Kew researchers, Dr Laura Kelly and Dr Mohammad Vatanparast from our ash pangenome project recently organised a fascinating international online conference for fellow researchers working on ash tree genomics.

They presented their own work on developing an ash pangenome, and invited speakers from elsewhere in Europe, North America and China, representing nine research organisations spanning seven different countries. They each presented different aspects of ash genomics in the context of plant health.

The event was organised with ‘Fraxnet’ – a European-wide networking project under the Euphresco umbrella, and supported by Defra. It and was a fantastic opportunity to exchange knowledge and learn about current research in other institutions, with plenty of conversations about results and what it might mean for the future of ash.