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February 2022 Meeting Summary

We met on February 8, 2022, to review the roadmap for the year ahead and discuss how we can better support our community of data providers and users. It was a great session with plenty of forward-looking ideas!

Looking Back and Planning Ahead​

We started by celebrating some fantastic progress made since November 2021. We've welcomed new partnerships with national genebanks in Ghana, Nepal, and Ethiopia, and we're happy to see Ecuador renewing their agreement. The scale of updates has been impressive, with over 2.5 million accessions updated, including a massive contribution from EURISCO.

Matija shared the 2022 work plan, which focuses on five key areas:

  • Nurturing Partnerships: Continuing to support our 40+ data providers in publishing and updating their data.
  • Growing the Network: Onboarding at least four new genebanks and engaging more partners through the BOLD project.
  • Boosting User Engagement: Introducing "Recent activity" posts, a new helpdesk, a Q&A section, and a comprehensive FAQ to make Genesys more helpful.
  • Continuous Improvement: Refreshing the website's look and developing new tools, like the Subsetting Tool in collaboration with CIAT and ICARDA.
  • Exploring New Data: Developing a roadmap to include new types of data by consulting closely with both genebanks and users.

Engaging Data Providers​

A big part of our conversation focused on how to attract and support genebanks that aren't yet part of Genesys. We recognized that different genebanks face different hurdles: some might simply be unaware of the platform, while others may have policy constraints.

We discussed the value of using social media like Twitter and Instagram to highlight the benefits of Genesys. We also touched upon the importance of tailoring our approach to different groups to ensure we're providing the right support.

Support, Training, and Education​

The Committee emphasized that publishing data is only the first step; keeping it updated is where the real work happens. We discussed the possibility of expanding the Genesys helpdesk into an educational resource, offering guidance on genebank management and research protocols to help a new generation of curators.

The Future of Sequencing Data​

We had a fascinating discussion about molecular characterization and sequencing data. While we've started seeing some integration (such as with AfricaRice and IRRI), there is a huge opportunity to better link sequencing data to individual accessions, possibly using GLIS DOIs. We agreed that focusing on genebanks already active in molecular characterization would be a strategic way forward.

Our Community​

A warm thank you to everyone who joined us:

  • Chris Richards (USDA, USA)
  • Peter Wenzl (CIAT/CGIAR)
  • Semíramis Rabelo Ramalho Ramos (EMBRAPA, Brazil)
  • Stephan Weise (IPK, Germany)
  • Francisco Lopez (ITPGRFA, FAO)
  • Luigi Guarino (Crop Trust)
  • Christelle Rabil (Crop Trust)
  • Matija Obreza (Crop Trust)

Apologies:

  • Sunil Archak (NBPGR, India)

Where We Go From Here​

We've identified several key areas to focus on for our next meeting:

  • Outreach: Finding the best way to inform curators that their data is available in Genesys.
  • Molecular Data: Developing a strategy to approach genebanks specializing in molecular characterization.
  • Knowledge Sharing: Exploring how to provide educational materials on genebank management beyond just accession data.

We're excited to keep these conversations moving!