Attendees arrived Friday evening after driving 3–5 hours and some of us had an informal social gathering to reconnect. Zeynep and GEP member Amanda Stahlke spent most of Saturday training the attendees on the gene annotation system that they and a couple students have developed for the four species of tamarisk beetles that are the subject of their research. Node members had previously been introduced to the process at our virtual regional node meeting in the spring, but this was the first time that anyone outside of CMU had had the opportunity to carry out annotations using the resources that Zeynep and Amanda have developed with the help of Wilson Leung. Zeynep and Amanda based their annotation process on the Pathways project and there were multiple lively discussions about whether or not certain components of that process are appropriate for the research questions that are the basis of the underlying science project.
Ultimately, attendees finished the day with a solid grasp on the underlying science and the basics of the annotation process, while Zeynep and Amanda used the feedback to make changes to the process and to clarify the annotation results that will be necessary for them moving forward. Everyone subsequently enjoyed an evening at a local restaurant where we were able to socialize and unwind.
On Sunday morning, the group was given a tour of the Palisade Insectary of Colorado Department of Agriculture by its director Dan Bean. The tamarisk beetles are just one of many biocontrol agents that this agency has helped develop and employ as part of Integrated Pest Management programs in Colorado and the American Southwest. We learned about some of the biocontrol successes and visited the rooms where some of the insects are being raised for future releases. After that, everyone quickly visited a farmer’s market down the street and then hit the road to go home.
What worked well for your event that might help others plan similar events?
- Having a node leader and co-leader to divide up the work. Finding an Airbnb that was close to the event location.
- Having participants carpool helped to keep the transportation costs low.
What would your node do differently based on your experiences?
- Have coffee available throughout the whole day not just the morning 😉
