9th congress of the Latvian Society of Geneticists and Breeders

Latvian Society of Geneticists and Breeders was founded in 1966 as a part of the All-Union Society of Geneticists and Breeders. Since 1991, the Latvian Society operated as an independent unit. Once in six years, congresses of the Society are organised. The most recent IX Congress was held on 15–16 July 2016. The main task of the Congress was to make an overview of the Society’s work since the previous Congress and have a look at the current situation in the genetic investigations and breeding work in Latvia, as well as the election of the new president and members of the Management Board of the Society for the next period. Activities of the first day of the Congress were held in Riga, in the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment (BIOR). The Congress started with a report of the President of the Society Īzaks Rašals (Isaak Rashal) which was followed by several review presentations. Aivars Bērziņš reported about the research directions of BIOR with a particular emphasis on investigations in molecular epidemiology of infections. Jānis Kloviņš reported about achievements of the Latvian Biomedical Re- search and Study Centre (BMC) in human genetics and molecular medicine. Aigars Dzalbs presented data about practical aspects of medicinal genetics in Latvia. The presentation of Dace Grauda was de- voted to theoretical and practical aspects of plant ploidy. Arta Kronberga acquainted the audience with new challenges in plant breeding in Latvia. Daina Kairiša’s presentation was about the current situation in Latvian livestock genetic resources and researches in this area. Results of concrete genetic investigations and breeder achievements of Latvian scientists were presented in more than twenty posters. On the next day, the participants of the Congress visited the Aquaculture Research and Study Centre of the Institute BIOR, located in the territory of the hatchery “Tome”. The head of the centre Mārcis Ziņģis informed about the activities of the centre and hatchery, including about restoring fish genetic resources.