# Event Details - **Event Name**: 2026 Summer Institute in Plant Breeding - **Event Start and End Date**: Mon, 01 Jun, 2026 at 07:30 am – Fri, 05 Jun, 2026 at 04:30 pm (-05:00) - **Event Description**: Six in-person short courses at the Plant Breeding Center of the University of Minnesota in June 2026About this EventSummer Institute in Plant Breeding (in person)1 - 5 June 2026Saint Paul, Minnesota, USAOffered by thePlant Breeding Center at the University of MinnesotaModulesParticipants can register for one module in Set 1 (Monday to Wednesday noon) and one module in Set 2 (Wednesday afternoon to Friday afternoon):SET 1Plant Breeding 101 (James A. Anderson)Mixed-Model Analysis in Plant Breeding (Lucia Gutierrez)AlphaSimR for Plant Breeding Simulation (Chris Gaynor)SET 2Biotechnology in Crop Improvement (Robert M. Stupar)Applied Plant Genomics and Bioinformatics (Candice N. Hirsch)Data Bootcamp for Genomic Prediction in Plant Breeding (Aaron J. Lorenz)Target AudiencePlant Breeding 101 is intended for those who seek a course in the fundamentals of plant breeding (technicians, data scientists, managers, non-plant breeding graduate students, etc.).The five other modules are intended for M.S. and Ph.D. students, postdocs, and industry scientists.CostsUS $490 for graduate students, postdocs, and facultyUS $650 for industry participantsCost includes lunch and morning and afternoon breaks. Breakfast, dinner, and accommodations are not included. We regret that scholarships or reduced fees are unavailable.Questions?Contact Rex Bernardo by email (bernardo@umn.edu)-------------Module descriptionsPlant Breeding 101. This course is for those who seek to learn the fundamentals of plant breeding (e.g., technicians, data scientists, managers, non-plant breeding graduate students, etc.). Each session will include lecture/discussion, demonstrations, and problem-solving with sample data.Session 1: Genetic variation, qualitative and quantitative inheritance, heritabilitySession 2: Phenotyping, experimental design, genotype x environment interaction, data analysis and summarySession 3: Modes of reproduction, types of cultivars, parent selection, breeding methodologiesSession 4: Genetic mapping, breeding using major genes/markers, genomic predictionSession 5: Polyploidy, breeding for pest resistance, breeding asexually propagated species, intellectual property protectionMixed-Model Analysis in Plant Breeding. This course provides an introduction to mixed-model analysis will cover the following topics: matrices and matrix manipulations; linear models; mixed effects models and their development; covariance structures; mixed-model equations; shrinkage; properties of estimates and predictions; analysis software; and applications in experimental designs and in plant breeding. The course will involve lectures, problem sets, and hands-on data analysis activities.AlphaSimR for Plant Breeding Simulation. This course teaches how to use AlphaSimR to simulate plant breeding programs. It is intended for students with a basic knowledge of both plant breeding and the R programming language. This course will include lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on activities.Session 1: Introduction to AlphaSimR and stochastic simulationsSession 2: Using AlphaSimR to simulate simple populationsSession 3: Simulating a burn-in and baseline breeding programSession 4: Simulating alternative breeding programs and plotting resultsSession 5: Introduction to advanced simulation topicsBiotechnology in Crop Improvement. This course will cover the history, practice, and modern advances in crop biotechnology. The course structure will include lectures, discussions, tours, and hands-on activities. (Prerequisite: an undergraduate genetics course)Session 1: History of plant biotechnology, including mutation breeding, transgenesis, and gene editing. Development of technologies; original applications and products. Tour/lab experience on Agrobacterium-based transformation and tissue culture.Session 2: Methods of gene discovery and gene target selection. Genetic mapping, candidate gene identification, gene cloning.Session 3: Modern applications of transgenes, RNAi, gene editing, and gene regulation. Construct components and development. Tour/ lab experience on transgenic plant developmental stages.Session 4: New methods of transgene and/or editing reagent delivery to the plant. Overcoming genotype-dependency -- developmental regulators, viral delivery.Session 5: The biotech x genome interaction and implications for regulation. Tour/field experience on mutant populations and gene-edited materials.Applied Plant Genomics and Bioinformatics. Principles, applications, and limitations regarding the development and use of genomics resources in plants. This course will include lectures, discussions, and hands-on activities. (Prerequisite: an undergraduate genetics course) Session 1: Review components of the plant genome, current sequencing technologies, and hands-on activity to access existing sequence data and assess the quality of sequence dataSession 2: Methods and limitations for genome assembly, gene structural annotation, gene functional annotation, transposable element annotation, and hands-on resource allocation exercises Session 3: Genomic variation (types of variation, methods to measure variation, limitations in measurements), principles of pan-genomics and applications to crop improvementSession 4: Transcriptomics for estimating transcript abundance and transcriptome assembly, hands-on activity in differential expression Session 5: Principles of visualization for large-scale genomics data, hands-on activity to generate visualizations from large-scale genomics dataData Bootcamp for Genomic Prediction in Plant Breeding. This introductory-level course will cover common data structures, analysis techniques, and tools used for genomic selection in plant breeding. This course will include lectures and hands-on activities. Course content is designed for those new to data analysis for genomic prediction (Prerequisite: basic knowledge of programming in R).Sessions 1-2: Formatting and quality control of genotype/phenotype data for genomic prediction, model implementation and exploration of various types of models, techniques in cross validation for assessing prediction accuracySessions 3-4: Training population optimization, multi-trait prediction, genomic prediction for genotype x environment interaction, prediction of mean and variance of new breeding populations Session 5: Other special topics in genomic prediction, tour of available tools for implementing genomic prediction - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/saint-paul/2026-summer-institute-in-plant-breeding/100001858269727779 - **Event Categories**: workshops, it - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 490, max: 650, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Saint Paul - **state**: MN - **country**: United States - **location**: Borlaug Hall - **lat**: 44.986618 - **long**: -93.183162 - **full address**: Borlaug Hall, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, Saint Paul, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: 2026 Summer Institute in Plant Breeding - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/2e849a7bb357e5bf31ef46eb052979d20abe2185ab23104f74d0099c17c924fd-rimg-w1200-h800-dc040405-gmir.jpg?v=1762854793 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is 2026 Summer Institute in Plant Breeding being held? - **A:** 2026 Summer Institute in Plant Breeding takes place on Mon, 01 Jun, 2026 at 07:30 am to Fri, 05 Jun, 2026 at 04:30 pm at Borlaug Hall, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, Saint Paul, United States. - **Q**: How much do tickets cost for 2026 Summer Institute in Plant Breeding? - **A:** Ticket prices for 2026 Summer Institute in Plant Breeding range from USD 490 to USD 650 depending on the ticket type. Here's a full breakdown of available ticket types:Ticket TypePriceAvailabilityPlant Breeding 101 - Academic/governmentUSD 490AvailablePlant Breeding 101 - IndustryUSD 650AvailableMixed-Model Analysis - Academic/governmentUSD 490AvailableMixed-Model Analysis - IndustryUSD 650AvailableAlphaSimR - Academic/governmentUSD 490AvailableAlphSimR - IndustryUSD 650AvailableBiotech Crop Improvement - Academic/governmentUSD 490AvailableBiotech Crop Improvement - IndustryUSD 650AvailablePlant Genomics & Bioinformatics - Acad/governmentUSD 490AvailablePlant Genomics & Bioinformatics - IndustryUSD 650AvailableData Bootcamp Genomic Pred - Academic/governmentUSD 490AvailableData Bootcamp Genomic Pred - IndustryUSD 650Available - **Q**: Who is organizing 2026 Summer Institute in Plant Breeding? - **A:** 2026 Summer Institute in Plant Breeding is organized by Rex Bernardo. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** 2026 Summer Institute in Plant Breeding is ideal for curious learners, students, and skill-builders looking to gain hands-on knowledge and practical expertise in a focused, interactive setting. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Saint Paul, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. 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