Prof. Sanushka Naidoo and Dr Demissew Teshome attended and presented at the IUFRO Tree Biotech 2024 Conference in Annapolis, Maryland, USA on 4-8 August. This is the biennial meeting on genomics, molecular biology and biotechnology of forest trees, associated with the IUFRO Working Party 2.04.06. The conference covered various themes: 1) Biological and ecological insights from OMICS, 2) Advancing technologies for targeted trait manipulation and acceptability to diverse tree species, 3) Genes, development, and physiology, 4) Translating genomics and biotechnology to practice, 5) Trees in a changing world, 6) Genetic and phenotypic diversity for breeding and genomic selection, and 7) Biotechnology for biomaterials and bioeconomy. Prof. Naidoo presented a keynote address under theme 6, on the Defensome of Eucalyptus under pathogen challenge while Dr Teshome presented a talk on recovery following the combined stress of drought and pathogen challenge in Eucalyptus. The meeting was attended by 140 international participants. There were many opportunities to network and set up new collaborations. Prof. Sanushka Naidoo was elected as the deputy co-ordinator of the Working Party for 2025-2026 and will be involved in the organisation of the next conference. This will be held in South Africa in 2026 and will be jointly hosted by FABI and Stellenbosch University.

Photo captions:

Newly elected members of the IUFRO Working Party 2.04.06. (L-R): Raphael Ployet, Sanushka Naidoo, David Kainer, Carsten Kulheim, Paula Aguayo. (Photo: Prof. Sanushka Naidoo)

Group photo provided by Dr Gen Li.