Download Plant Virus Ecology Research Coordination Network

Profound advances in understanding the
ecology of both viruses and higher organisms
Plant Virus Ecology Network (PVEN)
Research Coordination Network
Plant Virus Biodiversity
& Ecology
EPSCoR
NSF
Plant Virus Ecology Network (PVEN)
•What's Plant Virus Ecology?
•What's PVEN?
•What's PVEN done?
Plant Virus Ecology
• examines the ecological roles of plant-associated
viruses in managed and unmanaged ecosystems;
• investigates the reciprocal influence of ecosystem
properties on the distribution and evolution of plant
viruses.
R. S. Redman et al., Science 298, 1581 (2002)
www.bulkley.net/~symbios/ski%20trail%20meadow.jpg
Plant Virus Ecology Example: Thermotolerance
R. S. Redman et al., Science 298, 1581 (2002)
Plant Virus Ecology Example: Inasive Plants
www.bulkley.net/~symbios/ski%20trail%20meadow.jpg
C.M. Malmström, R. Shu, E.W. Linton, L. A.
Newton, M. A. Cook (2007) J. Ecology (on line)
Plant Virus Ecology
Two Worlds of Biological Science
Molecular
Environmental
Plant Virus Ecology
One World of Biological Science
Molecular
Environmental
Plant Virus Ecology Sample Questions
•Within a plant species, do virus communities vary predictably according to
environmental gradients?
•How do virus communities vary as a function of environmental gradients
known to be important for vascular plants?
•Do common plant species have more virus species than rare plant species?
•Does 'distance decay' exist in virus communities?
•Do virus abundance distributions conform to expectation from the Unified
Neutral Theory?
•Are virus abundance distributions lognormal?
•Are annuals less likely to have high viral loads?
•Are some habitats more conducive to high viral loads than others?
•Is virus species biodiversity related to plant biodiversity?
•Are native species likely to have higher viral loads than exotic species?
•Are successful invaders relatively virus-free?
•Are exotic plant species more or less prone to infection than native
species?
•Does a diverse plant community confer protection from viruses?
•What is the role of viruses in the maintenance of plant biodiversity?
Plant Virus Ecology
Societal issues:
•Emergence of new diseases
•GMO safety
•Biosecurity
•Preservation & Restoration
Plant Virus Ecology
Barriers:
•Historic separation of fields
•Ecologists
•Virologists
•Tools
•Diagnostic
•Database infrastructure
Plant Virus Ecology Network (PVEN)--Who?
•Core participants (UPPER CASE)
•Other participants
•Co-coordinators: Carolyn Malmström, U. Melcher
•Coordinating committee: Anna Whitfield, Alison Power, Denis Fargette
•External advisory board: TBA
Plant Virus Ecology Network (PVEN)--What?
• Create community, world wide.
• Encourage new talent and public support.
• Intellectual, physical and informational infrastructure.
PVEN To-do List
(Create Community)
• Recruit talent to PVE
• Ecologists: 2007 ESA meeting ✔
• Plant virologists: 2007 ASV and APS meetings ✔✔
• Develop relationships with allied groups
• International Plant Virus Epidemiology Symposium group ✔
• Newsletter
• One issue sent ✔
• Website
• Workshop
PVEN To-do List
(Encourage Talent)
Three levels
• BS: Summer internships
• created ✔
• First intern ✔
• K-12: Impression 5 Science
Center contracted
• JQ Public: Website
PVEN To-do List
(Infrastructure)
• Intellectual Infrastructure
• Workshop
• Discuss questions and issues
• Prioritize
• Website forum
PVEN To-do List
(Infrastructure)
• Physical and Informational Infrastructure
• Database needs
• Lobbying NPDN ✔
• Supporting IVDN proposal ✔
• Grant proposal
• Plant Virus Key ✔
• NEON input (in progress)
• Workshop
• Diagnostics
http://bioinfosu.biochem.okstate.edu/pve_rcn/
Plant Virus Ecology and Epidemiology
Epidemiologists: concerned about the consequences of
virus infection in agricultural settings
Ecologists: also interested in the consequences in natural
settings.
Perspectives different, but questions and tools overlap.
Plant Virus Ecology Network (PVEN)
•What's Plant Virus Ecology?
•What's PVEN?
•What's PVEN done?
Profound advances in understanding the
ecology of both viruses and higher organisms
Plant Virus Ecology Network (PVEN)
Research Coordination Network
Plant Virus Biodiversity
& Ecology
EPSCoR
NSF