We are delighted to announce the upcoming congress commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first description of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema kraussei by Gotthold Steiner in 1923 (Steiner, 1923). This event will be a unique opportunity to celebrate a century of scientific achievements in the field of nematology and entomology. Join us in celebrating the centenary of the discovery of Steinernema kraussei and contribute to the advancement of knowledge and solutions for sustainable agriculture and pest management.

The congress will be held in Logrono, Spain from Wednesday 10th April, 2024 until Friday 12th of April, 2024. Organized by Raquel Campos-Herrera, this event will take place right before the 2024 meeting of the European Society of Nematologists (www.esn-online.org) in Cordoba, providing participants with an opportunity to attend both events and maximize their knowledge and networking experiences.

We will bring together renowned experts, researchers, and students from around the world to discuss the latest findings, innovations, and challenges related to entomopathogenic nematodes. Symposia will be organized to include competent experts in the field to summarize existing knowledge and provide valuable insights and perspectives on the history, evolution, and future of nematode research. Poster presentations, workshops and networking opportunities will allow participants to engage with their peers and learn from the best in the field. We look forward to welcoming you to the congress and experiencing an unforgettable celebration of a century of nematology and entomology.
  Raquel Campos-Herrera

Reference: Steiner, G. (1923) Aplectana kraussei n.sp., eine in der Blattwespe Lyda sp. parasitierende Nematodenform, nebst Bemerkungen über das Seitenorgan der parasitischen Nematoden. Zentralblatt für Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektions¬krankheiten und Hygiene, Zweite Abteilung 59, 14-18.

Opening for abstract submission: 1st October 2023
Deadline for abstract submission: 15th December 2023
Notification of abstract revision: 1st February 2024
Notification of abstract acceptance: 15th February 2024
Deadline for early registration and authors’ registration: 1st March 2024

Meeting: 10-12 April 2024

  1.   Systematics, diversity & biogeography
  2.   Bacteria biology, symbiosis, and application
  3.   Behavioral Ecology (dispersal, chemical signaling)
  4.   Population ecology
  5.   Survival, Virulence and immunity
  6.   Mass production, include safety & regulation
  7.   Commercial use & future targets (including inundative and conservation approaches)
  8.   Application technology
  9.   EPN omics OR Genome and evolution
  10.  New Frontiers in EPN (selected from abstract submission)

Helge Bode (Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Germany)
Raquel Campos-Herrera (ICVV, Spain)
Larry W. Duncan (University of Florida, USA)
Ralf U. Ehlers (e-nema GmbH, Germany)
Fernando García del Pino (Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain)
Sophie Gaudriault (INRAE-Montpellier, France)
Christine Griffin (National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Ireland)
Ivan Hiltpold (Agroscope, Switzerland)
Xingyue Li (Sichuan Academy of Agri. Sci., Chin)
Ricardo Machado (University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland)
Tshima Ramakuwela (University of Pretoria, South Africa)
Ernesto San Blas (Universidad de O'Higgins, ICA3, Chile)
David Shapiro-Ilan (USDA-ARS, USA)
Nelson Simões, (Universidade dos Açores, Portugal)
Patricia Stock (California State University Chico, USA)

Rubén Blanco-Pérez (ICVV, Logroño, Spain)
Raquel Campos-Herrera (ICVV, Logroño, Spain)
Fernando García del Pino (Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain)
Anna Garriga (Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain)
María del Mar González-Trujillo (ICVV, Logroño, Spain)
Ivan Julià Brunat (Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain)
Vicente S. Marco Mancebón (Universidad de La Rioja)
Ana Morton (Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain)
José Luis Ramos Sáez de Ojer (Goverment of La Rioja)
Ignacio Vicente-Díez (ICVV, Logroño, Spain)

Raymond Akhurst, Retired; formerly CSIRO Division of Entomology, Canberra ACT (Australia)

Robin A. Bedding, Retired; formerly CSIRO Division of Entomology, Canberra ACT (Australia)

Noël Boemare, Retired; formerly DGIMI, University of Montpellier, INRAE, Montpellier (France)

Randy Gaugler, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Rutgers University, Albert Einstein Professor, Chinese Academy of Sciences (USA)

Ramon Georgis, Vice President BRANDT INTERNATIONAL LLC, Tampa, Florida (USA)

George O. Poinar Jr., Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University; Professor Emeritus University of California, Berkeley (USA) (online presentation)

* The student fee applies only to students who are studying an official degree, master's degree, or university doctoral program. It is mandatory to attach a copy of the course registration that accredits your student status through the registry.

Pre-registration, without any economic cost, is essencial to access your personal area. You will be able to perform the following operations:
   • Manage the registration
   • Book accommodation
   • Send abstracts
   • Download invoices
   • Contact the Technical Secretariat
   • Receive notifications
   • Download certificates

Cancellation Policy Registration:
All cancellations must be electronically mailed to the Technical Secretary   epn@icvv.es

The cancellations received before March 10th, 2024, will have a penalty of 10% for administration fees, after this date the penalty will be 100% of the expenses.

The abstract submission period begins on October 1st, 2023, and ends on December 15th, 2023. Participants may submit their abstract for (i) INVITED-PLENARY, (ii) INVITED-SYMPOSIUM, or (iii) POSTER presentations.

Important: three of the POSTER presentations will be selected to cover Symposium 10 “New Frontiers in EPN”

In addition, we will have 30 flash presentations (3 minutes each) of selected posters. To access the option, the authors will have to indicate “OPTING FOR FLASH-COMMUNICATION” in the abstract submission, along with the “POSTER” selection.

The maximum number of posters per registered author is TWO.

The maximum number of posters opting for Flask communication per author is ONE.

Papers should be submitted and presented in English, the official language of the congress. All papers submitted to EPN conference should follow the same pattern. The document to be submitted should contain the title, authors, affiliation, an abstract of max. 300 words, and keywirds (3-6 words not included in the title). The style is as follows:

     - Title: Times New Roman 15 in bold
     - Authors: Times New Roman 12 in bold
            >>> The presenting author should be underlined
     - Affiliation: Times New Roman 11 in italics. Different addresses should be identified with correlative numbers accordingly the authors’ order
     - Email of the corresponding author
     - Abstract text: Times New Roman 11 normal
            >>> Maximum number of words = 300
     - Keywords: between 3 and 6 words, not included in the title.

Please, check the EPN-abstract-template for further details on the style.

The template to be sent in Word format through the electronic submission system is provided below.

The author in charge of submitting the paper will be responsible for uploading the abstract to the platform for review. All the abstracts will be published in an online book of abstracts from the congress.

If the abstract needs corrections/changes, the notification of the abstract revision will be on February 1st 2024.

The final acceptance will be on February 15th, 2024.

All the submissions should be linked to, at least, one of the presenters, confirmed by February 1st 2024.

The deadline for early registration and authors’ registration is 1st March 2024

Cancellation policy for accommodation: All cancellations must be electronically mailed to the Technical Secretary epn@icvv.es. The cancellations received before February 24th, 2024, will have a penalty of 30%. After this date the penalty will be 100% of the expenses.

Riojaforum
Calle San Millán, 23 - 25, 26004 Logroño, La Rioja

The Palacio de Congresos y Auditorio de La Rioja, better known as Riojaforum, is located in the Parque de la Ribera del Ebro, in an easily accessible area, five minutes walking distance from the center of Logroño. This proximity and accessibility can be extrapolated to the excellent communications available in Logroño.

Logroño
Logroño is the capital of the Autonomous Community of La Rioja. It is bathed by the Ebro River, which it embraces in its growth and development.
Among the best known virtues of the city, it is worth mentioning the culture of wine, gastronomy, the Camino de Santiago, the Old Town or the character of First Commercial City of Spain.

The size of the city invites visitors to stroll around and enjoy its significant enclaves. The Paseo de El Espolón, the co-cathedral of Santa María de La Redonda; the convent of La Merced, current seat of the regional Parliament; the characteristic Portales street, the church of Santiago El Real, or the church of Santa María de Palacio, are some examples of interest that cannot be missed.

La Rioja
This region, located in the western vertex of the Ebro valley, presents a privileged variety of landscapes, flora and fauna, due to the different geographical characteristics of its natural regions, giving life to the rivers that cross it to fertile plains.

Being the smallest region of Spain, it has taken part in all the historical moments of this one. Occupied by the Romans and Muslims, in the Middle Ages it was the center of disputes between Navarre, Castile and Aragon. In this same period, the Camino de Santiago was a determining phenomenon for its cultural development, becoming a center of influence of the first order, especially through its monasteries, true foci of knowledge and where the first written text in Castilian was forged. Thus, the road is marked by monumental towns of great beauty such as Calahorra, Arnedo, San Millán de la Cogolla, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and Logroño, already founded by the Romans and nowadays

How to get to Logroño?
Find how to get to Logroño from the most important and closest Spanish airports.

MADRID
Options to get to Logroño from Madrid:
Bus: ALSA and Jiménez Movilidad bus companies offer a service with direct departures from Madrid-Barajas Airport Terminal T4 to Logroño.
   •  ALSA. Schedules and prices at:  www.alsa.es
   •  JIMENEZ MOVILIDAD. Schedules and prices at  www.jimenezmovilidad.es
In addition, they also offer services from the Avenida América bus station. To get from Madrid-Barajas airport to Avenida América bus station there are two options:
   •  Bus line 200.  More information
   •  Metro line 8 + line 4.  More information

Train: Trains to Logroño depart from Madrid-Atocha station. The company in charge of this route is RENFE. Schedules and prices at:  www.renfe.es
To get from Barajas Airport to Atocha Station there are several options:
   •  Bus 203 Exprés Aeropuerto.  More information
   •  Metro line 8 + line 1.  More information

Plane: There is one flight per day from Madrid Terminal 4 to Logroño airport. Schedules and prices at IBERIA airline:  www.iberia.com

BILBAO
To get to Logroño from Bilbao airport, there are no direct means of transportation. Buses departure from the city centre.

Bus: go to Termibus bus station.
To get there, take the bus (line A3247) from the airport to Termibus bus station. Check schedules and prices  here
The bus company in charge of the Bilbao-Logroño route is CUADRA BUS. Schedules and prices available at:  https://cuadrabuslineas.com/en/

BARCELONA
To get to Logroño from Barcelona-El Prat airport, there are no direct means of transportation. Buses departure from the city centre.

Bus: To travel to Logroño by bus you must go to Barcelona Nord Station.
So that, you first take the Aerobús A1 or Aerobús A2 bus line to Plaza Cataluña. Then, take the metro line L1 towards Fondo.  Barcelona public transport information
The bus company in charge of the Barcelona-Logroño route is ALSA. Schedules and prices at:  www.alsa.es

Train: To travel to Logroño by train you must go to Barcelona-Sants Station.
To do so, you should take the train line R2 Nord. Check schedules and prices  here
Then you need to take the train to Logroño. The train company is RENFE. Check timetables and prices at  www.renfe.es

IN LOGROÑO
Once at the train or bus station, or at the airport in Logroño you can take a taxi to get to your accommodation. Taxis are usually parked next to each station or airport. If there is no one available, call the following telephone number to order one: +34 941 50 50 50.

From the bus or train station, you can also take a bus to go to your accommodation. Schedules and routes of the local bus:  http://transporteurbano.logro-o.org/

ARE YOU ALSO PARTICIPATING IN THE 35th ESN Symposium? Find How To Get From Logroño To Córdoba
The easiest way to get to Córdoba is taking the high-speed train (Renfe AVE/ALVIA) in the Logroño train station to Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes. Then take the high-speed train (Renfe AVE/ALVIA or Iryo) to Córdoba train station.
Buy Renfe tickets  here
Buy Iryo tickets  here

Technical Secretary
Alo Congress – VB Group
Numancia 73, 08029 Barcelona | Spain
Espronceda 40, 28003 Madrid | Spain
T +34 933 633 954
epn@icvv.es