, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance knowledge at intersections of laboratories like INRAE Bordeaux and Max Planck Institute for Plant Physiology. Objectives include fostering exchanges among researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, John Innes Centre, and University of Queensland; promoting methods pioneered at Salk Institute, EMBL Heidelberg, and La Jolla Institute; and supporting training linked to programs at University of Minnesota, KAUST, and Seoul National University. The society emphasizes partnerships with journals and societies including Nature Publishing Group, Science Magazine, PNAS, and Annual Reviews.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises principal investigators and trainees from institutions such as University of California, San Diego, University of Wisconsin, Yale University, Princeton University, Duke University, Purdue University, Brown University, Columbia University, University of Toronto, McGill University, University of Melbourne, Monash University, University of São Paulo, and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Governance is overseen by an elected council drawn from researchers affiliated with ETH Zurich, Imperial College London, University of Helsinki, University of Göttingen, and Lund University, with bylaws influenced by precedents from Royal Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and International Union of Biological Sciences. Committees liaise with funders such as CORDIS and organizations like FAO and World Agroforestry Centre.

Meetings and Conferences

The society organizes biennial international congresses often hosted in cities with research hubs like Geneva, Berlin, Boston, San Diego, Tokyo, Beijing, Paris, Dublin, Madrid, and Melbourne. Programs commonly include plenaries featuring speakers from Cold Spring Harbor, EMBL, Max Planck Institutes, and Salk Institute, along with symposia modeled after Gordon Research Conferences and workshops in partnership with FAO and UNESCO. Special sessions highlight collaborations with consortia such as 1000 Genomes Project-style initiatives in plant science and networks like iPlant Collaborative.

Publications and Awards

The society supports dissemination through partnered journals and book series associated with publishers including Springer Nature, Elsevier, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and open-access platforms like PLOS. It recognizes achievements with awards named after influential scientists and institutions—drawing inspiration from honors such as the Nobel Prize, Wolf Prize, Royal Society Fellowship, EMBO Gold Medal, and society-level distinctions similar to those by American Phytopathological Society and Society for Experimental Biology. Awardees often come from labs at University of California, Davis, Johns Hopkins University, Washington University in St. Louis, Université Paris-Saclay, and Tel Aviv University.

Research and Scientific Impact

Research fostered by the society spans microbial genetics studies conducted at The Sainsbury Laboratory, signaling network analysis from MIT, and systems biology efforts at European Bioinformatics Institute. Contributions include advances in understanding effector biology stemming from groups at University of Arizona, host immunity concepts developed alongside researchers at University of Chicago, and crop protection strategies tied to International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center and CIMMYT. Collaborative projects have linked investigators from Broad Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Rothamsted Research, and CSIRO to translational outcomes affecting breeding programs at International Rice Research Institute and policy discussions at World Bank.

Education and Outreach

Educational initiatives include training schools modeled on programs at EMBO, summer courses inspired by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory workshops, and fellowships coordinated with Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and national scholarship agencies like NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. Outreach partners include botanical gardens such as Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, citizen science platforms like those associated with Zooniverse, and curriculum collaborations with universities including University of Oxford and University of Cambridge to integrate discoveries into pedagogical materials used across institutions such as McMaster University and University of São Paulo.

Category:Scientific societies