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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><a name="x_x__Hlk157677608"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'><img width=199 height=67 style='width:2.0694in;height:.7013in' id="x_x__x005f_x0000_i1030" src="cid:image001.jpg@01DC8ECF.E440D1E0" alt="Text, letter
Description automatically generated"></span></a><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'>Dear FHB Community, </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'>The Gene Discovery and Engineering Resistance (GDER) and Pathogen Biology and Genetics (PBG) research area committees of the USWBSI are planning a mid-year joint meeting which will take place virtually on Thursday, April 23, from 12:00-5:00 PM CST. The purpose of this meeting is to facilitate increased interaction and collaboration between these two research areas. GDER focuses on understanding genes and mechanisms of host resistance and susceptibility, and implementation of novel approaches to disease management, while PBG focuses on the pathogen side of the interaction and attempts to identify pathogenicity factors that represent viable targets for disease management. The combined goals of GDER and PBG offer the best possibility of developing novel, effective Fusarium Head Blight management approaches that can be applied in the field. </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'>GDER & PBG Joint Mid-Year Meeting, April 23 at Noon CST</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><a href="https://umn.zoom.us/meeting/register/E6lhq3YIQIaiSZMfjQjBHg"><b><span style='color:#5B9BD5'>>> Meeting Registration</span></b></a><b><span style='color:#5B9BD5'> </span></b>required for Zoom details, no fee<b> </b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'>Please set aside time on your calendar and register to attend along with other members of your lab or research teams and colleagues. The meeting is open to anyone interested in learning more about the GDER and PBG research projects. Registration is required, there is no fee. Zoom details will be provided upon completion of your registration. </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'><a href="https://forms.gle/sPsXhFxnAXy1tYND7"><b><span style='color:#5B9BD5'>>> Presentation Interest Form</span></b></a></span><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#5B9BD5;mso-ligatures:none'> </span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'>submit by March 19<b> <br></b>The meeting will be comprised of a series of short (7-8 minute) research talks to develop awareness within each group of the other’s research directions and progress, followed by a guided discussion session to explore potential collaborative opportunities. If you are interested in presenting, please complete the presentation interest form (link above) by March 19 for consideration.<b> </b>Further details will be provided after all the interested presenters have been considered. </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'>If you have any questions, suggestions, or if you have ideas for potential collaborations that span the interests of the two groups, please reach out to Jyoti Shah (<a href="mailto:Jyoti.Shah@unt.edu" title="mailto:Jyoti.Shah@unt.edu"><span style='color:blue'>Jyoti.Shah@unt.edu</span></a>) and/or Guixia Hao (<a href="mailto:guixia.hao@usda.gov"><span style='color:blue'>guixia.hao@usda.gov</span></a>)</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'>. </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'> </span><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'>We look forward to connecting with you virtually in April!</span><span style='mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'> </span><span style='mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'>GDER-PBG mid-year meeting Organizing Committee</span></i><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'>Dr. Jyoti Shah, University of North Texas, Denton, TX</span><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'>Dr. Guixia Hao, USDA-ARS, Peoria, IL</span><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='color:#0E2841'>______</span></b><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#0E2841;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='color:#0E2841'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='color:#0E2841'>Michelle Bjerkness<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>Director of Operations</span></i><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#222222'><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><a name="m_2463604685091156584__Hlk74295663"><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#0E2841'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></a></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='mso-bookmark:m_2463604685091156584__Hlk74295663'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#0E2841'>U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI)<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='mso-bookmark:m_2463604685091156584__Hlk74295663'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>Networking & Facilitation Office (NFO)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='mso-bookmark:m_2463604685091156584__Hlk74295663'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>495 Borlaug Hall | 1991 Upper Buford Circle | St. Paul, MN 55108</span></span><span style='mso-bookmark:m_2463604685091156584__Hlk74295663'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='mso-bookmark:m_2463604685091156584__Hlk74295663'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'><br></span></span><span style='mso-bookmark:m_2463604685091156584__Hlk74295663'></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#222222'><a href="mailto:nfo@scabusa.org" target="_blank"><span style='color:#1155CC'>nfo@scabusa.org</span></a> | 517.290.5023 | </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#414141'><a href="https://scabusa.org/" target="_blank"><span style='color:#1155CC'>https://scabusa.org</span></a></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#222222'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>Twitter </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#156082'><a href="https://twitter.com/USWBSI"><span style='color:#156082'>@USWBSI</span></a></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'> | Linkedin </span><u><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#156082'><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/uswbsi"><span style='color:#156082'>#uswbsi</span></a></span></u><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#156082'> </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>