Plant Virus Ecology Research Coordination Network

Oklahoma State University, Stillwater OK

Investigators

Abstract

Plant virus ecology is an emerging field that examines the ecological roles of plant-associated viruses in managed and unmanaged ecosystems, and the reciprocal influence of ecosystem properties on the distribution and evolution of plant viruses. Development of plant virus ecology as a field has lagged due to limits in diagnostic tools and also to the historic separations between ecology and virology that have led the two disciplines to develop independently, with little intellectual exchange. Through an initial series of annual meetings, workshops, and mediated discussions, the RCN will evaluate infrastructural needs, prioritize a research agenda, take steps to expand the emerging community and build long-term support needed for the field. To engage young people and the general public from diverse backgrounds, the RCN will have broader impacts by developing a prototype interactive plant virus ecology exhibit and public school outreach programs with a nationally regarded science museum and by employing undergraduate students from underrepresented groups in developing and presenting workshops.