Over the year the International Congress "Plant and Animal Genome (PAG)" has become a major event for researchers from around the world who come together to learn about the latest news and developments in scientific research related to plant and animal genetics.

This year the CGNA researchers Drs. Federico Iñiguez and Iván Maureira participated in this international congress, which took place in San Diego, California in January 14 to the 18.

Dr. Federico Iñiguez presented the poster "High Throughput SNP Genotyping in Brassica napus L.: SNP Detection in Genomic Areas Associated with Traits of Agronomical and Nutritional Importance", work that was carried out in the framework of FONDECYT Project 1100732, which was led by Dr. María Laura Federico. As well, during the congress there were working meetings with the Canadian collaborators of this project and with members of the international consortium of the SNP in Brassicas, of which CGNA is a member and the only participating Latin American research center.

Dr. Iván Maureira also participated in the congress, presenting the poster "Making yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus) a better protein alternative: identification of low digestibility seed proteins and lupin candidate genes associated with phytic acid content", developed in the framework of an INNOVA Project of CORFO to identify the genes associated with the production of phytic acid in order to reduce the presence of this antinutritional element in products based on yellow lupin flour. Dr. Maureira also participated in several workshops on genomics and associated studies, as well as working meetings with collaborators from Australia, the US and France.

In the 20th version of the international congress was attended by 2,500 scientists and researchers. There were more 120 presentations, 120 workshops, 900 posters and 1,500 summaries submitted.

In response to the current global problems in terms of climatic change and population growth and to explore the new advances being developed in the Asian Pacific region, the next international PAG gathering will take place in Singapore in 2013.