The American Genetic Association (AGA) is a USA-based professional scientific organization dedicated to the study of

genetics Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar work ...

and

genomics Genomics is an interdisciplinary field of biology focusing on the structure, function, evolution, mapping, and editing of genomes. A genome is an organism's complete set of DNA, including all of its genes as well as its hierarchical, three-dim ...

which was founded as the American Breeders' Association in 1903. The association has published the '' Journal of Heredity'' since 1914, which disseminates peer-reviewed organismal research in areas of general interest to the genetics and genomics community. Recent articles have focused on conservation genetics of endangered species and biodiversity discovery, phylogenomics, molecular adaptation and speciation, and genotype to phenotype associations.

History

The American Breeders Association held its first meeting in 1903 to discuss the “new” science of genetics that arose from

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...

’s theory of evolution and Gregor Mendel’s discoveries of the laws of inheritance. The organization was established “to study the laws of breeding and to promote the improvement of plants and animals by the development of expert methods of breeding.” /sup> In 1914, the American Breeders Association broadened its scope and became the American Genetic Association. Today, the AGA’s interests encompass evolutionary diversity and genomics across taxa and subject areas, including conservation genetics,

phylogenetics In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups ...

, phylogeography, gene function, and the genetics of

domestication Domestication is a sustained multi-generational relationship in which humans assume a significant degree of control over the reproduction and care of another group of organisms to secure a more predictable supply of resources from that group. ...

. In 1965 it received a bequest from

Wilhelmine Key Wilhelmine "Minnie" Marie Enteman Key (February 22, 1872 – January 31, 1955) was an American geneticist. She was the first woman to gain a PhD in zoology from the University of Chicago, where she studied coloration in paper wasps. She contrib ...

to support a lecture series which bears her name. The AGA disseminates progress in these fields through its publication, '' Journal of Heredity''. It supports research and scholarship through sponsorship of an annual President’s Symposium, special events awards, the Stephen J. O’Brien Award, and the Evolutionary, Ecological, or Conservation Genomics Research Awards. The AGA is a 501(c)(3) corporation.

Annual Meeting

The American Genetic Association’s annual conference, referred to as the President’s Symposium, is organized by the AGA President for that year. In recent years, these meetings have focused on a relevant or emerging theme in non-human genetics and genomics research. A special issue of the AGA’s ''Journal of Heredity'' is devoted each year to publishing proceedings of the symposium. These special issues are available without a subscription from the AGA and ''Journal of Heredity'' websites.

References

External links

* http://www.theaga.org

{{authority control Genetics societies Clubs and societies in the United States 1903 establishments in the United States

History

Annual Meeting

See also

References

External links