PhD student Megan Lewis joined the International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions (IS-MPMI) for their biennial meeting this summer in Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.A. Megan explained that her trip, which was sponsored by the British Society for Plant Pathology (BSPP), was an excellent opportunity for re-energising her research, enthusiasm and engagement within the community.

Opportunities to discuss both my own research and engage with research from many other labs internationally, especially in the poster sessions, really enabled me to make connections, both within my research, and within my scientific network. There were many interesting posters from international labs who worked on adjacent topics to my research who had ideas, methodology and understanding that expanded how I looked at the plant immune signalling network, how it interacted within itself and with bacterial pathogens. These discussions inspired novel experimental designs for my own research, as well as new potential collaboration opportunities. Additionally, experiencing the wide breadth of sessions and focus of the field really helped inform on the research by myself, and colleagues at my home lab.

Megan has written a short report of her time in Rhode Island, which will be published in the British Society for Plant Pathology newsletter.