Seven Plenary Sessions are planned for the 2016 IS-MPMI XVII Congress in Portland, OR. More than 50 percent of the plenary speakers did not speak at the last IS-MPMI Congress in 2014, ensuring new ideas and fresh viewpoints.

The Plenary Sessions will highlight the latest advances in fundamental research critical for advancements in agricultural science (e.g. RNA-mediated interactions; epigenetic variation in microbes and hosts; epigenomics; tritophic interactions and the microbiome; population genomics; mechanisms of plant immunity; cell wall and apoplastic interactions; mechanisms of symbiosis and mutualism; interkingdom signaling) as well as translational studies (e.g. novel approaches for disease control; breakthrough technologies for engineering staple food crops; and successes and needs in the developing world).

The plenary speakers are representing the field from a variety of locations across the globe including Jeff Dangl, University of North Carolina, USA; Ulla Bonas, Martin Luther University, Germany; Ken Shirasu, Riken Institute, Japan; and Yuanchao Wang, Nanjing Ag University, China.