Annual Diagnostics Workshop (ADW) 2024

The Annual Diagnostics Workshop (ADW) 2024 is the foremost event for plant pest diagnosticians across the Australasia-Pacific region. This hybrid event will be held at the Twin Towns Conference Centre, 2 Wharf Street, Tweed Heads, NSW 2485 from Tuesday, 19 March – Wednesday, 20 March 2024.

The theme of ADW 2024 includes topics surrounding:

• plant pathogens for which obtaining axenic cultures is difficult or yet to be made possible, such as viruses, fastidious and unculturable bacteria (e.g., Candidatus Liberibacter spp., phytoplasmas, Xylella spp.), obligate fungi (rusts, powdery mildew, etc.), and oomycetes (downy mildews, Phytophthora spp. etc.)
• the pest organisms that transmit these pathogens (fungi, nematodes, arthropods, etc.)
• the physical mechanisms that spread these pests and pathogens, including grafting, tissue culture, and crop management practices
• the relevant and innovative methods developed to detect and identify these pathogens, e.g., end point and quantitative PCR, sequencing, HTS, eDNA.

This annual event continues to serve as an important opportunity for National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Network (NPBDN) members to learn, exchange tips and techniques, and to network with colleagues in the field. These workshops serve to build capability for plant biosecurity diagnostics in Australia.

Register to attend virtually

Registration EOIs are closed and abstracts have been approved by the Working Group. If you are a NPBDN member and unable to attend the ADW 2024 in person, you may still register to attend virtually. Please complete the online virtual registration form before Friday, 8 March and you will be provided with a Microsoft Teams meeting link to attend the workshop online.

Shoulder workshops

Three shoulder workshops will also be held before the commencement of ADW 2024 on Tuesday, 19 March 2024. These workshops will be run concurrently from 9.00am – 11.00am (AEST), details as follows:

• Workshop 1 – The fundamentals of the Australian Plant Pest Database (APPD)
• Workshop 2 – National Diagnostic Protocol (NDP) development and review
• Workshop 3 – Rapid molecular assays to detect Honeybee mites.

For more information on the three concurrent workshops taking place at ADW 2024, please visit the following link.

ADW 2024 Program

Download the Program.

Venue map

For further information contact npbdn@phau.com.au.