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Microbial Toxins and Pathogenicity

Gordon Research Conference

Mechanisms that Govern Bacterial Disease

July 20 - 25, 2014
Chair Michele S. Swanson
Vice Chair Virginia L. Miller
Waterville Valley
56 Packard's Road
Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, United States
 Venue and Travel Information

Conference Description

The 2014 Gordon Research Conference on Microbial Toxins and Pathogenicity will present the vanguard of infectious disease research. How bacterial pathogens, their secreted products, and the host dictate the outcome of infection will be discussed by thought leaders in toxin biochemistry and biology, molecular and cellular pathogenesis, innate immunity, and genomics of infectious disease. The opening session will feature a pair of keynote speakers who are prominent in the infectious diseases and toxin biology arenas. Each oral session will be chaired by an expert who introduces its theme and provides personal perspective on the state of the field. Ample time will be allotted for engaging discussions as participants grapple with unanswered questions and propose new ideas. All attendees are invited to share their research in the highly interactive poster sessions.

In conjunction with the 2014 Conference will be the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Microbial Toxins and Pathogenicity, "New Approaches to Understand the Host-Pathogen Dynamic". Planned and attended exclusively by post-doctoral and pre-doctoral trainees, the GRS is an excellent forum for the next generation of scientists to discuss their research and to build community in the microbial pathogenesis field.

Make your plans early to join your colleagues in Waterville Valley: Historically, both the GRC and GRS are over-subscribed.

Related Meeting

This GRC will be held in conjunction with the "Microbial Toxins and Pathogenicity" Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). Those interested in attending both meetings must submit an application for the GRS in addition to an application for the GRC. Refer to the associated GRS program page for more information.

Conference Program

SUNDAY
2:00 pm - 9:00 pmArrival and Check-in
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 7:40 pmWelcome / Introductory Comments by GRC Site Staff
7:40 pm - 9:30 pmKeynote Session: Microbial Toxins and Pathogenesis
Discussion Leader: Virginia Miller (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill)
7:40 pm - 8:15 pmVictor Nizet (University of California-San Diego)
"Glycan Mimicry and Invasive Streptococcal Pathogenesis"
8:15 pm - 8:20 pmDiscussion
8:20 pm - 8:55 pmJos van Strijp (University Medical Center Utrecht)
"Staphylococcal Toxins in Immune Evasion"
8:55 pm - 9:00 pmDiscussion
9:00 pm - 9:10 pmAndrew Olive (Harvard Medical School)
"The Chlamydia Effector CrpA Alters the Host Hypoxic Response"
9:10 pm - 9:15 pmDiscussion
9:15 pm - 9:25 pmSarah Clark (University of Colorado Denver)
"The Role of Natural Killer Cells During Listeria Infection"
9:25 pm - 9:30 pmDiscussion
MONDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pmMechanisms of Toxin Action and Strategies for Protection
9:00 am - 9:15 amDiscussion Leader: Jimmy Ballard (Oklahoma Health Sciences)
9:15 am - 9:40 amBrad Cookson (University of Washington)
"Burning Down the House: Host Response to Yersina Intoxication"
9:40 am - 9:50 amDiscussion
9:50 am - 10:15 amHanping Feng (University of Maryland)
"Deliver or Not: Roles of Cysteine Proteases of Clostridium difficile Toxins in Pathogenesis"
10:15 am - 10:25 amDiscussion
10:25 amGroup Photo / Coffee Break
10:45 am - 11:10 amRongsheng Jin (University of California - Irvine)
"Crystallizing Our Understanding of Botulinum Neurotoxin"
11:10 am - 11:20 amDiscussion
11:20 am - 11:45 amDrusilla Burns (FDA)
"Understanding Anthrax Vaccine Longevity: Molecular Analysis of Protective Antigen Stability in Vaccines"
11:45 am - 11:55 amDiscussion
11:55 am - 12:20 pmCheryl Quinn (ImmuVen)
"Neutralizing Staph Superantigens with Decoy Receptors"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pmDiscussion
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pmCell Biology of Host Barriers to Infection
7:30 pm - 7:45 pm Discussion Leader: John Brumell (University of Toronto)
7:45 pm - 8:10 pmDavid Mosser (University of Maryland)
"New Perspectives on Macrophage Activation"
8:10 pm - 8:20 pmDiscussion
8:20 pm - 8:45 pmJoost Enninga (Pasteur Institute)
"Targeting Host Endomembrane Integrity During Cellular Invasion by Bacterial Pathogens and Its Impact on the Immune Response"
8:45 pm - 8:55 pmDiscussion
8:55 pm - 9:20 pmSerge Mostowy (Imperial College)
"Autophagy and the Cytoskeleton in Host Defense Against Intracytosolic Bacteria"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pmDiscussion
TUESDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pmMicrobial Adaption Strategies
9:00 am - 9:15 amDiscussion Leader: Vanessa Sperandio (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center)
9:15 am - 9:40 amMatt Chapman (University of Michigan)
"Ironing Out the Wrinkles in E. coli Biofilm Formation"
9:40 am - 9:50 amDiscussion
9:50 am - 10:15 amRita Tamayo (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill)
"Regulation of Clostridium difficile Virulence by c-di-GMP "
10:15 am - 10:25 amDiscussion
10:25 amCoffee Break
10:45 am - 11:10 amDavid Weiss (Emory)
"CRISPR-Cas Systems in Bacterial Pathogenesis and Beyond"
11:10 am - 11:20 amDiscussion
11:20 am - 11:45 amAndrew Camilli (Tufts Medical School / HHMI)
"A Vibrio cholerae / Phage Arms Race in the Context of Human Infection"
11:45 am - 11:55 amDiscussion
11:55 am - 12:20 pmKaren Ottemann (University of California-Santa Cruz)
"Helicobacter pylori Proteins and Processes that Drive the Host Inflammatory Response"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pmDiscussion
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pmInfection Biology of Gut Microbiomes
7:30 pm - 7:45 pm Discussion Leader: Richard Darveau (University of Washington)
7:45 pm - 8:10 pmJune Round (University of Utah)
"Direct Detection of the Microbiota by T Cells Prevents Pathobiont Expansion to Maintain Intestinal Homeostasis"
8:10 pm - 8:20 pmDiscussion
8:20 pm - 8:45 pmVince Young (University of Michigan Medical School)
"Interaction Between the Host, Pathogen and Microbiome in C. difficile Infection"
8:45 pm - 8:55 pmDiscussion
8:55 pm - 9:20 pmCynthia Sears (Johns Hopkins)
"The Microbial Landscape of Colon Cancer"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pmDiscussion
WEDNESDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pmVirulence Mechanisms
9:00 am - 9:15 amDiscussion Leader: Jim Kaper (University of Maryland)
9:15 am - 9:40 amJ.-D. Sauer (University of Wisconsin)
"Mechanisms and Consequences of Cytoplasmic Bacteriolysis"
9:40 am - 9:50 amDiscussion
9:50 am - 10:15 amMelanie Hamon (Pasteur Institute)
"Listeria monocytogenes Dampens the DNA Damage Response During Infection"
10:15 am - 10:25 amDiscussion
10:25 amCoffee Break
10:45 am - 11:10 amJoao Pedra (University of Maryland)
"Ubiquitylation and Pathogen Colonization of Disease Vectors"
11:10 am - 11:20 amDiscussion
11:20 am - 11:45 amTod Merkel (FDA)
"Modeling Pertussis Disease and Transmission"
11:45 am - 11:55 amDiscussion
11:55 am - 12:20 pmDarren Higgins (Harvard Medical School)
"An ATLAS for the Development of T Cell-Based Vaccines for Infectious Diseases"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pmDiscussion
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session
6:00 pmDinner
7:00 pm - 7:30 pmBusiness Meeting
Nominations for the Next Vice Chair; Fill in Conference Evaluation Forms; Discuss Future Site and Scheduling Preferences; Election of the Next Vice Chair
7:30 pm - 9:30 pmBattle for Nutrients
7:30 pm - 7:45 pm Discussion Leader: Mike Bachman (University of Michigan Medical School)
7:45 pm - 8:10 pmSabine Ehrt (Cornell Weill College of Medicine)
"Mycobacterium tuberculosis Carbon Metabolism: Carb Counting and Atkins Diet?"
8:10 pm - 8:20 pmDiscussion
8:20 pm - 8:45 pmManuela Raffatellu (University of California - Irvine)
"Guts, Germs, and Steel: Microbes and Metal in the Inflamed Gut"
8:45 pm - 8:55 pmDiscussion
8:55 pm - 9:20 pmAnders Omsland (Washington State University)
"Taming Obligates - A Way to Dissect the Secrets of Biphasic Life"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pmDiscussion
THURSDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pmThe Inflammatory Barrier to Infection
9:00 am - 9:15 amDiscussion Leader: Lee-Ann Allen (University of Iowa)
9:15 am - 9:40 amEd Miao (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill)
"Cytosolic LPS Activates Caspase-11: Implications in TLR4-Independent Endotoxic Shock"
9:40 am - 9:50 amDiscussion
9:50 am - 10:15 amKate Fitzgerald (University of Massachusetts Medical School)
"Regulation of Host-Pathogen Interactions by Long Non-Coding RNAs"
10:15 am - 10:25 amDiscussion
10:25 amCoffee Break
10:45 am - 11:10 amAri Molofsky (University of California - San Francisco)
"Allergic Inflammation in Visceral Adipose Tissue"
11:10 am - 11:20 amDiscussion
11:20 am - 11:45 amCaroline Genco (Boston University School of Medicine)
"Pathogen Induced Vascular Inflammation at Sites Distant from Infection"
11:45 am - 11:55 amDiscussion
11:55 am - 12:20 pmBeth McCormick (University of Massachusetts Medical School)
"Dysregulation of the Balance Between Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Mediators During Salmonella-Induced Enteritis"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pmDiscussion
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pmInfection Control
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm Discussion Leader: Erik Hewlett (University of Virginia College of Medicine)
7:40 pm - 8:10 pmMan-Wah Tan (Genentech)
"Novel Approaches for Targeting Drug Resistant Bacteria"
8:10 pm - 8:20 pmDiscussion
8:20 pm - 8:50 pmJulie Segre (NIH NHGRI)
"Single Molecule Sequencing to Explore Horizontal Transfer of Plasmids Encoding Carbapenemase Resistance Between Hospital-Associated Enterobactericeae"
8:50 pm - 9:00 pmDiscussion
9:00 pm - 9:10 pmRebeccah Lijek (Harvard Medical School)
"Discovery of Novel Chlamydia trachomatis Virulence Factors Using Comparative Genomics In Vivo"
9:10 pm - 9:15 pmDiscussion
9:15 pm - 9:25 pmMichelle Reniere (UC-Berkeley)
"Glutathione Is Required for Activation of the Master Virulence Regulator in Listeria monocytogenes"
9:25 pm - 9:30 pmDiscussion
FRIDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 amDeparture

Contributors

Conference Links

Conference History Microbial Toxins and Pathogenicity (GRS)
Additional Fee Info

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Streptococcal Biology
August 11 - 16, 2024


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