As vectors of plant viruses, aphids cause hundreds of millions of dollars in crop damage each year.  Additionally, the use of pesticides to control these pests can impact human and ecosystem health.  The pea aphid genome promises new insights into unsolved problems.   Researchers can begin to address anew the problems of aphid vectoring of plant viruses and resistance to insecticides. They can investigate the biochemical basis of plant-animal interactions, as well as the genetic basis of aphid adaptation (phenotypic plasticity), aphid immunity, insecticide resistance and chemical defense.  All of this work requires a well annotated genome. 

“…the value of a genome is only as good as its annotation” (Stein 2001)

Princeton University will host a two-day workshop that will launch the manual annotation phase of the Pea Aphid Genome Project.  This workshop will unite genome annotation experts from outside the International Aphid Genomics Consortium with pea aphid annotation teams composed of scientists from the public and private sectors, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students.  Workshop participation is open to everyone interested in addressing the problems caused by aphid species and the challenges faced in controlling this worldwide pest.  Participation will provide a unique opportunity to network with colleagues from around the world and share experiences from the basic to the applied.