The Third International Symposium of Entomopathogenic Nematodes and Symbiotic Bacteria was held at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Ohio State University in Wooster from September 4 to 7, 2003.  There were 104 attendees representing scientists from 16 countries.  Countries represented included, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Thailand, Uganda, United Kingdom, and USA.

This symposium brought together bacteriologists, nematologists, and entomologists to present and discuss a number of topics that were in 9 different sessions.  The sessions were (1) biodiversity, (2) symbiosis, (3) pathogenicity and genomics, (4) nematode physiology, genetics, and molecular biology, (5) behavioral ecology, (6) population dynamics and modeling, (7) implementation around the world, (8) application technology, and (9) successes and failures.  After each session, a discussion leader served to facilitate the dialogue with the speakers and audience.   The discussion leader also has the major responsibility of writing the manuscript from the session, which will be published in a special issue of Biological Control. 

In addition to the speaker sessions, 42 posters were presented, and two independent teams of anonymous judges scored the student posters based on originality of the research, difficulty of the project, and presentation and defense of the results of the data in the poster by the students.  Three cash prizes were awarded to the following students with two second place awards (a tie) to Janet Lawrence, Ohio State University (major professors, Casey Hoy and Parwinder Grewal), Heather Smith, University of Florida, Gainesville (major professor, Byron Adams) and first place award to Eric Martens, University of Wisconsin (major professor, Heidi Goodrich-Blair). (Photo and title needed of student posters)

Each evening, there was ample time for social interaction.  The first night was the opening mixer with food from different countries as a theme and wine brought by many participants, the second night was the banquet, and the third night was the picnic.  The food was excellently catered by TJ’s restaurant.  The highlights of the banquet were (1) the food, (2) the showing of outtakes from the video entitled “Insect-parasitic nematodes: a tool for pest management” narrated by Michael Klein, and (3) the background and dance music.

The general discussion on the last day of the meeting generated much interest on the holding future meetings.  Ralf Ehlers from Germany agreed to host the Fourth International Symposium of Entomopathogenic Nematodes and Symbiotic Bacteria in Europe in conjunction with a COST meeting. 

Much progress in genomic sequencing of Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus was reported.  The Photorhabdus luminescens TT01 genome paper has now been published (http://genolist.pasteur.fr/PhotoList/), the partially complete Photorhabdus asymbiotica genome is accessible via the Sanger Sequencing Center website, and genomic sequencing of two species of Xenorhabdus (X. nematophila and X. bovienii) will begin in November 2003.

            Parwinder Grewal – Chair, Organizing Committee and Local Arrangements
            Steve Forst – Organizing Committee Member
            Susan Bornstein-Forst – Organizing Committee Member
            Heidi Goodrich-Blair – Organizing Committee Member
            Harry Kaya – Organizing Committee Member