Focused Meeting: British Yeast Group: Embracing Variation
Posted on June 18, 2018 by Laura Cox
On 27-29 June, the Microbiology Society will be hosting the British Yeast Group Focused Meeting: Embracing Variation at the University of Leicester. Here, we spoke with the meeting organisers Ed Louis, Steven Foster and Kayoko Tanaka about what they are looking forward to at the meeting and why it is such an interesting topic.
What will the Focused Meeting cover?
In the past few years it has been clear that there is much to be learnt from the genetic and phenotypic diversity in different isolates/strains of S. cerevisiae, as well as close relatives and other yeasts found in different environments. This year's meeting will embrace this diversity at all levels, bringing together yeast researchers from across the UK and beyond.
Key topics include:
- Ecology and evolution
- Biotechnology and non-conventional yeasts
- Yeast as human disease models
- Complex traits
- Fundamental processes
Why is this topic so important?
The topic encompasses a wide diversity of research areas, providing a crash course of hot subjects involving yeasts. This will help us to appreciate our own research from a wider point of view, potentially discovering previously unrecognised links among multiple biological phenomena; a truly integrated understanding of intact whole organisms and their evolution can be overviewed and discussed. The latest biotechnological development will be reported and disseminated to the community.
Who organised the meeting and why?
This meeting is being jointly organised by the Microbiology Society and the University of Leicester organising committee, Ed Louis, Steven Foster and Kayoko Tanaka.
Yeasts have been well proven as a powerful model and useful tool as well as standing as arduous pathological challenges. Naturally, yeast studies have been highly influential to many research fields. An inclusive meeting where microbiologists come together from across the UK and beyond will serve as an excellent opportunity to learn great science, exchange opinions, get inspired, discover further potentials in yeasts, and find potential future collaborators. All of these activities are essential to keep our research field active and productive with innovative ideas.
The size and friendly atmosphere of the meeting will hopefully encourage early career researchers to present and discuss their work with experts in the field. There will be about 80 participants including 15 invited speakers and we will have a dedicated oral presentation session for postgraduate students. Thanks to the generous support from local breweries, beer sessions are scheduled for active informal discussions.
We look forward to welcoming all the participants in Leicester, one of the country’s most diverse cities. We hope everyone enjoys and gets the most out of the meeting.
Registration for British Yeast Group: Embracing Variation is still open and the full event programme can be found here.