On behalf of the 8^th International Rice Blast Conference (IRBC) organizing committee, we take great pleasure toinvite you to attend the 8th IRBC (IRBC08) during May 27-31, 2019 in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. 

The IRBC has been held for over two decades and has been dedicated to the fostering of rice blast scientists around the world in their research and careers. Indeed, much progress has been made again in a wide range of research topics on the biology, genomics, host-pathogen interactions, resistance, and disease management since the last IRBC held at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Philippines in 2016. To share the recent advancement in scientific researches and broaden our understanding of the disease, we will host the 8^th IRBC in the home town of giant panda, Sichuan. 

The theme of IRBC08 is on “Innovations in Rice Blast Disease for Durable Resistance and Sustainable Management”. The six proposed session topics are: Host-Pathogen Interactions, Molecular Biology of the Blast Fungus, Effectors of the Blast Fungus, Mechanisms of Host Resistance, Epidemiology / Disease Management and Breeding, and Wheat Blast Disease.  IRBC08 will offer a limited number oftravel grants (US $300-$1,000 or equivalent RMB for participants from China) to attendees. This is for increasing the attendance of early career scientists whoneed financial aids. The graduate students, postdocs, young faculty and professionals are strongly encouraged to apply.

We anticipate that over 300 participants will attend the conference, which will provide a unique opportunity to promote scientific information exchange and collaborations. Afield trip to observe rice and rice blast disease near Chengdu will be organized during the conference. Welcome reception and closing event will beheld in the Felton Gloria Grand Hotel. Please register for the meeting and submit your abstract for oral presentation or poster before January 31, 2019. For more information about registration, travel and visa application, please visit https://irbc08.csp.escience.cn.

The conference will commence on Tuesday, May 28, 2019. Please plan to arrive in Felton GloriaGrand Hotel in the afternoon or evening of Monday, May 27, 2019. Please email us if you need any assistance for your travel arrangements.

We look forward to seeing you in Chengdu, China in May 2019!