TABLE CONTENTS

PLENARY SESSION FIFTY-ONE – FUTURE TRENDS IN NEMATOLOGY
SCIENCE: IMPORTANCE AND OPPORTUNITIES
CONVENORS: VIVIEN VANSTONE & VIRGINIA FERRIS
Let’s Go Exploring
Ferris, V.
Purdue University, West Lafayette IN 47906 USA
During the past 50 years, paradigm shifts have occurred in all of biology (including
nematology) that were unthinkable to one who began her present job in 1965. The entire field
of information technology flourished; the discovery of the double helix in 1953 was followed
by tumultuous progress in molecular biology including the discovery of restriction
endonucleases, DNA cloning, PCR, automated DNA sequencing, large arrays, high
throughput molecular analysis, genetic transformation, distributed computer hardware and
amazing new software. It is likely that future paradigm shifts will occur at an even more rapid
pace, and that nematologists who are young today will see themselves transformed even more
rapidly than I saw myself adapt and change during my career. Several areas in which I
foresee great progress have been discussion topics at this Congress. Let’s explore together a
few of these, which might include: trends in phylogeny, evolution and classification of
nematodes; exploitation of information about nematode genomes; bioinformatics and data
mining; radical changes in nematode diagnostic methods; the future of molecular barcoding;
a better understanding of biodiversity; new methods for doing ecological research; and
radical changes in the kinds of research programs undertaken by future graduate students in
nematology.
What Different Fields of Nematology Can Learn from Each Other
Pastor, C.
Centro Nacional Patagónico (CONICET). C.C. 128 (9120) Puerto Madryn, Chubut. Argentina
During the Plenary Session, a mental representation diagram related to knowledge about
Nematology will be developed. The objective will be to speak about the differences in levels
of learning in the various Nematology fields, and to try to relate those levels of learning to the
our experiences during the 5ICN week. After gathering ideas, we will attempt to show them
as a synthesis of the Congress.
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