fems affiliates letter, march 2012
DESCRIPTION
The FEMS Affiliates Letter is the monthly newsletter of the Federation of European Microbiological Societies.TRANSCRIPT
www.fems-microbiology.org
The European Microbiology Forum is an initiative of
This symposium is sponsored by:
www.europeanmicrobiologyforum.org
GUEST SPEAKERProf. Anne GloverChief Scientific AdvisorEuropean Commission
SPEAKERSDr Cesar Nombela, Chairman European Microbiology Forum
Dr Ron FouchierVirologistErasmus MC Rotterdam
MEETING DETAILSDate: April 25, 2012Time: 1100-1300hrs
Location: 62, Rue du Trône 1050 BRUXELLES
Location website: http://d-bruselas.csic.es/inicio
The official newsletter for FEMS Affiliates
A F F I L I AT E S L E T T E RMARCH 2012
Also in this issue:
Publications corner:• FEMS Publications Board
encourages future authors to submit to the FEMS Journals and help science
• Journal highlights from FEMS Yeast Research
Grants page: • Deadline for FEMS
National/Regional Grants is June 1
• Checklist for FEMS National/Regional Grants
Announcements:• DebioPharm Group Life
Sciences Award 2012• Author Call for Encyclo-
pedia of Food Safety
Initiatives News:• Why you should register
to Coinfections 2012• Deadlines for Coinfec-
tions 2012
Grants deadlines
List of FEMS-sponsored meetings in April and May
Microbiology tidbits
EuropeanCommissionChiefScientificAdvisor Prof. Anne Glover will join the group of scientists that will discuss the impact of microbiology in Brussels, Belgium on 25 April 2012.
Prof.GloveristhefirstChiefScientificAdvisor of the European Commission. ShewasChiefScientificAdvisorofScotland before she was appointed by the European Commission in December last year (2011).
The meeting, bearing the same title as its topic (“Impact of Microbiology”) is hosted by the European Microbiology Forum, an initiative of the Federation of European Microbiological Societies for communication, interaction and promotion of microbiology.
It focuses on the 6 F’s of microbiology: Food, Feed, Fuel, Fiber, Fever and Future. • Food: Genetically modified
organisms, functional foods, brewing
• Feed: Probiotics, animal food• Fuel: Biofuel, biodegradation,
bioremediation, microbial cell factory, ecology, micro-fuel / renewable energy
• Fiber: New materials, biofiber, biopolymers
• Fever: Early diagnostics, vaccines, new drugs: next-generation antibiotics, antimicrobials–past,
present & future, cost of infectious diseases, microbe-hunters
• Future: Emerging diseases, bioterrorism, biodefense and new weapons, shaping the future
Some of these F’s will be addressed in this meeting.
The meeting will also feature talks by EMF Chairman Dr Cesar Nombela and Dr Ron Fouchier. Dr Fouchier is the Virologist from Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, The Netherlands who discovered how the H5N1 virus can spread by air. He is also one of our main interviewees in the latest issue of the FEMS Focus to be published in April.
“Impact of Microbiology” will be held at the CSIC building in Brussels, Belgium from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. If you wish to join, send us an email at [email protected] or click the image below for more informa-tion.
www.fems-microbiology.orgwww.fems-microbiology.orgwww.fems-microbiology.org
COINFECTIONS 20127-8 June 2012 | Halle, GermanyGerman National Academy of Sciences LeopoldinaGerman National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
REGISTER NOWwww.coinfections2012.com
Session 1: Microbial communities I: Complex microbial communities and gene and signal exchanges
Albert Osterhaus, The Netherlands
Søren Molin, Denmark
Session 2: Bacterial/viral symbionts of bacteria: Co-infections with parasites
Nicolas Fasel, Switzerland
Achim Hoerauf, Germany
Session 3: Significance of Coinfections: Epidemiology
Birgitta Henriques-Normark, Sweden
Session 4: Virus-bacterial interactions: Viral modulation of the immune response to bacteria
Robert J. Wilkinson, UK
Session 4 (cont.): Virus-bacterial interactions: Viral modulation of the immune response to bacteria
Jon McCullers, USA
Hermelijn Smits, The Netherlands
Session 5: Microbial communities II: Microbiota in infections and Susceptibility to infection
Julie Pfeiffer, USA
Stephen Cummings, UK
PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME
Hollow Tree / Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Hollow Tree / Photo Credit: Wikipedia
F E M S A F F I L I A T E S L E T T E R , M A R C H 2 0 1 2
P U B L I C AT I O N S PA G E
JOUR NAL HIG HLIG HT
The results of the current study lead to quite different results, fully supporting the hypertrophy hypothesis. The hypertrophy hypothesis seems to explain the phenomenon of replicative aging of yeast much better than the hypothesis of the senescence factor accumulation.
Bilinski et al., FEMS Yeast Res 12 (2012) 97–101
This paper was highly commented on, check the following links for comments from our journal readers:• Hypertrophy and senescence factors in yeast aging. A reply to Bilinski et al.
Matt Kaeberlein DOI: 10.1111/j.1567-1364.2012.00798.x• Yeast hypertrophy: cause or consequence of aging? Reply to Bilinski et al.
Austen R. D. Ganley, Michael Breitenbach, Brian K. Kennedy and Takehiko Kobayashi DOI: 10.1111/j.1567-1364.2012.00796.x
Due to the increasing number of fungal infections, along with rising morbidity and mortality rates, especially among the immunocom-promised, understanding the diversity and distribution of yeasts in natural environments close to human habitations has become in-creasingly relevant. In this study, researchers analyzed 1110 samples obtained from the hollows of trees, shrubs and avian droppings at 8 geographical sites in and around Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Eighty-eightpositiveyeaststrainswereisolatedandidentifiedbelonging to 20 yeast species. Despite the relative proximity of the sampling sites and the availability of vectors (e.g. birds, rodents and humans) to shuttle these yeasts between the areas,
the yeast populations were highly heterogenous. Among the 14 tree spe-cies sampled, cedar, cottonwood and basswood hollows had relatively high yeast coloniza-
tion rates. Interestingly, Candida parapsilosis was isolated almost exclusively from Pine trees only. These results are consistent with microgeographic and ecological differentiation of yeast species in and around an urban environment. Maganti et al. FEMS Yeast Res 12 (2012) 9–1
www.fems-microbiology.orgwww.fems-microbiology.org
COINFECTIONS 20127-8 June 2012 | Halle, GermanyGerman National Academy of Sciences LeopoldinaGerman National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
REGISTER NOWwww.coinfections2012.com
Session 1: Microbial communities I: Complex microbial communities and gene and signal exchanges
Albert Osterhaus, The Netherlands
Søren Molin, Denmark
Session 2: Bacterial/viral symbionts of bacteria: Co-infections with parasites
Nicolas Fasel, Switzerland
Achim Hoerauf, Germany
Session 3: Significance of Coinfections: Epidemiology
Birgitta Henriques-Normark, Sweden
Session 4: Virus-bacterial interactions: Viral modulation of the immune response to bacteria
Robert J. Wilkinson, UK
Session 4 (cont.): Virus-bacterial interactions: Viral modulation of the immune response to bacteria
Jon McCullers, USA
Hermelijn Smits, The Netherlands
Session 5: Microbial communities II: Microbiota in infections and Susceptibility to infection
Julie Pfeiffer, USA
Stephen Cummings, UK
PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME
The last Publications and Editorial Board Meetings were held in March 2012
at the FEMS Central Office in Delft, The Netherlands / Photo Credit: FEMS
SUBMIT to the FEMS journals. Read. Write. Cite.
More than 2 million downloads in 2011.
F E M S A F F I L I A T E S L E T T E R , M A R C H 2 0 1 2
P U B L I C AT I O N S PA G E
Here at the Federation of European Microbio-logical Societies, supporting science is one of ourmainobjectives.Ourfivejournals--FEMS Microbiology Ecology, FEMS Microbiology Letters, FEMS Immunology and Medical Micro-biology, FEMS Microbiology Reviews and FEMS Yeast Research -- make this intention possible.
PAY IT FORWARDThis pay-it-forward idea was expanded at the recent FEMS Publications and Editorial Board meetings which were held this year at the FEMS CentralOfficeinDelft.
At these meetings, Publications Manager James Prosser, all Chief Editors and Spanish Delegate Dr Ricardo Guerrero (FEMS Delegate Representa-tive)gottogetherwiththePublicationsOfficestaffand representatives of Wiley Blackwell, the publisher of the FEMS Journals.
Publishing your work in the FEMS journals is FREE, plus the income generated from subscriptions financespromotingmicrobiologyinEurope.
FEMS activities include sponsorships for:• Grants• Fellowships• Microbiology meetings
SUBMIT TO THE FEMS JOURNALSTo promote and support microbiology in Europe, we encourage scientists to submit their papers to the FEMS Journals.
Readership to the FEMS Journals continues to increase. So it is really a win-win solution. While
your research is published in the prestigious FEMS journals, you are helping to promote microbiology with support for Grants, Fellowships and Meetings.
Will you still think twice as to where you should publish your next paper?
SUBMIT NOW.
www.fems-microbiology.orgwww.fems-microbiology.orgwww.fems-microbiology.org
COINFECTIONS 20127-8 June 2012 | Halle, GermanyGerman National Academy of Sciences LeopoldinaGerman National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
REGISTER NOWwww.coinfections2012.com
Session 1: Microbial communities I: Complex microbial communities and gene and signal exchanges
Albert Osterhaus, The Netherlands
Søren Molin, Denmark
Session 2: Bacterial/viral symbionts of bacteria: Co-infections with parasites
Nicolas Fasel, Switzerland
Achim Hoerauf, Germany
Session 3: Significance of Coinfections: Epidemiology
Birgitta Henriques-Normark, Sweden
Session 4: Virus-bacterial interactions: Viral modulation of the immune response to bacteria
Robert J. Wilkinson, UK
Session 4 (cont.): Virus-bacterial interactions: Viral modulation of the immune response to bacteria
Jon McCullers, USA
Hermelijn Smits, The Netherlands
Session 5: Microbial communities II: Microbiota in infections and Susceptibility to infection
Julie Pfeiffer, USA
Stephen Cummings, UK
PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME
F E M S A F F I L I A T E S L E T T E R , M A R C H 2 0 1 2
A N N O U N C E M E N T S
AUTHOR CALL: Encyclopedia of Food Safety
Elsevier is pleased to announce the development of the Encyclopedia of Food Safety, a forthcoming Major Reference Work edited by Drs. Yasmine Motarjemi, Gerry Moy and Ewen Todd.
The editorial board and the authors are committed to producing something that will become the fundamental text of Food Safety, and arguably be the model for how Food Safety reference works are produced in the future.
With over 350 chapters covering a breadth of Food Safety topics, this is an audacious undertaking and also very exciting. In this regard, we are in the process of inviting authors to contribute according to their area of specialism/knowledge.
There are a number of microbiology-related chapters requiring authors. If there is one (or more) topics that you would be interested in writing, please let us know. Alterna-tively, if you can suggest a colleague or fellow professional that you think would make a suitable candidate to author one of the remaining chapters, we would very much appreciate hearing from you. Available chapters167. Avian influenza virus168. Swine influenza virus85. Arizona hinshawii90. Citrbobacter99. Francisella tularensis100. Helicobacter pylori103. Mycobacterium bovis
106. Pasteurella multocida109. Pseudomonas110. Pseudomonas cocovenenans111. Burkholderia cocovenenans114. Shigella species116. Streptococcus species
Elsevier and the Editorial Board look forward to hearing from you, and creating the academic source authority for Food Safety.
Best wishes,Jason Mitchell, Senior Development EditorElsevier, Oxford, UK
Email: [email protected]
Debiopharm Group Life Sciences Award 2012
The President of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne EPFL, the Dean of the EPFL School of Life Sciences, and the Executive Board of Debiopharm Group™ are pleased to invite applications for this year’s Debiopharm Group™ Life Sciences Award.
The Sponsor, Debiopharm Group™, is a Swiss biopharmaceutical company with a focus on the development of innovative therapies that target unmet medical needs. In 2012, the award will be given toinvestigatorsinthefieldofINFECTIOUSDISEASES&IMMUNOLOGY.
The prize will honor a European investigator below the age of 45 who has made outstanding contributions in the area of basic or clinical research in infectious diseases.
Itconsistsofatotalof50‘000CHF,ofwhichonefifthisapersonal award, while the rest will contribute to support the awardee’s research at her/his home institution.
The award will be handed over on the occasion of the Annual EPFL Life Science Symposium “Global Health meets Infection Biology” to be held 29-31 August 2012 (for more information please visit http://lss2012.epfl.ch/).
Candidates are invited to submit their applications no later than 1 May 2012. A Jury of internationally renownedscientificexpertswillevaluatetheapplica-tions. The dossier should be comprised of: - a one-page endorsement letter by the home institute describing the importance of the nominee’s contribu-tiontothisfield- her/his curriculum vitae,- her/his list of publications,- a two-page outline describing the nature and the importance of her/his previous work, and of the plans for the future
All dossiers are to be sent, exclusively in electronic formatandintheformofonesingle“pdf”file,to:[email protected]
www.fems-microbiology.orgwww.fems-microbiology.org www.fems-microbiology.org
COINFECTIONS 20127-8 June 2012 | Halle, GermanyGerman National Academy of Sciences LeopoldinaGerman National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
REGISTER NOWwww.coinfections2012.com
Session 1: Microbial communities I: Complex microbial communities and gene and signal exchanges
Albert Osterhaus, The Netherlands
Søren Molin, Denmark
Session 2: Bacterial/viral symbionts of bacteria: Co-infections with parasites
Nicolas Fasel, Switzerland
Achim Hoerauf, Germany
Session 3: Significance of Coinfections: Epidemiology
Birgitta Henriques-Normark, Sweden
Session 4: Virus-bacterial interactions: Viral modulation of the immune response to bacteria
Robert J. Wilkinson, UK
Session 4 (cont.): Virus-bacterial interactions: Viral modulation of the immune response to bacteria
Jon McCullers, USA
Hermelijn Smits, The Netherlands
Session 5: Microbial communities II: Microbiota in infections and Susceptibility to infection
Julie Pfeiffer, USA
Stephen Cummings, UK
PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME
F E M S A F F I L I A T E S L E T T E R , M A R C H 2 0 1 2
G R A N T S CO R N E R
FEMS NATIONAL/REGIONAL GRANTSGRANT APPLICATION CHECKLIST
FEMS National and Regional Congresses Grants regulations apply to each application for the FEMS National and Regional Congresses Grants, the requirements consist of, but are not limited to, the following:
✓ You are a FEMS Member Society organising a national or regional society meeting
✓ Your meeting will be held between July 1 and December 30, 2012 (for meetings between January 1 and June 30, the dead-line is December 15)
✓ You have read the regulations governing FEMS National/Regional Congresses Start-up grants
✓ Completed relevant application form available on the FEMS website
✓ General and budgetary information ✓ Full programme ✓ List of speakers ✓ Endorsement by the FEMS Delegate of the
host FEMS Member Society ✓ You have indicated how you intend to use/
spend this grant ✓ Send the complete application to grants@
fems-microbiology.org before the deadline of June 1, 2012
FEMS NATIONAL/REGIONAL GRANTSDESCRIPTION
Since 2011, FEMS has been providing its Member Societies start-up grants to support National or Regional Microbiological Congresses.
This is to provide support to FEMS Member Societies organising National/Regional Congresses.FEMSfindsthesemeetingsveryimportant to have microbiologists meet under the wings of their local society.
Start-up grants can be used by the organizers in any respect that supports successful organi-zation of the meetings.
Annual budget for these grants is 30.000 EUR. Minimum of Start-up grant is 1.000 EUR and maximum is 3.000 EUR. The grant amount de-pends on the number of society members and expected participants at the congress.
The regulations and application forms are available electronically. Please read them carefully and check the list at the right before contactingtheFEMSCentralOffice.
UponitsreceiptatFEMSCentralOffice,theapplication is checked for eligibility and com-pleteness. Complete applications are then submitted to the Grants Board.
Grants Board formulates its recommendations to the Executive Committee, which then makes thefinaldecisionthatwillbecommunicatedsoon thereafter.
The DEADLINE for
FEMS National/Regional
Grants is June 1, 2012
www.fems-microbiology.orgwww.fems-microbiology.org
COINFECTIONS 20127-8 June 2012 | Halle, GermanyGerman National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
REGISTER NOWwww.coinfections2012.com
Session 1: Microbial communities I: Complex microbial communities and gene and signal exchanges
Albert Osterhaus, The Netherlands
Søren Molin, Denmark
Session 2: Bacterial/viral symbionts of bacteria: Co-infections with parasites
Nicolas Fasel, Switzerland
Achim Hoerauf, Germany
Session 3: Significance of Coinfections: Epidemiology
Birgitta Henriques-Normark, Sweden
Session 4: Virus-bacterial interactions: Viral modulation of the immune response to bacteria
Robert J. Wilkinson, UK
Session 4 (cont.): Virus-bacterial interactions: Viral modulation of the immune response to bacteria
Jon McCullers, USA
Hermelijn Smits, The Netherlands
Session 5: Microbial communities II: Microbiota in infections and Susceptibility to infection
Julie Pfeiffer, USA
Stephen Cummings, UK
PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME
F E M S A F F I L I A T E S L E T T E R , M A R C H 2 0 1 2
S O C I E T Y F E AT U R E
COINFECTIONS 20127-8 June 2012 | Halle, GermanyGerman National Academy of Sciences LeopoldinaGerman National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
REGISTER NOWwww.coinfections2012.com
Thursday, June 7, 2012
13:00-14:00 Lunch
Session 1: Microbial communities I: Complex microbial communities and gene and signal exchanges14:00-14.30 Emerging virus infections in a changing world Albert Osterhaus, The Netherlands
14:30-15:00 Impact of biofilms in Coinfections Søren Molin, Denmark
Session 2: Bacterial/viral symbionts of bacteria: Coinfections with parasites 15:00-15:30 Leishmania RNA virus and Leishmania Nicolas Fasel, Switzerland
15:30- 16:00 Onchocerca volvulus and the Wolbachia endosymbiont unleashes the immune response eliciting clinical onchocerchiasis Achim Hoerauf, Germany
16:00- 16:30 Coffee break
Session 3: Significance of Coinfections: Epidemiology16:30-17:00 Mixed lower respiratory tract infections Birgitta Henriques-Normark, Sweden
Session 4: Virus-bacterial interactions: Viral modulation of the immune response to bacteria17:00-17:30 HIV-1 and the immune response to tuberculosis Robert J. Wilkinson, UK
17:30-19:00 Poster sessions19:30 Dinner
Friday, June 8, 2012
Session 4 (cont.): Virus-bacterial interactions: Viral modulation of the immune response to bacteria 09:00-09:30 Influenza and bacterial superinfection Jon McCullers, USA
09:30-10:00 Immunological consequences of helminth-malaria Coinfections Hermelijn Smits, The Netherlands
10:00-10:30 Coffee break
Session 5: Microbial communities II: Microbiota in infections and Susceptibility to infection10:30-11:00 How gut bacteria enhance enteric virus infectivity Julie Pfeiffer, USA
11:30-12:00 Diversity and activity of free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria and total bacteria in soils Stephen Cummings, UK
PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME
www.fems-microbiology.orgwww.fems-microbiology.org
COINFECTIONS 20127-8 June 2012 | Halle, GermanyGerman National Academy of Sciences LeopoldinaGerman National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
REGISTER NOWwww.coinfections2012.com
Session 1: Microbial communities I: Complex microbial communities and gene and signal exchanges
Albert Osterhaus, The Netherlands
Søren Molin, Denmark
Session 2: Bacterial/viral symbionts of bacteria: Co-infections with parasites
Nicolas Fasel, Switzerland
Achim Hoerauf, Germany
Session 3: Significance of Coinfections: Epidemiology
Birgitta Henriques-Normark, Sweden
Session 4: Virus-bacterial interactions: Viral modulation of the immune response to bacteria
Robert J. Wilkinson, UK
Session 4 (cont.): Virus-bacterial interactions: Viral modulation of the immune response to bacteria
Jon McCullers, USA
Hermelijn Smits, The Netherlands
Session 5: Microbial communities II: Microbiota in infections and Susceptibility to infection
Julie Pfeiffer, USA
Stephen Cummings, UK
PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME
DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS: May 10, 2012DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION: May 21, 2012
F E M S A F F I L I A T E S L E T T E R , M A R C H 2 0 1 2
I N I T I AT I V E S N E W S
COINFECTIONS 20127-8 June 2012 | Halle, GermanyGerman National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
REGISTER NOWwww.coinfections2012.com
Session 1: Microbial communities I: Complex microbial communities and gene and signal exchanges
Albert Osterhaus, The Netherlands
Søren Molin, Denmark
Session 2: Bacterial/viral symbionts of bacteria: Coinfections with parasites
Nicolas Fasel, Switzerland
Achim Hoerauf, Germany
Session 3: Significance of Coinfections: Epidemiology
Birgitta Henriques-Normark, Sweden
Session 4: Virus-bacterial interactions: Viral modulation of the immune response to bacteria
Robert J. Wilkinson, UK
Session 4 (cont.): Virus-bacterial interactions: Viral modulation of the immune response to bacteria
Jon McCullers, USA
Hermelijn Smits, The Netherlands
Session 5: Microbial communities II: Microbiota in infections and Susceptibility to infection
Julie Pfeiffer, USA
Stephen Cummings, UK
PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME
The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina is home to Coinfections 2012 on June 7-8, 2012 in Halle, Germany Photo Credit: Leopoldina
If you have not registered to participate in Coinfections 2012, the time is now. To help you remember, here are the deadlines:
But why do you have to register? Here are some reasons:• Coinfections 2012 is a unique event that high-
lights recent advances in our understanding of polymicrobial infections, synergies between microbes and relevant aspects of symbiosis
• top scientists at the international forefront will give presentations and contribute to the discussions
• it will be held at the German National Acade-my of Sciences Leopoldina, in Halle, Germany, anacademyofscientificsignificance
• Halle, Germany is a nice student city that can easily be reached through several airports or train stations
When it comes to accommodation, the hosts -- European Academy of Microbiology and German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina -- have contacted chosen hotels in which participants can book their stay.
Ready to register? Complete the registration form and send it to [email protected]. Registration fee costs 100 EUR and includes:• admissiontoscientificsessionsandposterarea• programme and book of abstracts• coffee breaks• lunch and dinner on Thursday• lunch on Friday
Your registration will only be complete upon the receipt of the registration fee and when con-firmedbyFEMS.PleaseremittheamounttoFEMSwith the following details: Account number: 56.89.48.289 Bank details: ABN AMRO, Postbus 300, 2600 AH Delft, with reference “Coinfections2012” BIC: ABNANL2A IBAN: NL35 ABNA 0568 9482 89
www.fems-microbiology.org
The voice of microbiology in Europe. We advance and unify microbiology knowledge.
Keverling Buismanweg 4, 2628 CL Delft, The NetherlandsT: 0031 15 269 3920 | F: 0031 15 269 3921 | E: [email protected]
The FEMS Affiliates Letter is a production of FEMS Central Office
F E M S A F F I L I A T E S L E T T E R , M A R C H 2 0 1 2
DEADLINES1 April 2012
1 September 2012FEMS Meeting Attendance Grants
1 June 2012 15 December 2012
FEMS National & Regional Congresses Grants
15 June 2012 1 December 2012
FEMS Research FellowshipsFEMS Visiting Scientist Grants
1 October 2012FEMS Advanced Fellowships
1 March 2013 FEMS Meeting Grants
(for meetings to be held in 2014)
2012 Apr 10 - Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology in the Frame of the Knowledge-Based Economy, Italy
2012 Apr 15 - 3rd Workshop on Microbial Sulfur Metabolism, The Netherlands
2012 Apr 16 - 5th European Spores Conference, United Kingdom
2012 Apr 22 - 8th Int’l Conference: Contaminants in Freezing Ground (CFG8), Austria
2012 May 10 - Microbial Stress Responses: from Molecules to Systems, Italy
FEMS-Sponsored Meetings, April - May 2012
MICROBIOLOGY TIDBITS
The Black Queen Hypothesis: Basis of a New Evolutionary Theory Microorganisms can sometimes lose the ability to perform a function that appears to be necessary for their survival, and yet they still somehow manage to endure and multiply. How can this be? The authors of an opinion piece appearing in mBio®, on March 27 explain their ideas about the matter. They say microbes that shed necessary functions are getting others to do the hard work for them, an adaptation that can encourage mi-croorganisms to live in cooperative communities.
Source: American Society for Microbiology
Inner Weapons Against Allergies: Gut Bacteria Control Allergic Diseases, Study Suggests Every human being carries over 100 trillion individual bacterial cells within the intestine -- ten times more cells than comprise the body itself. Now, scientists from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and collaborators from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and institutions in Japan and Germany, have found that these commensal bacteria might play an important role in influencingandcontrollingallergicinflammation.
Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
A 24-Karat Gold Key to Unlock the Immune SystemDeveloping a drug or vaccine requires a delicate balancing act with the immune system. On one hand, medications need to escape detection by the immune system in order to perform their function. But vaccinations -- de-activated versions of a disease or virus -- need to do the reverse. They prompt the immune system to create pro-tective antibodies. But scientists are still stumped by how the immune system recognizes different particles, and how it chooses whether or not to react against them.
Source: American Friends of Tel Aviv University