08 - 11 April 2024
Due to overwhelming interest, registration for Annual Conference has officially closed as we've reached capacity.
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The Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2024 will take place Monday 8 April–Thursday 11 April 2024 at Edinburgh International Convention Centre.
The Conference takes place over four days and consists of scientific symposia, workshops, fora, professional development sessions, Prize Lectures, Hot Topics and much more.
Programme at a glance
Further information will be announced in the build up to the meeting on our social media channels and you can follow us on Twitter @MicrobioSoc using the hashtag #Microbio24
As part of the preparations for Microbiology Society events due to be held in 2024, the Microbiology Society Council has further discussed the implementation of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 mitigations and has agreed the following:
Personal responsibility:
Attendance at any Microbiology Society event is a personal choice, and Council expects delegates to take personal responsibility for their actions to minimise the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
Ventilation:
The Microbiology Society will continue to work with venues to seek assurance that these are adequately ventilated.
Vaccination and pre-event testing:
We strongly urge all delegates to ensure they are as fully vaccinated as practicable, which we recognise will depend on their age and home country, and to test before travelling to any of our events. Delegates should not attend if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition, should they wish to, delegates should feel comfortable wearing a mask in any of our venues.
Mask usage and lateral flow tests:
A limited number of masks (FFP3) and lateral flow tests will be available upon request at all Microbiology Society events should any delegates wish to use them. However, these will not be routinely supplied.
The Microbiology Society Council will continue to monitor the situation and update these mitigations as required.
Pentland Auditorium, Level 3
The aim of this symposium is to celebrate the breadth and excellence of virology research based within UK and Ireland. At the peak of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, virologists throughout the UK and Ireland made substantial contributions that directly impacted on our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 and, ultimately, how better to treat and prevent the biggest challenge to human health of our generation. This was an unprecedented effort in unprecedented times and there are many examples of virologists repurposing their diverse skill sets and deep knowledge base to better understand the present threat. However, this ability to pivot was underpinned by the wide-ranging expertise in the study of viruses, from structural and molecular biology to virus-host interactions, vaccine development and beyond, embedded within the UK and Irish research base, thus enabling such significant contributions during the pandemic. To celebrate the diversity of virology research in the Microbiology Society community, this symposium will deliver a programme combining invited and offered presentations from across our community covering a range of viruses that threaten diverse aspects of life.
Joanna Parish, Finn Grey, Jack Ferguson, Sam Wilson
Lucy Thorne (Imperial College London and University College London, UK)
14:00 - 14:30
Renata Fleith (Pirbright Institute, UK)
14:30 - 14:45
Anna Albecka-Moreau (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology Cambridge, UK)
14:45 - 15:00
Ultan Power, (Queen's University Belfast, UK)
15:00 - 15:30
15:30 - 15:45
Marianne Perera (University of Cambridge, UK)
15:45 - 16:00
Gill Elliott (University of Surrey, UK)
16:00 - 16:30
This forum includes offered papers on any area and any organism relevant to environmental, ecological, applied and industrial microbiology, including (non-human) host–microbe communities and interactions, marine and freshwater microbiology, soil and geomicrobiology, air-, cryo- and extremophile microbiology, climate change, biotechnology, bio-processing and bio-engineering, food microbiology, and other applied and industrial microbial processes, including microbe-mediated biodegradation and bioremediation.
Martin Welch, Alison Smith, Simon Rout, Jennifer Mahoney, Andrew Armitage, Jordan Price
Ornella Carrion (University of East Anglia, UK)
14:00 - 14:15
Debjyoti Ghosh (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Germany)
14:15 - 14:30
Michael Ormsby (University of Stirling, UK)
14:30 - 14:45
Elena S. Gusareva (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)
14:45 - 15:00
Zongting Cai (University of Sheffield, UK)
15:00 - 15:15
15:15 - 15:30
Noam Shental (The Open University of Israel, Israel)
15:30 - 15:45
Eleftheria Trampari (Quadram Institute Bioscience, UK)
15:45 - 16:00
Miguel Angel Ruiz-Fresneda (University of Granada, Spain)
16:00 - 16:05
Shani Ali (University of Bath, UK)
16:05 - 16:10
Patricia Barkoci (UKHSA, UK)
16:10 - 16:15
Ophélie Gervais (Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco)
16:15 - 16:20
16:20 - 16:30
This session will be two half days. Starting on the afternoon of the first day, we will review how microbes are responding to the Anthropocene era, the recent period in Earth's history when human activity started to have a significant impact on the planet's climate and ecosystems. The morning of the second day, we will explore how microbes can be employed to mitigate, or even reverse some of the negative impacts.
Petra Oyston, Kate Duncan, Jordan Price, Alison Mather, Steve Atkinson
Craig Baker-Austin (Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, UK)
14:00 - 14:30
Kaitlin Schaal (University of Liverpool, UK)
14:30 - 14:45
Stephan Schuster (SCELSE, Singapore)
14:45 - 15:00
15:00 - 15:15
Ashish Malik (University of Aberdeen, UK)
15:15 - 15:45
Lisa Lamberte (University of Birmingham, UK)
15:45 - 16:00
Mary Ann Bruns (Penn State, USA)
16:00 - 16:30
This session seeks to integrate the most recent developments in mucosal and systemic vaccinology, including how the human mucosal microbiota can influence vaccine efficacy for both mucosal and systemic pathogens. Notably, important challenges for vaccine development for a number of pathogens still require sustained and important investment in basic research and clinical trials, in particular for common microbial parasites infecting mucosal surfaces (e.g. Giardia) or systemic sites (e.g. Plasmodium). In addition, a number important bacterial (e.g. Mycobacteria) and viral (e.g. RSV) pathogens still require the development of effective mucosal vaccines. Although tremendously successful new injectable (systemic) vaccines have been developed (including RNA and adenovirus vector based vaccines – COVID-19) there are still important needs to develop licensed mucosal vaccines, which currently mostly consist of live attenuated and inactivated whole-cell preparations. The development of effective mucosal vaccines would be particularly important for viral pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 and RSV as they have potential to prevent both the transmission of such infections and protect against the development of disease symptoms. Dual mucosal and systemic immunisation might also be required for some pathogens to effectively deal with their public health threats, for populations at large, or for more susceptible individuals to a specific pathogen. By integrating recent works on different pathogens, such as Giardia, and technologies (RNA and adenovirus vectors), this session aims to stimulate new ideas to develop effective vaccines for a broader range of pathogens infecting mucosal or systemic sites.
Robert Hirt, Rodrigo Bacigalupe, Calvin Tiengwe
Robert Hirt (Newcastle University, UK)
14:00 - 14:05
Mehreen Datoo (University of Oxford, UK)
14:05 - 14:35
Elena Boero (GVGH, Siena, Italy)
14:35 - 15:05
15:05 - 15:20
James Alexander (Imperial College London, UK)
15:20 - 15:50
Selvin Solis (University of Surrey, UK)
15:50 - 16:05
Laura Glendinning (The Roslin Institute - University of Edinburgh, UK)
16:05 - 16:20
Sidlaw, Level 3
Single cell omics have revolutionised our understanding about the sub-population dynamics that define microbial networks and phenotypes of interest. In particular, single cell sequencing has allowed for a better understanding of environmental microbial diversity and for the identification of functionally distinct gene expression groups within a given population. Applying these technologies to microbiological questions has the potential to inform topics as diverse as climate or agriculture-based policies or even evidence-based healthcare decisions about antimicrobial resistance. This workshop will focus on key examples of how single cell omics are being applied to better understand eukaryotic microbiology. It also aims to feature a panel discussion with selected speakers to critically consider how single cell technologies are being implemented, their impact and value for money, and what new technologies, such as spatial omics, may mean for this research frontier.
Alison Smith, Delma Childers
Anna Kotowska (University of Nottingham, UK)
14:00 - 14:30
Rodrigo Ibarra-Chavez (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
14:30 - 14:45
Claire Davison (University of Surrey, UK)
14:45 - 15:00
15:00 - 15:15
Ivan Clark (University of Edinburgh, UK)
15:15 - 15:45
Fengyi Wang (Newcastle University, UK)
15:45 - 15:50
15:50 - 16:30
Heather Allison, Chris Richardson, Anastasios Tsaousis, Gerald Barry, Jo Fothergill
Martha Clokie (University of Leicester, UK)
14:00 - 14:20
Meaghan Castledine (University of Exeter, UK)
14:20 - 14:35
David Gally (University of Edinburgh, UK)
14:35 - 14:50
Anuj Tiwari (University of Exeter, UK)
14:50 - 14:55
14:55 - 15:15
David Negus (Nottingham Trent University, UK)
15:15 - 15:30
Hazel Sisson (University of Otago, New Zealand)
15:30 - 15:45
Vincent De Maesschalck (KU Leuven, Belgium)
15:45 - 16:00
Jessica Lewis (University of Warwick, UK)
16:00 - 16:15
Thomas Smith-Zaitlik (University of Edinburgh, UK)
16:15 - 16:30
During the career session, delegates will benefit from the varying perspectives and career journeys of invited speakers who have transitioned from academia to industry, government agencies, membership societies and more—they will have the opportunity to further interact with them during the subsequent Speed Networking round. Delegates will have the opportunity to explore different avenues available to microbiologists to create meaningful and fulfilling careers. Speakers from industry, clinical and academic settings will discuss their career journeys, including the challenges and job opportunities, and provide insights into career prospects for students and researchers in different parts of the microbiology workforce. At the end of each talk, there will be a brief Q&A session, allowing delegates to ask key questions pertaining to their career stages and fields. Early career researchers wanting to explore their next career options, and mid-career microbiologists considering a career change are invited to attend.
Angharad Green, Ashley Otter, Smilla Huzell, Oliver Severn, Joyce Bennett, Rebekah Penrice-Randal and Alain Richard
Smilla Huzell (Ebba Biotech, UK)
14:05 - 14:20
Alex McVey (OG Bio, UK)
14:20 - 14:35
Alain Richard (University of Oxford, UK)
14:35 - 14:50
14:50 - 15:05
Joyce Bennett (MORF)
15:05 - 15:20
Rebekah Penrice- Randal (University of Liverpool)
15:20 - 15:35
Oliver Severn (Singer Instruments)
15:35 - 15:50
Ashley Otter (UKHSA)
15:50 - 16:05
The aim of this symposium is to celebrate the breadth and excellence of virology research based within UK and Ireland. At the peak of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, virologists throughout the UK and Ireland made substantial contributions that directly impacted on our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 and, ultimately, how better to treat and prevent the biggest challenge to human health of our generation. This was an unprecedented effort in unprecedented times and there are many examples of virologists repurposing their diverse skill sets and deep knowledge base to better understand the present threat. However, this ability to pivot was underpinned by the wide-ranging expertise in the study of viruses, from structural and molecular biology to virus-host interactions, vaccine development and beyond, embedded within the UK and Irish research base, thus enabling such significant contributions during the pandemic. To celebrate the diversity of virology research in the Microbiology Society community, this symposium will deliver a programme combining invited and offered presentations from across our community covering a range of viruses that threaten diverse aspects of life.
Joanna Parish, Finn Grey, Jack Ferguson, Sam Wilson
Andrew Macdonald (University of Leeds, UK)
10:15 - 10:45
Benjamin Krishna (University of Cambridge, UK)
10:45 - 11:00
11:00 - 11:15
Clement Bouton (King's College London, UK)
11:15 - 11:30
Antonia Ho (University of Glasgow, UK)
11:30 - 12:00
Daniel Weir (MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, UK)
12:00 - 12:15
Ervin Fodor (University of Oxford, UK)
12:15 - 12:45
This forum includes offered papers on any area and any organism relevant to environmental, ecological, applied and industrial microbiology, including (non-human) host–microbe communities and interactions, marine and freshwater microbiology, soil and geomicrobiology, air-, cryo- and extremophile microbiology, climate change, biotechnology, bio-processing and bio-engineering, food microbiology, and other applied and industrial microbial processes, including microbe-mediated biodegradation and bioremediation.
Chloe Pow (University of Stirling, UK)
10:15 - 10:30
Caroline J. Warren (Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK)
10:30 - 10:45
Sam Went (Durham University, UK)
10:45 - 11:00
Nengi Ogbanga (Northumbria University, UK)
11:00 - 11:15
Kathleen Dunbar (University of Surrey, UK)
11:15 - 11:30
11:30 - 11:45
Andrew Matthews (University of Exeter, UK)
11:45 - 12:00
Leonardo Rios (University College London, UK)
12:00 - 12:15
Zeyu Jia (GFZ German Research Centre for Geoscience and University of Postdam, Germany)
12:15 - 12:20
Floriane Turrel (University of Rennes, France)
12:20 - 12:25
Iva Sukkar (University of Veterinary Sciences Brno and Charles University, Czech Republic
12:25 - 12:30
Charlotte Bilsby (University of Kent, UK)
12:30 - 12:35
12:35 - 12:45
This session will be two half days. Starting on the afternoon of the first day, we will review how microbes are responding to the Anthropocene era, the recent period in Earth's history when human activity started to have a significant impact on the planet's climate and ecosystems. The morning of the second day, we will explore how microbes can be employed to mitigate, or even reverse some of the negative impacts.
Petra Oyston, Kate Duncan, Jordan Price, Alison Mather, Steve Atkinson
Petra Oyston (Dstl, UK)
10:15 - 10:45
Lisa Cole (University of Aberdeen, UK)
10:45 - 11:00
Laura Newsome (University of Exeter and Sellafield Ltd., UK)
11:00 - 11:30
11:30 - 11:45
Nigel Scrutton (C3 Biotechnologies Ltd, UK)
11:45 - 12:15
Jeremy Jentys (Cambridge Glycoscience Ltd / Supplant Inc, UK)
12:15 - 12:45
This session offers a deep dive into antimicrobial resistance (AMR), addressing key aspects in two main areas: diagnostics and surveillance. Diagnostics focuses on studying β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella spp. and developing a rapid, AI-assisted diagnostic platform for infectious diseases. Innovative rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing techniques, which promise quicker and more accurate assessments, are also highlighted. In surveillance, the session explores the role of bacterial transposable elements in the spread of AMR genes, bats as potential vectors for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, and the impact of environmental microbes as reservoirs for novel resistance genes. Additionally, it examines the influence of land use on waterborne resistant bacteria and introduces a novel CRISPR-based strategy targeting β-lactamases in superbugs. This comprehensive overview emphasizes the importance of diagnostics and surveillance in managing the global challenge of AMR.
Kalai Mathee, Bruno Silvester Lopes, Kendra Rumbaugh
Charlotte Holtum (Microbiology Society, UK) and Catrin Moore (St George's University of London, UK)
10:15 - 10:20
Kalai Mathee (Florida International University, USA)
10:20 - 10:30
Kareem Mahdy (Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, UK)
10:30 - 10:45
Aurore C. Poirier (University of Surrey, UK)
10:45 - 11:00
Gabriel Trueba (Universidad san Francisco de Quito, Ecuador)
11:00 - 11:15
Alexander Sturm (Resistell AG, Switzerland)
11:15 - 11:30
11:30 - 11:45
Natália C. Gaeta (University of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
11:45 - 12:00
Alexander Kingdon (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK)
12:00 - 12:15
Rose Collis (Hopkirk Research Institute, New Zealand)
12:15 - 12:30
Sudarshan Vishvani (International Institute of Health Sciences, Sri Lanka)
12:30 - 12:45
In their natural environments, microbes engage in complex dialogue with one another and with their hosts. These processes can underpin social and anti-social interactions and the switching between mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. Examples of vibrant areas of research in this theme include the microbiota-gut-brain and gut-lung axes, and virus super-infection exclusion studies. This cross-divisional session will bring together virologists, prokaryotic, and eukaryotic microbiologists to discuss the molecular mechanisms of these signalling events and how they shape host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions. This will be an exciting and truly inter-disciplinary session, encompassing themes such as polymicrobial infection, ecological competition and co-operation, quorum sensing, signal transduction, gene regulation, the bi-directional axes of host response to microbes, and modulation of host immunity.
Nicky O'Boyle, Rebecca Corrigan, Ed Hutchinson, Fiona Henriquez
Nuria Quiles Puchalt (CEU Cardenal Herrera, Spain)
10:15 - 10:40
Marvin Whiteley (Emory University, USA)
10:40 - 11:05
Marisa Oliveira (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom)
11:05 - 11:20
11:20 - 11:35
Keith Matthews (University of Edinburgh, UK)
11:35 - 12:00
Maria Aburto (University College Cork, Ireland)
12:00 - 12:25
Maite Sainz Mejias (University College Dublin, Ireland)
12:25 - 12:30
Ritika Siddiqui (University of Dundee, UK)
12:30 - 12:35
Shekina Gonzalez-Ferrer (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA)
12:35 - 12:40
Morgan Engelhart (Case Western Reserve University, USA)
12:40 - 12:45
Heather Allison, Chris Richardson, Raphael Galleh, Anastasios Tsaousis, Gerald Barry
Russell Hughes (University of Leeds, UK)
10:15 - 10:30
Sarah Buddle (University College London, UK)
10:30 - 10:45
Abdulrazak Alsaleh (Liverpool John Moores University, UK)
10:45 - 11:00
Hannah Pye (Quadram Institute, UK)
11:00 - 11:15
Rowena Jenkins (Swansea University, UK)
11:15 - 11:20
11:20 - 11:30
Janine Bowring (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
11:30 - 11:45
Esther Lehmann (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
11:45 - 12:00
Alison Low (University of Edinburgh, UK)
12:00 - 12:15
Libby Duignan (University of Liverpool, UK)
12:15 - 12:30
Maria Daniela Silva (University of Minho, Portugal)
12:30 - 12:45
Microbiology is at a historical turning point. Widespread genome sequencing has revealed genetic complexity among microbes that could hardly have been imagined by pioneers such as Stephensen, Pasteur, Escherich and Koch. This data cascade brings enormous potential to improve our understanding of microbial cell biology and the genetic basis of phenotype variation. However, this revolution in data science cannot replace established microbiology practices, presenting the challenge of how to integrate these new techniques. Genomic data are typically applied either to population-wide comparisons of bacteria in the wild, or to studying gene function through modification and inactivation in the laboratory. The former better reflects natural variation but the latter is needed for robust functional characterization. Next generation microbiology is bridging this gap, and integrating large sequencing datasets with molecular microbiology. In this session we present recent work that combines comparative and functional genomics with molecular microbiology and physiology to provide an improved understanding of phenotypes in the omics era.
Samuel Sheppard, Carolin Kobras, Rebecca Hall, Guerrino Macori, Hasan Yesilkaya, Matt Dorman, Kalai Mathee
Yonatan Grad (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, USA)
10:15 - 10:45
Tabea Elsener (University of Oxford, UK)
10:45 - 11:00
Andres Floto (Heart and Lung Research Institute, UK)
11:00 - 11:30
11:30 - 11:45
Ruth Massey (University College Cork, Ireland)
11:45 - 12:15
Amy Pickering (Roslin Institute, UK)
12:15 - 12:30
Lucy Dillon (Queen's University Belfast, UK)
12:30 - 12:45
In 2024 the Microbiology Society launches a new prize showcasing and celebrating achievements in equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) across the field of microbiology. To coincide with the launch of this exciting new prize, the Members Panel-sponsored EDI session at the Annual Conference 2024 will feature invited speakers sharing their personal reflections on activities that contribute to making the field of microbiology more welcoming and inclusive to all. The session will include an open forum for questions, answers, and debate from audience members.
Arindam Mitra, Blanca Perez Sepulveda, Bruno Silvester Lopes, Kevin Maringer
13:00 - 13:05
Leighann Sherry (University of Glasgow, UK)
13:05 - 13:13
Emmanuel Adukwu (University of the West of England, UK)
13:13 - 13:21
Elizabeth Wynn (Babraham Institute, UK)
13:21 - 13:29
13:29 - 13:45
Being our biggest organ and a primary protective barrier from pathogens, the microbiome of this highly varied environment is now being described in unprecedented detail, revealing complex multispecies communities that play important roles in skin health, the development of the immune system and in wound healing. The symposium would bring together knowledge of what these microbes are, how they colonise this often nutrient poor and challenging niche, and how they work together to supress the growth of pathogens, while in themselves also being potential accidental pathogens if the skin barrier is broken.
Georgios Efthimiou, Albert Bolhuis, Gavin Thomas and Andrew Edwards
Barry Murphy (Unilever, UK)
14:45 - 15:15
Lindsay Kalan (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA)
15:15 - 15:45
Reyme Herman (University of York, UK)
15:45 - 16:00
16:00 - 16:15
Aline Metris (Unilever SEAC, UK)
16:15 - 16:30
Emilie Hadjiev (University of Rouen Normandie, France)
16:30 - 16:45
Tobi Somerville (University of Liverpool, Liverpool and Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK)
16:45 - 17:00
Danita Kasi Patel (University of Manchester, UK)
17:00 - 17:15
Offered papers (and associated posters) will be presented in areas related to clinical, veterinary and plant infections caused by prokaryote and eukaryote pathogens. This will include detection and diagnosis, identification, typing and epidemiology, pathogenesis, virulence, host response and immunity, treatment and prevention, antimicrobial agents and resistance, transmission and models of infection. Eligible abstracts can be entered into the Infection Science Award competition, with the awardees invited to the Federation of Infection Societies annual meeting.
Conor Feehily, Dany Beste, Julie Morrissey, Robert Hirt, Tasos Tsaousis, Giuseppe Buda de Cesare
Eva Bernadett Benyei (University of Cambridge, UK)
14:45 - 15:00
Ijeoma Okoliegbe (NHS Grampian, UK)
15:00 - 15:15
James Shepherd (University of Glasgow-MRC Centre for Virus Research, UK)
15:15 - 15:30
Neil Cunningham (United Kingdom Health Security Agency and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, UK)
15:30 - 15:45
15:45 - 16:00
Seána Duggan (University of Exeter, UK)
16:00 - 16:15
Joshua Elsey (University of Bristol, UK)
16:15 - 16:30
Neama Alnabati (University of Leicester, UK)
16:30 - 16:45
Alban Hay (Université de Poitiers, France)
16:45 - 17:00
Rachel Wheatley (University of Oxford and Queen's University Belfast, UK)
17:00 - 17:15
In their natural environments, microbes engage in complex dialogue with one another and with their hosts. These processes can underpin social and anti-social interactions and the switching between mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. Examples of vibrant areas of research in this theme include the microbiota-gut-brain and gut-lung axes, and virus super-infection exclusion studies. This cross-divisional session will bring together virologists, prokaryotic, and eukaryotic microbiologists to discuss the molecular mechanisms of these signalling events and how they shape host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions. This will be an exciting and truly inter-disciplinary session, encompassing themes such as polymicrobial infection, ecological competition and co-operation, quorum sensing, signal transduction, gene regulation, the bi-directional axes of host response to microbes, and modulation of host immunity.
Nicky O'Boyle, Rebecca Corrigan, Ed Hutchinson, Fiona Henriquez
Katia Koelle (Emory University, USA)
14:45 - 15:10
Andrea Puhar (Umeå University, Sweden)
15:10 - 15:25
Shruthi Magesh (University of Wisconsin-Madison and Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, USA)
15:25 - 15:40
15:40 - 16:10
Pablo Murcia (MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, UK)
16:10 - 16:35
Sarah Coulthurst (University of Dundee, UK)
16:35 - 17:00
Taoran Fu (University of Manchester, UK)
17:00 - 17:05
Sophie Tronnet (Umeå University, Sweden)
17:05 - 17:10
Erin Catton (Imperial College London, UK)
17:10 - 17:15
Microbiology is at a historical turning point. Widespread genome sequencing has revealed genetic complexity among microbes that could hardly have been imagined by pioneers such as Stephensen, Pasteur, Escherich and Koch. This data cascade brings enormous potential to improve our understanding of microbial cell biology and the genetic basis of phenotype variation. However, this revolution in data science cannot replace established microbiology practices, presenting the challenge of how to integrate these new techniques. Genomic data are typically applied either to population-wide comparisons of bacteria in the wild, or to studying gene function through modification and inactivation in the laboratory. The former better reflects natural variation but the latter is needed for robust functional characterization. Next generation microbiology is bridging this gap, and integrating large sequencing datasets with molecular microbiology. In this session we present recent work that combines comparative and functional genomics with molecular microbiology and physiology to provide an improved understanding of phenotypes in the omics era.
Samuel Sheppard, Carolin Kobras, Rebecca Hall, Guerrino Macori, Hasan Yesilkaya, Matt Dorman, Kalai Mathee
Susanne Häußler (Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Germany)
14:45 - 15:15
Vicky Bennett (University of Bath, UK)
15:15 - 15:30
David Williams (University of Dundee, UK)
15:30 - 15:45
Aleksei Agapov (University of Exeter, UK)
15:45 - 16:00
16:00 - 16:15
Ian Henderson (University of Queensland, Australia)
16:15 - 16:45
Emily Goodall (Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane, Australia)
16:45 - 17:00
David Grainger (University of Birmingham, UK)
17:00 - 17:15
As obligate parasites viruses must inhibit, subvert or re-purpose cell biology to complete their infection cycle. In this workshop the focus will be on molecular studies (both systems biology and reductionist approaches) that have illuminated important aspects of this interaction. This workshop has clear parallels with the Viruses as molecular machines and thus we anticipate abstracts submitted to this workshop will likely concentrate on the impact on host mechanisms including the subversion of cell autonomous and innate immune responses, re-purpose host cell signalling or changes to host gene expression and function.
Carlos Maluquer de Motes, Helena Maier, David Hughes
Emma Davies (MRC-University of Glasgow CVR, UK)
14:45 - 14:57
Moisés Hasim Rojas Rechy (University of Leeds, UK)
14:57 - 15:09
David Hughes (University of St Andrew's, UK)
15:09 - 15:21
David Noyvert (University of Cambridge, UK)
15:21 - 15:33
Natasha Palmalux (MRC-University of Glasgow CVR, UK)
15:33 - 15:45
Patrick Phillips (The Pirbright Institute, Diamond Light Source and University of Oxford, UK)
15:45 - 15:57
15:57 - 16:15
Piotr Kwiatkowski (King's College London, UK)
16:15 - 16:27
Eilidh Rivers (MRC-University of Glasgow CVR, UK)
16:27 - 16:39
Alisha Reid (King's College London, UK)
16:39 - 16:51
Holly Kerr (The Roslin Institute, UK)
16:51 - 17:03
Hannah Burgess (University of Surrey, UK)
17:03 - 17:15
Human and veterinary viruses are a major cause of disease with substantial clinical, social and economic implications. Key to controlling the impact of viral infection is better surveillance and diagnostics, improved clinical management and, ultimately, the development of effective anti-virals and vaccines. Thus we anticipate abstracts submitted to this workshop will cover studies that reflect the breadth of these interventions to demonstrate how a combination of basic and clinical understanding of viral infection and pathogenesis is critical for the development of diagnostics, anti-viral strategies and control measures.
Ed Wright, Tamyo Mbisa, Matthew Reeves
Mirjam Schilling (Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK)
14:45 - 14:57
Matthew Bagley (Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK)
14:57 - 15:09
Lerato Magosi (Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK)
15:09 - 15:21
Hannah Klim (Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics and Pandemic Sciences Institute, UK)
15:21 - 15:33
Stephen Graham (University of Cambridge, UK)
15:33 - 15:45
15:45 - 16:15
Rodrigo Gonzalez Gomez (The Pirbright Institute and University of Oxford, UK)
16:15 - 16:27
Abdelaziz Yassin (The Pirbright Institute and University of Surrey, UK)
16:27 - 16:39
Anastasia Lankina (University College London, UK)
16:39 - 16:51
Daniel Yara (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, UK)
16:51 - 17:03
Tristan Russell (University College Dublin, Ireland)
17:03 - 17:15
Pathogenesis and disease is an important outcome of the interaction of viruses and the host. The aim of this workshop is to capture studies (including systems level approaches) of human and veterinary pathogens that contribute to our understanding of pathogenesis on an organism scale. We anticipate this will include the importance of adaptive immunity for the control of infection, the impact of immune phenotypes in disease outcome, and the role of host and viral functions to support dissemination within host as well as for onward transmission.
Clive McKimmie, Dalan Bailey, Rachel Edgar
Martin Potts (University of Cambridge, UK)
14:45 - 14:57
Emily Briggs (The Pirbright Institute and University of Surrey, UK)
14:57 - 15:09
Ailish McCafferty (University of Leeds, UK)
15:09 - 15:21
Parul Sharma (University of Liverpool, UK)
15:21 - 15:33
William Harvey (University of Edinburgh, UK)
15:33 - 15:45
Christiane Wobus (University of Michigan, USA)
15:45 - 15:57
15:57 - 16:15
Sarah Keep (The Pirbright Institute, UK)
16:15 - 16:27
Lauren Kerr-Jones ( Cardiff University, UK)
16:27 - 16:39
Mathilde Laureti (The Pirbright Institute, UK)
16:39 - 16:51
Shichun Gu (University of Bristol, UK)
16:51 - 17:03
Federico De Angelis (University of Edinburgh, UK)
17:03 - 17:15
Viruses have repeatedly proven to be fantastic molecular tools to understand the molecular and biochemical nature of biological processes. Abstracts submitted to this workshop will likely cover a range of topics that range from the role of viral proteins for entry, the mechanisms of viral gene expression and replication, to functions important for viral assembly and egress. We anticipate the submission of abstracts detailing structural, biophysical and reductionist studies that elucidate these mechanisms and processes covering both eukaroytic and prokaryotic infection.
Joe Grove, Alex Borodavka, Hannah Burgess
Joe Grove (MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, UK)
14:45 - 14:57
Hou Wei Chook (University of Edinburgh, UK)
14:57 - 15:09
Shu Zhou (University of Edinburgh, UK)
15:09 - 15:21
Christian Diwo (Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal)
15:21 - 15:33
Jake Mills (University of Leeds, UK)
15:33 - 15:45
Juan Oswaldo Concha Casaverde (University of Cambridge, UK and University of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
15:45 - 15:57
15:57 - 16:15
Colin Crump (University of Cambridge, UK)
16:15 - 16:27
Alexander Hargreaves (University College London, UK)
16:27 - 16:39
Stephen Devlin (University of Glasgow, UK)
16:39 - 16:51
Harriet Mears (The Francis Crick Institute, UK)
16:51 - 17:03
Frazer Buchanan (University of Leeds, UK)
17:03 - 17:15
Being our biggest organ and a primary protective barrier from pathogens, the microbiome of this highly varied environment is now being described in unprecedented detail, revealing complex multispecies communities that play important roles in skin health, the development of the immune system and in wound healing. The symposium would bring together knowledge of what these microbes are, how they colonise this often nutrient poor and challenging niche, and how they work together to supress the growth of pathogens, while in themselves also being potential accidental pathogens if the skin barrier is broken.
Georgios Efthimiou, Albert Bolhois, Gavin Thomas, Andrew Edwards
Elizabeth Grice (University of Pennsylvania, USA)
10:15 - 10:45
Marc Güell (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain)
10:45 - 11:15
Michelle Rudden (University of Hull, UK)
11:15 - 11:30
11:30 - 11:45
Rachel Clifton (University of Nottingham, UK)
11:45 - 12:00
Amy Gillespie (University of Liverpool, UK)
12:00 - 12:15
Joan Geoghegan (University of Birmingham, UK)
12:15 - 12:30
12:30 - 12:45
Offered papers (and associated posters) will be presented in areas related to clinical, veterinary and plant infections caused by prokaryote and eukaryote pathogens. This will include detection and diagnosis, identification, typing and epidemiology, pathogenesis, virulence, host response and immunity, treatment and prevention, antimicrobial agents and resistance, transmission and models of infection. Eligible abstracts can be entered into the Infection Science Award competition, with the awardees invited to the Federation of Infection Societies annual meeting.
Conor Feehily, Dany Beste, Julie Morrissey, Robert Hirt, Tasos Tsaousis, Giuseppe Buda de Cesare
Antonia Molloy (Aston University, UK)
10:15 - 10:30
Dmytro Prasolov (University of Kent, UK)
10:30 - 10:45
Leanne Sims (Quadram Institute Bioscience, UK)
10:45 - 11:00
11:00 - 11:30
Dung Nguyen (University of Oxford, UK)
11:30 - 11:45
Ricardo Corona Torres (University of Edinburgh, UK)
11:45 - 12:00
Antonia Hilbig (University of Glasgow, UK)
12:00 - 12:15
Naoise McGarry (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland)
12:15 - 12:30
Joshua Newson (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)
12:30 - 12:45
Microorganisms encounter a wide range of stresses and environmental changes in diverse scenarios including infection, ecological and biotechnological scenarios. By definition, stress is a driver of diversity, evolution and phenotypic heterogeneity. This session aims to celebrate the responses induced by various stresses on diverse microbial taxa and the enabling technologies allowing their investigation including transcriptomics, metabolomics, biophysics and imaging. The organisers are particularly keen to hear about antibiotic, envelope, host-derived, metabolic, starvation, environmental, redox, temperature, solvent and DNA damage stress responses. Of particular interest is the ability of microbes to sense chemical stress, either via sensors at the cell surface or by cytoplasmic transcriptional regulators. Any examples of systems identified in stress response response research that have been exploited for new treatments or increased productivity are welcomed. This symposium will form a journal special collection in Microbiology.
Nick Tucker, Lorena Fernández-Martínez, Stephan Uphoff, Dany Beste
Sophie Helaine (Harvard Medical School, USA)
10:15 - 10:45
Josh McQuail (Imperial College London, UK)
10:45 - 11:00
Ainsley Beaton (John Innes Centre, UK)
11:00 - 11:15
11:15 - 11:30
Kendra Rumbaugh (Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, USA)
11:30 - 12:00
Lisa Juliane Kahl (Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany and University of Oxford, UK)
12:00 - 12:15
Benoit J Pons (University of Exeter, UK)
12:15 - 12:30
Nicholas Tucker (University of Suffolk, UK)
12:30 - 12:45
As obligate parasites viruses must inhibit, subvert or re-purpose cell biology to complete their infection cycle. In this workshop the focus will be on molecular studies (both systems biology and reductionist approaches) that have illuminated important aspects of this interaction. This workshop has clear parallels with the Viruses as molecular machines and thus we anticipate abstracts submitted to this workshop will likely concentrate on the impact on host mechanisms including the subversion of cell autonomous and innate immune responses, re-purpose host cell signalling or changes to host gene expression and function. n.
Carlos Maluquer de Motes, Helena Maier, David Hughes
Laura Martin-Sancho (Imperial College London, UK)
10:15 - 10:27
Hannah Coutts (Queen's University of Belfast, UK)
10:27 - 10:39
Lucy Ahern (The Crick Institute, UK)
10:39 - 10:51
Samuel Gavronski (University of Cambridge, UK)
10:51 - 11:03
Natasha Preston (University of Surrey, UK)
11:03 - 11:15
11:15 - 11:33
Ines Hofer (Queen Mary's University of London)
11:33 - 11:45
Xinyue Wang (University of Cambridge, UK)
11:45 - 11:57
Stefano Bonazza (Queen's University of Belfast, UK)
11:57 - 12:09
Sophie Cutts (University of Surrey, UK)
12:09 - 12:21
Carl Winn (University of Bristol, UK)
12:21 - 12:33
Gemma Swinscoe (University of Leeds, UK)
12:33 - 12:45
Human and veterinary viruses are a major cause of disease with substantial clinical, social and economic implications. Key to controlling the impact of viral infection is better surveillance and diagnostics, improved clinical management and, ultimately, the development of effective anti-virals and vaccines. Thus we anticipate abstracts submitted to this workshop will cover studies that reflect the breadth of these interventions to demonstrate how a combination of basic and clinical understanding of viral infection and pathogenesis is critical for the development of diagnostics, anti-viral strategies and control measures.
Ed Wright, Tamyo Mbisa, Matthew Reeves
David Bauer (The Francis Crick Institute, UK)
10:15 - 10:27
Philie Hollinghurst (The Pirbright Institute, UK)
10:27 - 10:39
Katie Hatton (The Pirbright Institute, UK)
10:39 - 10:51
Nigel Temperton (University of Kent, UK)
10:51 - 11:03
Jordan Skittrall (University of Cambridge, UK)
11:03 - 11:15
11:15 - 11:33
Richard Randall (University of St Andrews, UK)
11:33 - 11:45
Abigail A. O'Malley (Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK)
11:45 - 11:57
Christine Major-Styles (Imperial College London, UK)
11:57 - 12:09
Vera van Vliet (Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands)
12:09 - 12:21
Sole Lancerin (University of Edinburgh, UK)
12:21 - 12:33
Gemma Cooper (De Montfort University, UK)
12:33 - 12:45
Pathogenesis and disease is an important outcome of the interaction of viruses and the host. The aim of this workshop is to capture studies (including systems level approaches) of human and veterinary pathogens that contribute to our understanding of pathogenesis on an organism scale. We anticipate this will include the importance of adaptive immunity for the control of infection, the impact of immune phenotypes in disease outcome, and the role of host and viral functions to support dissemination within host as well as for onward transmission.
Clive McKimmie, Dalan Bailey, Rachel Edgar
Christine Tait-Burkard (The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK)
10:15 - 10:27
Harry Francis (The Pirbright Institute and University of Cambridge, UK)
10:27 - 10:39
Taissa Ricciardi-Jorge (The Pirbright Institute, UK)
10:39 - 10:51
Claire Ham (MHRA, UK)
10:51 - 11:03
Luke Jones (University of Oxford, UK)
11:03 - 11:15
11:15 - 11:33
Leandro Neves (University of Liverpool, UK)
11:33 - 11:45
Lidia Lasecka-Dykes (The Pirbright Institute, UK)
11:45 - 11:57
Jack Mellors (University of Oxford, UK)
11:57 - 12:09
Hui Min Lee (The Roslin Institute, UK)
12:09 - 12:21
Dylan Postmus (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany)
12:21 - 12:33
Francesca Appadoo (University of Leeds, UK)
12:33 - 12:45
Viruses have repeatedly proven to be fantastic molecular tools to understand the molecular and biochemical nature of biological processes. Abstracts submitted to this workshop will likely cover a range of topics that range from the role of viral proteins for entry, the mechanisms of viral gene expression and replication, to functions important for viral assembly and egress. We anticipate the submission of abstracts detailing structural, biophysical and reductionist studies that elucidate these mechanisms and processes covering both eukaroytic and prokaryotic infection.
Joe Grove, Alex Borodavka, Hannah Burgess
Andrew Brodrick (University of Maryland, USA)
10:15 - 10:27
Cyril Haller (University of Cambridge, UK)
10:27 - 10:39
Eva Durinova (Czech Academy of Sciences and University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic)
10:39 - 10:51
Lea Denker (University of Warwick, UK)
10:51 - 11:03
Julia Acker (University of Cambridge, UK)
11:03 - 11:15
11:15 - 11:33
Alice Collins (Imperial College London, UK)
11:33 - 11:45
Abida Bano (Imperial College London, UK and University of the Punjab, Pakistan)
11:45 - 11:57
Stephen Nuthalapati (The Pirbright Institute, UK)
11:57 - 12:09
Nuno Santos (The Francis Crick Institute, UK)
12:09 - 12:21
Colin Sharp (University of Edinburgh, UK)
12:21 - 12:33
Jenna Schafers (University of Edinburgh, UK)
12:33 - 12:45
Driven by both the COVID-19 pandemic and the accelerating crisis of climate change, an increased awareness has been associated with identifying shifts of microbial populations in environmental, food and medical samples. Microbial surveillance includes novel technologies that are both easy to use and able to simultaneously detect diverse microorganisms (virus, bacteria, fungi or parasites) and it is therefore crucial for our ability to anticipate any change that could ultimately affect public health. This session will bring together experts from public health, industry and academia, giving an overview on the state-of-the-art techniques used and the effects that such microbial changes have on both the environment as well as on the health care landscape.
Giuseppe Buda De Cesare, Andrew Armitage, Eva Heinz, Matt Dorman
Aaron G. Canton (Queen's University Belfast, UK)
10:45 - 11:00
Sarah Gallichan (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK)
11:00 - 11:15
11:15 - 11:30
Robin May (Food Standards Agency and University of Birmingham, UK)
11:30 - 12:00
Leonardo de Oliveira Martins (Quadram Institute Bioscience, UK)
12:00 - 12:15
Edward Cunningham-Oakes (University of Liverpool and NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Gastrointestinal Infections, UK)
12:15 - 12:30
Mohammad Saiful Islam Sajib (University of Glasgow, UK)
12:30 - 12:45
Biofilms represent structured adherent communities of microorganisms that can range in complexity from single species to complex polymicrobial consortia. They have profound impacts on various aspects of our lives, from health and medicine to industry and environmental processes. A biofilm is a structured consortium of microbial cells surrounded by a self-produced polymeric matrix, often adhering to surfaces. This matrix provides protection and enhances the resilience of these microbial communities. In the medical field, biofilms play a significant role in chronic infections. Bacterial biofilms are often responsible for persistent and difficult-to-treat infections in wounds, urinary tract, respiratory system, and implant-related sites. Their enhanced resistance to antibiotics and the immune system poses a significant challenge for effective treatment, necessitating new strategies to combat these resilient microbial communities. Moreover, biofilms have far-reaching implications in industrial settings. They can clog pipes, contaminate food production facilities, and corrode industrial equipment. The financial burden of managing biofilm-related issues is substantial, making it imperative to develop effective preventive measures and treatments to minimize their impact on industries. In natural environments, biofilms are crucial for nutrient cycling, bioremediation, and microbial ecology. They contribute to the breakdown of organic matter, aiding in the recycling of nutrients essential for the ecosystem. However, biofilms can also have detrimental effects, such as in marine environments, where they can corrode ships' hulls and marine structures. Understanding the formation, structure, and behaviour of biofilms is essential to develop strategies for their control and management. Ongoing research focuses on disrupting biofilm formation, targeting the biofilm matrix, and exploring novel antimicrobial agents. Additionally, advancements in imaging technologies and molecular biology have provided deeper insights into the intricacies of biofilm development and function. Within this session we will explore how biofilm communities are formed, detected, tackled and exploited. We will also discuss how continued research and innovative approaches are crucial to effectively manage and mitigate the impact of biofilms in diverse domains, ensuring a healthier and more sustainable future.
Campbell Gourlay, Jerry Reen
Joan Geoghegan (University of Birmingham, UK)
14:45 - 15:05
Miguel Camara (National Biofilms Innovation Centre and University of Nottingham, UK)
15:05 - 15:25
Lisa Crossman (University of East Anglia, UK)
15:25 - 15:35
Maria Solsona Gaya (Quadram Institute Bioscience and University of East Anglia, UK)
15:35 - 15:45
Ed Deshmukh-Reeves (University of Kent, UK)
15:45 - 15:55
15:55 - 16:05
Jeremy Webb (University of Southampton, UK)
16:05 - 16:25
Tom Coenye (Ghent University, Belgium)
16:25 - 16:45
Ashraf Zarkan (University of Cambridge, UK)
16:45 - 16:55
Dean Walsh (University of Warwick, UK)
16:55 - 17:05
Nathan Burton (University of Warwick, UK)
17:05 - 17:15
We welcome abstracts on any aspect of learning or teaching microbiology as well as any aspect of engaging a wider audience with microbiology. This year, we particularly welcome abstracts on sustainability, artificial intelligence, the use of game-enhanced learning or antimicrobial resistance, but will consider abstracts on any topic. We are happy to receive abstracts from colleagues in any setting e.g. clinicians, technicians, those in industry, etc.
Mel Lacey, Alison Graham, Michael Dillon, Leanne Taylor-Smith, Nicola Crewe, James Edwards, Thiru Vanniasinkam, Daniel Morse, Sean Goodman, Bridget Kelly, Grace Roberts, Kirsty Jones, Monika Gostic, Georgios Efthimiou, Victoria Easton, Cheryl Walter
Pam Birtill (University of Leeds, UK)
14:45 - 15:15
Gayan Gunatilake (International Institute of Health Sciences, Colombo, Sri Lanka)
15:15 - 15:30
Catherine Lawler (Bath Spa University, UK)
15:30 - 15:35
Leighann Sherry (University of Glasgow, UK)
15:35 - 15:40
Rebbekah Menday (University of Sheffield, UK)
15:40 - 15:45
15:45 - 16:00
Niall O'Leary (University College Cork, Ireland)
16:00 - 16:15
Zoe Robinson (Keele University, UK)
16:15 - 16:45
Linda Percy (University of Westminster, UK)
16:45 - 17:00
Maria del Carmen Montero-Calasanz (Andalusian Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training (IFAPA), Spain)
17:00 - 17:05
Bridget Kelly (Dundalk Institute of Technology, Ireland)
17:05 - 17:10
Lizzie Archer (University of Essex, UK)
17:10 - 17:15
Driven by both the COVID-19 pandemic and the accelerating crisis of climate change, an increased awareness has been associated with identifying shifts of microbial populations in environmental, food and medical samples. Microbial surveillance includes novel technologies that are both easy to use and able to simultaneously detect diverse microorganisms (virus, bacteria, fungi or parasites) and it is therefore crucial for our ability to anticipate any change that could ultimately affect public health. This session will bring together experts from public health, industry and academia, giving an overview on the state-of-the-art techniques used and the effects that such microbial changes have on both the environment as well as on the health care landscape.
Giuseppe Buda De Cesare, Andrew Armitage, Eva Heinz, Matt Dorman
Andrew Singer (UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, UK)
14:45 - 15:15
Samuel Horsfield (EMBL-EBI and Imperial College London, UK)
15:15 - 15:30
Ingrida Olendraite (University of Cambridge, UK)
15:30 - 15:45
15:45 - 16:00
David Cooke (The James Hutton Institute, UK)
16:00 - 16:30
Jack Whitehouse (University of Surrey, UK)
16:30 - 16:45
John-Paul Wilkins (Queen's University Belfast, UK)
16:45 - 17:00
JJ Miranda (Columbia University, USA)
17:00 - 17:15
Genetics and genomics forum will consider offered papers on all aspects of the genes and genomes of microbes (prokaryotes and eukaryotes) and their mobile elements, including their sequencing, transcription, translation, regulation, chromosome dynamics, gene transfer, population genetics and evolution, taxonomy and systematics, comparative genomics, metagenomics, bioinformatics, and synthetic biology.
Gavin Paterson, Bruno Francesco Rodrigues de Oliveira, Hasan Yesilkaya, Kalai Mathee, Albert Bolhuis, Delma Childers, Fiona Henriquez
Jesse Shapiro (McGill University, Canada)
14:45 - 15:00
Mark John Girasol (University of the Philippines Manila, Philippines and University of Glasgow, UK)
15:00 - 15:15
Heather Felgate (Quadram Institute, UK)
15:15 - 15:30
Shannon Quek (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK)
15:30 - 15:45
15:45 - 16:00
Elizabeth Cummins (University of Oxford, UK)
16:00 - 16:15
Tom Williams (University of Bristol, UK)
16:15 - 16:30
Emma Holden (Quadram Institute Bioscience, UK)
16:30 - 16:45
Woojun Park (Korea University, Republic of Korea)
16:45 - 17:00
This forum will consider offered papers on all aspects of microbial (prokaryotic and eukaryotic) metabolism, physiology and molecular biology. This will focus on fundamental and translational research in this area. This would include the metabolism and physiology of bacteria, archaea and eukaryotic microbes, including pathogens; biochemistry and structure of cells, cell growth and division; cell architecture and differentiation; synthesis and transport of macromolecules; ions and small molecules; development signalling and communication, sensing and cellular responses cell cycle and also how this work informs microbial engineering, antimicrobial drug development, and other potential applications. All speakers will be selected from the submitted abstracts.
Chris Cooper, Stephan Heeb, Andrew Lovering, Ross Waller, Campbell Gourlay, Calvin Tiengwe, Steve Atkinson
Rebecca Hall (University of Birmingham, UK)
14:45 - 15:00
Skylar Gay (University of Virginia, USA)
15:00 - 15:15
Johannes Keegstra (ETH, Switzerland)
15:15 - 15:30
Ricardo Valencia Albornoz (University of Edinburgh, UK)
15:30 - 15:45
Haichun Gao (Zhejiang University, China)
15:45 - 16:00
16:00 - 16:15
Katherine Schaefer (University of Missouri, USA)
16:15 - 16:30
Pranay Agarwal (Maynooth University, Ireland)
16:30 - 16:45
Suzanne Humphrey (University of Glasgow, UK)
16:45 - 17:00
Andreas Haag (University of St Andrews, UK)
17:00 - 17:15
Microorganisms encounter a wide range of stresses and environmental changes in diverse scenarios including infection, ecological and biotechnological scenarios. By definition, stress is a driver of diversity, evolution and phenotypic heterogeneity. This session aims to celebrate the responses induced by various stresses on diverse microbial taxa and the enabling technologies allowing their investigation including transcriptomics, metabolomics, biophysics and imaging. The organisers are particularly keen to hear about antibiotic, envelope, host-derived, metabolic, starvation, environmental, redox, temperature, solvent and DNA damage stress responses. Of particular interest is the ability of microbes to sense chemical stress, either via sensors at the cell surface or by cytoplasmic transcriptional regulators. Any examples of systems identified in stress response response research that have been exploited for new treatments or increased productivity are welcomed. This symposium will form a journal special collection in Microbiology.
Nick Tucker, Lorena Fernández-Martínez, Stephan Uphoff, Dany Beste
Digby Warner (University of Cape Town, South Africa)
14:45 - 15:15
Wendy Le Mouëllic (Université de Toulouse, France)
15:15 - 15:30
John Helmann (Cornell University, USA)
15:30 - 15:45
15:45 - 16:00
Stefano Pagliara University of Exeter, UK)
16:00 - 16:30
Sean Brennan (University of Leicester, UK)
16:30 - 16:45
Kosuke Oana (Yakult Central Institute, Japan)
16:45 - 17:00
Fiona Sargison (University of Oxford, UK)
17:00 - 17:15
In this session we will explore the potential health consequences of viral infection during pregnancy for both mother and baby. When a virus infects a cell, cellular sensors can alert the infected cell and its neighbours to the presence of an invader. When properly regulated, these responses lead to viral clearance and continued host health. However, if these responses are dysregulated (possibly due to interference by the virus), the host may experience sickness caused by this aberrant response. A developing embryo is heavily guarded against the risk of infection by the physical barrier of the placenta, as well as patrolling maternal immune cells. Nevertheless, the mother is highly susceptible to infection, which means that she may have immune responses to viruses that are communicated to the foetus. Furthermore, under some circumstances, viruses may cross the placental barrier and infect the developing foetus. The genes that co-ordinate antiviral responses are extensively regulated during embryonic development. The consequences of their dysregulation to the foetus include various developmental defects, such as abnormal organ development, foetal readsorption, preterm labour and autism. We will learn about the consequences of maternal infection for a taxonomically diverse range of viruses that are known to have significant health implications if contracted congenitally, including herpesviruses, Zika virus and SARS-CoV-2.
Eleanor Gaunt, Richard Stanton, Harriet Groom
Kyle Walsh (Duke University, USA)
14:45 - 15:15
Hannah Preston (Cardiff University, UK)
15:15 - 15:30
Alistair McGregor (Texas A&M University, USA)
15:30 - 15:45
15:45 - 16:00
Ruth Jarrett (MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, UK)
16:00 - 16:30
Hollie Jackson Ireland (MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, UK)
16:30 - 16:45
Philip Goulder (University of Oxford, UK)
16:45 - 17:15
Biofilms represent structured adherent communities of microorganisms that can range in complexity from single species to complex polymicrobial consortia. They have profound impacts on various aspects of our lives, from health and medicine to industry and environmental processes. A biofilm is a structured consortium of microbial cells surrounded by a self-produced polymeric matrix, often adhering to surfaces. This matrix provides protection and enhances the resilience of these microbial communities. In the medical field, biofilms play a significant role in chronic infections. Bacterial biofilms are often responsible for persistent and difficult-to-treat infections in wounds, urinary tract, respiratory system, and implant-related sites. Their enhanced resistance to antibiotics and the immune system poses a significant challenge for effective treatment, necessitating new strategies to combat these resilient microbial communities. Moreover, biofilms have far-reaching implications in industrial settings. They can clog pipes, contaminate food production facilities, and corrode industrial equipment. The financial burden of managing biofilm-related issues is substantial, making it imperative to develop effective preventive measures and treatments to minimize their impact on industries. In natural environments, biofilms are crucial for nutrient cycling, bioremediation, and microbial ecology. They contribute to the breakdown of organic matter, aiding in the recycling of nutrients essential for the ecosystem. However, biofilms can also have detrimental effects, such as in marine environments, where they can corrode ships' hulls and marine structures. Understanding the formation, structure, and behaviour of biofilms is essential to develop strategies for their control and management. Ongoing research focuses on disrupting biofilm formation, targeting the biofilm matrix, and exploring novel antimicrobial agents. Additionally, advancements in imaging technologies and molecular biology have provided deeper insights into the intricacies of biofilm development and function. Within this session we will explore how biofilm communities are formed, detected, tackled and exploited. We will also discuss how continued research and innovative approaches are crucial to effectively manage and mitigate the impact of biofilms in diverse domains, ensuring a healthier and more sustainable future.
Campbell Gourlay, Jerry Reen
Birthe Kjellerup (University of Maryland, USA)
10:15 - 10:40
Paul Williams (University of Nottingham, UK)
10:40 - 11:00
Maria Diaz (Quadram Institute, UEA, UK)
11:00 - 11:10
Alison Jane Reid (Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, Ireland)
11:10 - 11:20
Lyuboslava Harkova (Brunel University London, United Kingdom)
11:20 - 11:30
11:30 - 11:45
Rebecca Hall (University of Kent, UK)
11:45 - 12:05
Liam Rooney (University of Strathclyde, UK)
12:05 - 12:15
Thomas Hall (Matoke Holdings Limited, United Kingdom)
12:15 - 12:25
Rania Nassar (Dubai Health, UAE and Cardiff University, UK)
12:25 - 12:35
Isobel Garrat (University of Bath, UK)
12:35 - 12:45
We welcome abstracts on any aspect of learning or teaching microbiology as well as any aspect of engaging a wider audience with microbiology. This year, we particularly welcome abstracts on sustainability, artificial intelligence, the use of game-enhanced learning or antimicrobial resistance, but will consider abstracts on any topic. We are happy to receive abstracts from colleagues in any setting e.g. clinicians, technicians, those in industry, etc.
Mel Lacey, Alison Graham, Michael Dillon, Leanne Taylor-Smith, Nicola Crewe, James Edwards, Thiru Vanniasinkam, Daniel Morse, Sean Goodman, Bridget Kelly, Grace Roberts, Kirsty Jones, Monika Gostic, Georgios Efthimiou, Victoria Easton, Cheryl Walter
Anderson Oaikhena (University of Ibadan, Nigeria)
10:15 - 10:45
Moe Kyaw Thu (Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia, Malaysia)
10:45 - 11:00
Emma Waters (Quadram Institute Bioscience, UK)
11:00 - 11:15
Leanne Timpson (Nottingham Trent University, UK)
11:15 - 11:20
Ali Floyd (University of Dundee, UK)
11:20 - 11:25
Mark Erickson (University of Brighton, UK)
11:25 - 11:30
11:30 - 11:45
Gemma Wattret (University of Liverpool, UK)
11:45 - 12:00
Andy Gilbert (University of Lincoln, UK)
12:00 - 12:05
Victoria Easton (University of Leeds, UK)
12:05 - 12:10
Arindam Mitra (Adamas University, India)
12:10 - 12:15
All
12:15 - 12:45
Genetics and genomics forum will consider offered papers on all aspects of the genes and genomes of microbes (prokaryotes and eukaryotes) and their mobile elements, including their sequencing, transcription, translation, regulation, chromosome dynamics, gene transfer, population genetics and evolution, taxonomy and systematics, comparative genomics, metagenomics, bioinformatics, and synthetic biology.
Gavin Paterson, Bruno Francesco Rodrigues de Oliveira, Hasan Yesilkaya, Kalai Mathee, Albert Bolhuis, Delma Childers, Fiona Henriquez
Bede Constantinides (University of Oxford, UK)
10:15 - 10:30
Avril Coghlan (Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK)
10:30 - 10:45
Kieran Bowran (Newcastle University, UK)
10:45 - 11:00
David Forrest (University of Birmingham, UK)
11:00 - 11:15
11:15 - 11:30
Wing Yui Ngan (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Germany)
11:30 - 11:45
Gemma Murray (University College London, UK)
11:45 - 12:00
Barney Geddes (North Dakota State University, USA)
12:00 - 12:15
Helena Cooper (Monash University, Australia)
12:15 - 12:30
Stephanie Lo (Wellcome Sanger Institute and University of Bath, UK)
12:30 - 12:45
170 years on from the Broad Street pump and a key moment in the development of Public Health, understanding the microbiology of our waterways is more important than ever. This session brings together invited and offered talks on: the surveillance of viruses, microorganisms and associated toxins in water; the significance of these ecosystems in global challenges such as antimicrobial resistance; and new approaches to protect public and environmental health.
Heather Allison, Martin Welch, Dany Beste
John McGrath (Queen’s University Belfast, UK)
10:15 - 10:45
Thomas Peacock (The Pirbright Institute and Imperial College London, UK)
10:45 - 11:15
11:15 - 11:35
William Perry (Cardiff University, UK)
11:35 - 11:45
Reshma Silvester (Bangor University, UK)
11:45 - 11:55
Zina Alfahl (University of Galway, Ireland)
11:55 - 12:05
Jiyoung Lee (Ohio State University, USA)
12:05 - 12:15
Jirachaya Toyting (Hokkaido University International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Japan)
12:15 - 12:25
Linda Lawton (Robert Gordon University, UK)
12:25 - 12:35
Jarmila Lausova (University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Czech Republic)
12:35 - 12:45
This forum will consider offered papers on all aspects of microbial (prokaryotic and eukaryotic) metabolism, physiology and molecular biology. This will focus on fundamental and translational research in this area. This would include the metabolism and physiology of bacteria, archaea and eukaryotic microbes, including pathogens; biochemistry and structure of cells, cell growth and division; cell architecture and differentiation; synthesis and transport of macromolecules; ions and small molecules; development signalling and communication, sensing and cellular responses cell cycle and also how this work informs microbial engineering, antimicrobial drug development, and other potential applications. All speakers will be selected from the submitted abstracts.
Chris Cooper, Stephan Heeb, Andrew Lovering, Ross Waller, Campbell Gourlay, Calvin Tiengwe, Steve Atkinson
Imran Khan (University of York, UK)
10:15 - 10:30
Angela Sun (University of Oxford, UK)
10:30 - 10:45
Rahan Nazeer (University of Cambridge, UK)
10:45 - 11:00
Sophie Darch (University of South Florida, USA)
11:00 - 11:15
Joanna Szczepaniak (University of Oxford, UK)
11:15 - 11:30
11:30 - 11:45
Kirill Sukhoverkov (John Innes Centre, UK)
11:45 - 12:00
Nicholas Bailey (Newcastle University, UK)
12:00 - 12:15
Andreas Lawaetz (University of Bath, UK)
12:15 - 12:30
Victory Nnaemeka (Imperial College London, UK)
12:30 - 12:45
Microorganisms encounter a wide range of stresses and environmental changes in diverse scenarios including infection, ecological and biotechnological scenarios. By definition, stress is a driver of diversity, evolution and phenotypic heterogeneity. This session aims to celebrate the responses induced by various stresses on diverse microbial taxa and the enabling technologies allowing their investigation including transcriptomics, metabolomics, biophysics and imaging. The organisers are particularly keen to hear about antibiotic, envelope, host-derived, metabolic, starvation, environmental, redox, temperature, solvent and DNA damage stress responses. Of particular interest is the ability of microbes to sense chemical stress, either via sensors at the cell surface or by cytoplasmic transcriptional regulators. Any examples of systems identified in stress response response research that have been exploited for new treatments or increased productivity are welcomed. This symposium will form a journal special collection in Microbiology.
Nick Tucker, Lorena Fernández-Martínez, Stephan Uphoff, Dany Beste
Rosalind Allen (Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Germany)
10:15 - 10:45
William Smith (University of Manchester, UK)
10:45 - 11:00
Lucy Lansch-Justen (University of Edinburgh, UK)
11:00 - 11:15
11:15 - 11:30
Charles Winterhalter (Newcastle University, UK)
11:30 - 11:45
Harry Low (mperial College London, UK)
11:45 - 12:00
Linda Grillova (Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK)
12:00 - 12:15
In this session we will explore the potential health consequences of viral infection during pregnancy for both mother and baby. When a virus infects a cell, cellular sensors can alert the infected cell and its neighbours to the presence of an invader. When properly regulated, these responses lead to viral clearance and continued host health. However, if these responses are dysregulated (possibly due to interference by the virus), the host may experience sickness caused by this aberrant response. A developing embryo is heavily guarded against the risk of infection by the physical barrier of the placenta, as well as patrolling maternal immune cells. Nevertheless, the mother is highly susceptible to infection, which means that she may have immune responses to viruses that are communicated to the foetus. Furthermore, under some circumstances, viruses may cross the placental barrier and infect the developing foetus. The genes that co-ordinate antiviral responses are extensively regulated during embryonic development. The consequences of their dysregulation to the foetus include various developmental defects, such as abnormal organ development, foetal readsorption, preterm labour and autism. We will learn about the consequences of maternal infection for a taxonomically diverse range of viruses that are known to have significant health implications if contracted congenitally, including herpesviruses, Zika virus and SARS-CoV-2.
Eleanor Gaunt, Richard Stanton, Harriet Groom
Tom Blanchard (Royal Liverpool University Hospital, UK)
10:15 - 10:45
Duncan Smith (Mahidol University, Thailand)
10:45 - 11:00
Nerea Irigoyen (University of Cambridge, UK)
11:00 - 11:30
11:30 - 11:45
Kai Wu (Moderna, USA)
11:45 - 12:15
Charlotte Houldcroft (University of Cambridge, UK)
12:15 - 12:30
Anusyah Rathakrishnan (The Pirbright Institute, UK)
12:30 - 12:45
Alessandra Ferrari ERC Grant Writing: How to apply for your next ERC grant (Lammermuir, Level -2)
13:00 - 13:45
First time at Conference tour (Strathblane Hall, Level 0)
13:00 - 13:45
Refreshments + Exhibition (Lennox Suite + Cromdale Hall, Level -2)
13:00 - 14:00
Lucy Thorne (Imperial College London and University College London, UK) Celebration of Virology
14:00 - 14:30
Ornella Carrion (University of East Anglia, UK) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
14:00 - 14:15
Craig Baker-Austin (Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, UK) Microbes as sentinels and solutions in a changing world
14:00 - 14:30
Robert Hirt (Newcastle University, UK) Microbiota-Immune System and Vaccine Interplay (British Society for Parasitology and Protistology UK)
14:00 - 14:05
Anna Kotowska (University of Nottingham, UK) Single Cell Omics
14:00 - 14:30
Martha Clokie (University of Leicester, UK) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
14:00 - 14:20
Smilla Huzell (Ebba Biotech, UK) Careers Session: Transitions: career paths outside of academia
14:05 - 14:20
Mehreen Datoo (University of Oxford, UK) Microbiota-Immune System and Vaccine Interplay (British Society for Parasitology and Protistology UK)
14:05 - 14:35
Debjyoti Ghosh (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Germany) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
14:15 - 14:30
Alex McVey (OG Bio, UK) Careers Session: Transitions: career paths outside of academia
14:20 - 14:35
Meaghan Castledine (University of Exeter, UK) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
14:20 - 14:35
Renata Fleith (Pirbright Institute, UK) Celebration of Virology
14:30 - 14:45
Michael Ormsby (University of Stirling, UK) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
14:30 - 14:45
Kaitlin Schaal (University of Liverpool, UK) Microbes as sentinels and solutions in a changing world
14:30 - 14:45
Rodrigo Ibarra-Chavez (University of Copenhagen, Denmark) Single Cell Omics
14:30 - 14:45
Alain Richard (University of Oxford, UK) Careers Session: Transitions: career paths outside of academia
14:35 - 14:50
Elena Boero (GVGH, Siena, Italy) Microbiota-Immune System and Vaccine Interplay (British Society for Parasitology and Protistology UK)
14:35 - 15:05
David Gally (University of Edinburgh, UK) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
14:35 - 14:50
Anna Albecka-Moreau (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology Cambridge, UK) Celebration of Virology
14:45 - 15:00
Elena S. Gusareva (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
14:45 - 15:00
Stephan Schuster (SCELSE, Singapore) Microbes as sentinels and solutions in a changing world
14:45 - 15:00
Claire Davison (University of Surrey, UK) Single Cell Omics
14:45 - 15:00
Careers Session: Transitions: career paths outside of academia
14:50 - 15:05
Anuj Tiwari (University of Exeter, UK) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
14:50 - 14:55
Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
14:55 - 15:15
Ultan Power, (Queen's University Belfast, UK) Celebration of Virology
15:00 - 15:30
Zongting Cai (University of Sheffield, UK) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
15:00 - 15:15
Microbes as sentinels and solutions in a changing world
15:00 - 15:15
Single Cell Omics
15:00 - 15:15
Joyce Bennett (MORF) Careers Session: Transitions: career paths outside of academia
15:05 - 15:20
Microbiota-Immune System and Vaccine Interplay (British Society for Parasitology and Protistology UK)
15:05 - 15:20
Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
15:15 - 15:30
Ashish Malik (University of Aberdeen, UK) Microbes as sentinels and solutions in a changing world
15:15 - 15:45
Ivan Clark (University of Edinburgh, UK) Single Cell Omics
15:15 - 15:45
David Negus (Nottingham Trent University, UK) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
15:15 - 15:30
Rebekah Penrice- Randal (University of Liverpool) Careers Session: Transitions: career paths outside of academia
15:20 - 15:35
James Alexander (Imperial College London, UK) Microbiota-Immune System and Vaccine Interplay (British Society for Parasitology and Protistology UK)
15:20 - 15:50
Celebration of Virology
15:30 - 15:45
Noam Shental (The Open University of Israel, Israel) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
15:30 - 15:45
Hazel Sisson (University of Otago, New Zealand) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
15:30 - 15:45
Oliver Severn (Singer Instruments) Careers Session: Transitions: career paths outside of academia
15:35 - 15:50
Marianne Perera (University of Cambridge, UK) Celebration of Virology
15:45 - 16:00
Eleftheria Trampari (Quadram Institute Bioscience, UK) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
15:45 - 16:00
Lisa Lamberte (University of Birmingham, UK) Microbes as sentinels and solutions in a changing world
15:45 - 16:00
Fengyi Wang (Newcastle University, UK) Single Cell Omics
15:45 - 15:50
Vincent De Maesschalck (KU Leuven, Belgium) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
15:45 - 16:00
Ashley Otter (UKHSA) Careers Session: Transitions: career paths outside of academia
15:50 - 16:05
Selvin Solis (University of Surrey, UK) Microbiota-Immune System and Vaccine Interplay (British Society for Parasitology and Protistology UK)
15:50 - 16:05
Single Cell Omics
15:50 - 16:30
Gill Elliott (University of Surrey, UK) Celebration of Virology
16:00 - 16:30
Miguel Angel Ruiz-Fresneda (University of Granada, Spain) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
16:00 - 16:05
Mary Ann Bruns (Penn State, USA) Microbes as sentinels and solutions in a changing world
16:00 - 16:30
Jessica Lewis (University of Warwick, UK) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
16:00 - 16:15
Shani Ali (University of Bath, UK) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
16:05 - 16:10
Laura Glendinning (The Roslin Institute - University of Edinburgh, UK) Microbiota-Immune System and Vaccine Interplay (British Society for Parasitology and Protistology UK)
16:05 - 16:20
Patricia Barkoci (UKHSA, UK) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
16:10 - 16:15
Ophélie Gervais (Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
16:15 - 16:20
Thomas Smith-Zaitlik (University of Edinburgh, UK) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
16:15 - 16:30
Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
16:20 - 16:30
Refreshments + Exhibition (Lennox Suite + Cromdale Hall, Level -2)
16:30 - 17:30
Careers Session speakers Careers Session: Speed Networking (Lammermuir, Level -2)
16:40 - 17:10
Society staff members International meet-up (Moffat, Level -2)
16:40 - 17:10
Welcome Address (Pentland Suite, Level 3)
17:30 - 17:45
Professor Maggie Smith, University of York Marjory Stephenson Prize 2024 Lecture: Bacteriophage-host interactions in Streptomyces (Pentland Suite, Level 3)
17:45 - 18:30
Drinks Reception (Lennox Suite, Level -2)
18:30 - 19:30
Registration (Strathblane Hall, Level 0)
07:45 - 08:45
Professor David Holden, Imperial College London Microbiology Society Prize Medal 2024 Lecture: From barcodes to the biology of Salmonella (Pentland Suite, Level 3)
08:45 - 09:30
Coffee Break (Lennox Suite + Cromdale Hall, Level -2)
09:30 - 10:15
Get Involved drop in (Moffat, Level -2)
09:40 - 10:10
Glyn Owen Governance Opportunities: Intro to Governance: Getting involved with Committees and Council (Lammermuir, Level -2)
09:40 - 10:10
Andrew Macdonald (University of Leeds, UK) Celebration of Virology
10:15 - 10:45
Chloe Pow (University of Stirling, UK) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
10:15 - 10:30
Petra Oyston (Dstl, UK) Microbes as sentinels and solutions in a changing world
10:15 - 10:45
Charlotte Holtum (Microbiology Society, UK) and Catrin Moore (St George's University of London, UK) Navigating the Future of Antimicrobial Resistance: Innovative Strategies in Diagnostics and Surveillance
10:15 - 10:20
Nuria Quiles Puchalt (CEU Cardenal Herrera, Spain) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
10:15 - 10:40
Russell Hughes (University of Leeds, UK) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
10:15 - 10:30
Yonatan Grad (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, USA) Understanding phenotypes in the omics era
10:15 - 10:45
Kalai Mathee (Florida International University, USA) Navigating the Future of Antimicrobial Resistance: Innovative Strategies in Diagnostics and Surveillance
10:20 - 10:30
Caroline J. Warren (Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
10:30 - 10:45
Kareem Mahdy (Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, UK) Navigating the Future of Antimicrobial Resistance: Innovative Strategies in Diagnostics and Surveillance
10:30 - 10:45
Sarah Buddle (University College London, UK) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
10:30 - 10:45
Marvin Whiteley (Emory University, USA) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
10:40 - 11:05
Benjamin Krishna (University of Cambridge, UK) Celebration of Virology
10:45 - 11:00
Sam Went (Durham University, UK) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
10:45 - 11:00
Lisa Cole (University of Aberdeen, UK) Microbes as sentinels and solutions in a changing world
10:45 - 11:00
Aurore C. Poirier (University of Surrey, UK) Navigating the Future of Antimicrobial Resistance: Innovative Strategies in Diagnostics and Surveillance
10:45 - 11:00
Abdulrazak Alsaleh (Liverpool John Moores University, UK) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
10:45 - 11:00
Tabea Elsener (University of Oxford, UK) Understanding phenotypes in the omics era
10:45 - 11:00
Celebration of Virology
11:00 - 11:15
Nengi Ogbanga (Northumbria University, UK) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
11:00 - 11:15
Laura Newsome (University of Exeter and Sellafield Ltd., UK) Microbes as sentinels and solutions in a changing world
11:00 - 11:30
Gabriel Trueba (Universidad san Francisco de Quito, Ecuador) Navigating the Future of Antimicrobial Resistance: Innovative Strategies in Diagnostics and Surveillance
11:00 - 11:15
Hannah Pye (Quadram Institute, UK) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
11:00 - 11:15
Andres Floto (Heart and Lung Research Institute, UK) Understanding phenotypes in the omics era
11:00 - 11:30
Marisa Oliveira (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
11:05 - 11:20
Clement Bouton (King's College London, UK) Celebration of Virology
11:15 - 11:30
Kathleen Dunbar (University of Surrey, UK) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
11:15 - 11:30
Alexander Sturm (Resistell AG, Switzerland) Navigating the Future of Antimicrobial Resistance: Innovative Strategies in Diagnostics and Surveillance
11:15 - 11:30
Rowena Jenkins (Swansea University, UK) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
11:15 - 11:20
Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
11:20 - 11:35
Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
11:20 - 11:30
Antonia Ho (University of Glasgow, UK) Celebration of Virology
11:30 - 12:00
Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
11:30 - 11:45
Microbes as sentinels and solutions in a changing world
11:30 - 11:45
Navigating the Future of Antimicrobial Resistance: Innovative Strategies in Diagnostics and Surveillance
11:30 - 11:45
Janine Bowring (University of Copenhagen, Denmark) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
11:30 - 11:45
Understanding phenotypes in the omics era
11:30 - 11:45
Keith Matthews (University of Edinburgh, UK) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
11:35 - 12:00
Andrew Matthews (University of Exeter, UK) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
11:45 - 12:00
Nigel Scrutton (C3 Biotechnologies Ltd, UK) Microbes as sentinels and solutions in a changing world
11:45 - 12:15
Natália C. Gaeta (University of Sao Paulo, Brazil) Navigating the Future of Antimicrobial Resistance: Innovative Strategies in Diagnostics and Surveillance
11:45 - 12:00
Esther Lehmann (University of Copenhagen, Denmark) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
11:45 - 12:00
Ruth Massey (University College Cork, Ireland) Understanding phenotypes in the omics era
11:45 - 12:15
Daniel Weir (MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, UK) Celebration of Virology
12:00 - 12:15
Leonardo Rios (University College London, UK) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
12:00 - 12:15
Alexander Kingdon (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK) Navigating the Future of Antimicrobial Resistance: Innovative Strategies in Diagnostics and Surveillance
12:00 - 12:15
Maria Aburto (University College Cork, Ireland) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
12:00 - 12:25
Alison Low (University of Edinburgh, UK) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
12:00 - 12:15
Ervin Fodor (University of Oxford, UK) Celebration of Virology
12:15 - 12:45
Zeyu Jia (GFZ German Research Centre for Geoscience and University of Postdam, Germany) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
12:15 - 12:20
Jeremy Jentys (Cambridge Glycoscience Ltd / Supplant Inc, UK) Microbes as sentinels and solutions in a changing world
12:15 - 12:45
Rose Collis (Hopkirk Research Institute, New Zealand) Navigating the Future of Antimicrobial Resistance: Innovative Strategies in Diagnostics and Surveillance
12:15 - 12:30
Libby Duignan (University of Liverpool, UK) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
12:15 - 12:30
Amy Pickering (Roslin Institute, UK) Understanding phenotypes in the omics era
12:15 - 12:30
Floriane Turrel (University of Rennes, France) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
12:20 - 12:25
Iva Sukkar (University of Veterinary Sciences Brno and Charles University, Czech Republic Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
12:25 - 12:30
Maite Sainz Mejias (University College Dublin, Ireland) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
12:25 - 12:30
Charlotte Bilsby (University of Kent, UK) Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
12:30 - 12:35
Sudarshan Vishvani (International Institute of Health Sciences, Sri Lanka) Navigating the Future of Antimicrobial Resistance: Innovative Strategies in Diagnostics and Surveillance
12:30 - 12:45
Ritika Siddiqui (University of Dundee, UK) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
12:30 - 12:35
Maria Daniela Silva (University of Minho, Portugal) Therapeutics: the use of bacteriophage, viruses, and viral components
12:30 - 12:45
Lucy Dillon (Queen's University Belfast, UK) Understanding phenotypes in the omics era
12:30 - 12:45
Environmental & Applied Microbiology Forum
12:35 - 12:45
Shekina Gonzalez-Ferrer (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
12:35 - 12:40
Morgan Engelhart (Case Western Reserve University, USA) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
12:40 - 12:45
Get Involved drop in (Moffat, Level -2)
13:00 - 13:45
Cultivating diversity: practical ways to make microbiology more inclusive
13:00 - 13:05
Leighann Sherry (University of Glasgow, UK) Cultivating diversity: practical ways to make microbiology more inclusive
13:05 - 13:13
Emmanuel Adukwu (University of the West of England, UK) Cultivating diversity: practical ways to make microbiology more inclusive
13:13 - 13:21
Elizabeth Wynn (Babraham Institute, UK) Cultivating diversity: practical ways to make microbiology more inclusive
13:21 - 13:29
Cultivating diversity: practical ways to make microbiology more inclusive
13:29 - 13:45
Poster Block A (Lennox Suite + Cromdale Hall)
13:45 - 14:45
Barry Murphy (Unilever, UK) Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease
14:45 - 15:15
Eva Bernadett Benyei (University of Cambridge, UK) Infection Forum
14:45 - 15:00
Katia Koelle (Emory University, USA) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
14:45 - 15:10
Susanne Häußler (Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Germany) Understanding phenotypes in the omics era
14:45 - 15:15
Emma Davies (MRC-University of Glasgow CVR, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
14:45 - 14:57
Mirjam Schilling (Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
14:45 - 14:57
Martin Potts (University of Cambridge, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
14:45 - 14:57
Joe Grove (MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
14:45 - 14:57
Moisés Hasim Rojas Rechy (University of Leeds, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
14:57 - 15:09
Matthew Bagley (Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
14:57 - 15:09
Emily Briggs (The Pirbright Institute and University of Surrey, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
14:57 - 15:09
Hou Wei Chook (University of Edinburgh, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
14:57 - 15:09
Ijeoma Okoliegbe (NHS Grampian, UK) Infection Forum
15:00 - 15:15
David Hughes (University of St Andrew's, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
15:09 - 15:21
Lerato Magosi (Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
15:09 - 15:21
Ailish McCafferty (University of Leeds, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
15:09 - 15:21
Shu Zhou (University of Edinburgh, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
15:09 - 15:21
Andrea Puhar (Umeå University, Sweden) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
15:10 - 15:25
Lindsay Kalan (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA) Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease
15:15 - 15:45
James Shepherd (University of Glasgow-MRC Centre for Virus Research, UK) Infection Forum
15:15 - 15:30
Vicky Bennett (University of Bath, UK) Understanding phenotypes in the omics era
15:15 - 15:30
David Noyvert (University of Cambridge, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
15:21 - 15:33
Hannah Klim (Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics and Pandemic Sciences Institute, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
15:21 - 15:33
Parul Sharma (University of Liverpool, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
15:21 - 15:33
Christian Diwo (Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
15:21 - 15:33
Shruthi Magesh (University of Wisconsin-Madison and Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, USA) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
15:25 - 15:40
Neil Cunningham (United Kingdom Health Security Agency and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, UK) Infection Forum
15:30 - 15:45
David Williams (University of Dundee, UK) Understanding phenotypes in the omics era
15:30 - 15:45
Natasha Palmalux (MRC-University of Glasgow CVR, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
15:33 - 15:45
Stephen Graham (University of Cambridge, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
15:33 - 15:45
William Harvey (University of Edinburgh, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
15:33 - 15:45
Jake Mills (University of Leeds, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
15:33 - 15:45
Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
15:40 - 16:10
Reyme Herman (University of York, UK) Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease
15:45 - 16:00
Infection Forum
15:45 - 16:00
Aleksei Agapov (University of Exeter, UK) Understanding phenotypes in the omics era
15:45 - 16:00
Patrick Phillips (The Pirbright Institute, Diamond Light Source and University of Oxford, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
15:45 - 15:57
Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
15:45 - 16:15
Christiane Wobus (University of Michigan, USA) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
15:45 - 15:57
Juan Oswaldo Concha Casaverde (University of Cambridge, UK and University of Sao Paulo, Brazil) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
15:45 - 15:57
Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
15:57 - 16:15
Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
15:57 - 16:15
Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
15:57 - 16:15
Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease
16:00 - 16:15
Seána Duggan (University of Exeter, UK) Infection Forum
16:00 - 16:15
Understanding phenotypes in the omics era
16:00 - 16:15
Pablo Murcia (MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, UK) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
16:10 - 16:35
Aline Metris (Unilever SEAC, UK) Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease
16:15 - 16:30
Joshua Elsey (University of Bristol, UK) Infection Forum
16:15 - 16:30
Ian Henderson (University of Queensland, Australia) Understanding phenotypes in the omics era
16:15 - 16:45
Piotr Kwiatkowski (King's College London, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
16:15 - 16:27
Rodrigo Gonzalez Gomez (The Pirbright Institute and University of Oxford, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
16:15 - 16:27
Sarah Keep (The Pirbright Institute, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
16:15 - 16:27
Colin Crump (University of Cambridge, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
16:15 - 16:27
Eilidh Rivers (MRC-University of Glasgow CVR, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
16:27 - 16:39
Abdelaziz Yassin (The Pirbright Institute and University of Surrey, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
16:27 - 16:39
Lauren Kerr-Jones ( Cardiff University, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
16:27 - 16:39
Alexander Hargreaves (University College London, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
16:27 - 16:39
Emilie Hadjiev (University of Rouen Normandie, France) Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease
16:30 - 16:45
Neama Alnabati (University of Leicester, UK) Infection Forum
16:30 - 16:45
Sarah Coulthurst (University of Dundee, UK) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
16:35 - 17:00
Alisha Reid (King's College London, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
16:39 - 16:51
Anastasia Lankina (University College London, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
16:39 - 16:51
Mathilde Laureti (The Pirbright Institute, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
16:39 - 16:51
Stephen Devlin (University of Glasgow, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
16:39 - 16:51
Tobi Somerville (University of Liverpool, Liverpool and Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK) Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease
16:45 - 17:00
Alban Hay (Université de Poitiers, France) Infection Forum
16:45 - 17:00
Emily Goodall (Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane, Australia) Understanding phenotypes in the omics era
16:45 - 17:00
Holly Kerr (The Roslin Institute, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
16:51 - 17:03
Daniel Yara (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
16:51 - 17:03
Shichun Gu (University of Bristol, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
16:51 - 17:03
Harriet Mears (The Francis Crick Institute, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
16:51 - 17:03
Danita Kasi Patel (University of Manchester, UK) Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease
17:00 - 17:15
Rachel Wheatley (University of Oxford and Queen's University Belfast, UK) Infection Forum
17:00 - 17:15
Taoran Fu (University of Manchester, UK) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
17:00 - 17:05
David Grainger (University of Birmingham, UK) Understanding phenotypes in the omics era
17:00 - 17:15
Hannah Burgess (University of Surrey, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
17:03 - 17:15
Tristan Russell (University College Dublin, Ireland) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
17:03 - 17:15
Federico De Angelis (University of Edinburgh, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
17:03 - 17:15
Frazer Buchanan (University of Leeds, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
17:03 - 17:15
Sophie Tronnet (Umeå University, Sweden) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
17:05 - 17:10
Erin Catton (Imperial College London, UK) Small Talk: Mechanisms of sensing and signalling at the host-microbe and microbe-microbe interface
17:10 - 17:15
Poster Block A, Refreshments + Exhibition (Lennox Suite + Cromdale Hall, Level -2)
17:15 - 18:15
Professor Catherine Rees, University of Nottingham, UK Translational Microbiology Prize 2024: The challenge of developing phage-based assay to detect Mycobacteria - lessons learned on a journey from cattle to humans (Pentland Suite, Level 3)
18:15 - 19:00
Registration (Strathblane Hall, Level 0)
07:45 - 08:45
Professor Daniel Streicker, University of Glasgow Fleming Prize 2024 Lecture: Stopping spillover: from understanding risk to control at the source (Pentland Suite, Level 3)
08:45 - 09:30
Linda Oyama (Queen's University Belfast, UK), Arindam Mitra (Adamas University, India), Omololu Fagunwa (Queen's University Belfast, UK) and Blanca Perez-Sepulveda (University of Liverpool, UK) Champions Showcase (Lammermuir, Level -2)
09:40 - 10:10
Get Involved drop in (Moffat, Level -2)
09:40 - 10:10
Elizabeth Grice (University of Pennsylvania, USA) Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease
10:15 - 10:45
Antonia Molloy (Aston University, UK) Infection Forum
10:15 - 10:30
Sophie Helaine (Harvard Medical School, USA) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
10:15 - 10:45
Laura Martin-Sancho (Imperial College London, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
10:15 - 10:27
David Bauer (The Francis Crick Institute, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
10:15 - 10:27
Christine Tait-Burkard (The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
10:15 - 10:27
Andrew Brodrick (University of Maryland, USA) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
10:15 - 10:27
Hannah Coutts (Queen's University of Belfast, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
10:27 - 10:39
Philie Hollinghurst (The Pirbright Institute, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
10:27 - 10:39
Harry Francis (The Pirbright Institute and University of Cambridge, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
10:27 - 10:39
Cyril Haller (University of Cambridge, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
10:27 - 10:39
Dmytro Prasolov (University of Kent, UK) Infection Forum
10:30 - 10:45
Lucy Ahern (The Crick Institute, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
10:39 - 10:51
Katie Hatton (The Pirbright Institute, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
10:39 - 10:51
Taissa Ricciardi-Jorge (The Pirbright Institute, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
10:39 - 10:51
Eva Durinova (Czech Academy of Sciences and University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
10:39 - 10:51
Marc Güell (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain) Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease
10:45 - 11:15
Aaron G. Canton (Queen's University Belfast, UK) Finding the needle in the haystack: microbial surveillance in complex samples
10:45 - 11:00
Leanne Sims (Quadram Institute Bioscience, UK) Infection Forum
10:45 - 11:00
Josh McQuail (Imperial College London, UK) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
10:45 - 11:00
Samuel Gavronski (University of Cambridge, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
10:51 - 11:03
Nigel Temperton (University of Kent, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
10:51 - 11:03
Claire Ham (MHRA, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
10:51 - 11:03
Lea Denker (University of Warwick, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
10:51 - 11:03
Sarah Gallichan (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK) Finding the needle in the haystack: microbial surveillance in complex samples
11:00 - 11:15
Infection Forum
11:00 - 11:30
Ainsley Beaton (John Innes Centre, UK) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
11:00 - 11:15
Natasha Preston (University of Surrey, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
11:03 - 11:15
Jordan Skittrall (University of Cambridge, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
11:03 - 11:15
Luke Jones (University of Oxford, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
11:03 - 11:15
Julia Acker (University of Cambridge, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
11:03 - 11:15
Michelle Rudden (University of Hull, UK) Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease
11:15 - 11:30
Finding the needle in the haystack: microbial surveillance in complex samples
11:15 - 11:30
Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
11:15 - 11:30
Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
11:15 - 11:33
Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
11:15 - 11:33
Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
11:15 - 11:33
Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
11:15 - 11:33
Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease
11:30 - 11:45
Robin May (Food Standards Agency and University of Birmingham, UK) Finding the needle in the haystack: microbial surveillance in complex samples
11:30 - 12:00
Dung Nguyen (University of Oxford, UK) Infection Forum
11:30 - 11:45
Kendra Rumbaugh (Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, USA) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
11:30 - 12:00
Ines Hofer (Queen Mary's University of London) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
11:33 - 11:45
Richard Randall (University of St Andrews, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
11:33 - 11:45
Leandro Neves (University of Liverpool, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
11:33 - 11:45
Alice Collins (Imperial College London, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
11:33 - 11:45
Rachel Clifton (University of Nottingham, UK) Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease
11:45 - 12:00
Ricardo Corona Torres (University of Edinburgh, UK) Infection Forum
11:45 - 12:00
Xinyue Wang (University of Cambridge, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
11:45 - 11:57
Abigail A. O'Malley (Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
11:45 - 11:57
Lidia Lasecka-Dykes (The Pirbright Institute, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
11:45 - 11:57
Abida Bano (Imperial College London, UK and University of the Punjab, Pakistan) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
11:45 - 11:57
Stefano Bonazza (Queen's University of Belfast, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
11:57 - 12:09
Christine Major-Styles (Imperial College London, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
11:57 - 12:09
Jack Mellors (University of Oxford, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
11:57 - 12:09
Stephen Nuthalapati (The Pirbright Institute, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
11:57 - 12:09
Amy Gillespie (University of Liverpool, UK) Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease
12:00 - 12:15
Leonardo de Oliveira Martins (Quadram Institute Bioscience, UK) Finding the needle in the haystack: microbial surveillance in complex samples
12:00 - 12:15
Antonia Hilbig (University of Glasgow, UK) Infection Forum
12:00 - 12:15
Lisa Juliane Kahl (Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany and University of Oxford, UK) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
12:00 - 12:15
Sophie Cutts (University of Surrey, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
12:09 - 12:21
Vera van Vliet (Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
12:09 - 12:21
Hui Min Lee (The Roslin Institute, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
12:09 - 12:21
Nuno Santos (The Francis Crick Institute, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
12:09 - 12:21
Joan Geoghegan (University of Birmingham, UK) Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease
12:15 - 12:30
Edward Cunningham-Oakes (University of Liverpool and NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Gastrointestinal Infections, UK) Finding the needle in the haystack: microbial surveillance in complex samples
12:15 - 12:30
Naoise McGarry (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland) Infection Forum
12:15 - 12:30
Benoit J Pons (University of Exeter, UK) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
12:15 - 12:30
Carl Winn (University of Bristol, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
12:21 - 12:33
Sole Lancerin (University of Edinburgh, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
12:21 - 12:33
Dylan Postmus (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
12:21 - 12:33
Colin Sharp (University of Edinburgh, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
12:21 - 12:33
Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease
12:30 - 12:45
Mohammad Saiful Islam Sajib (University of Glasgow, UK) Finding the needle in the haystack: microbial surveillance in complex samples
12:30 - 12:45
Joshua Newson (ETH Zurich, Switzerland) Infection Forum
12:30 - 12:45
Nicholas Tucker (University of Suffolk, UK) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
12:30 - 12:45
Gemma Swinscoe (University of Leeds, UK) Virus Workshop: Molecular basis of the host:pathogen interaction
12:33 - 12:45
Gemma Cooper (De Montfort University, UK) Virus Workshop: Translating knowledge - understanding and preventing disease
12:33 - 12:45
Francesca Appadoo (University of Leeds, UK) Virus Workshop: Viral interactions with the host organism and implications for pathogenesis
12:33 - 12:45
Jenna Schafers (University of Edinburgh, UK) Virus Workshop: Viruses: Molecular Machines to understand cellular processes
12:33 - 12:45
Meet the Members Panel (Moffat, Level -2)
13:00 - 13:45
Dalia Nikadon, Naomi Froude, Joe Kelly and Tom Sharp Publishing Fundamentals (Lammermuir, Level -2)
13:00 - 13:45
Poster Block B (Lennox Suite + Cromdale Hall)
13:45 - 14:45
Joan Geoghegan (University of Birmingham, UK) Biofilm Prevention and Control
14:45 - 15:05
Pam Birtill (University of Leeds, UK) Education and Outreach Symposium
14:45 - 15:15
Andrew Singer (UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, UK) Finding the needle in the haystack: microbial surveillance in complex samples
14:45 - 15:15
Jesse Shapiro (McGill University, Canada) Genetics & Genomics Forum
14:45 - 15:00
Rebecca Hall (University of Birmingham, UK) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
14:45 - 15:00
Digby Warner (University of Cape Town, South Africa) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
14:45 - 15:15
Kyle Walsh (Duke University, USA) The consequences of congenital virus infections
14:45 - 15:15
Mark John Girasol (University of the Philippines Manila, Philippines and University of Glasgow, UK) Genetics & Genomics Forum
15:00 - 15:15
Skylar Gay (University of Virginia, USA) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
15:00 - 15:15
Miguel Camara (National Biofilms Innovation Centre and University of Nottingham, UK) Biofilm Prevention and Control
15:05 - 15:25
Gayan Gunatilake (International Institute of Health Sciences, Colombo, Sri Lanka) Education and Outreach Symposium
15:15 - 15:30
Samuel Horsfield (EMBL-EBI and Imperial College London, UK) Finding the needle in the haystack: microbial surveillance in complex samples
15:15 - 15:30
Heather Felgate (Quadram Institute, UK) Genetics & Genomics Forum
15:15 - 15:30
Johannes Keegstra (ETH, Switzerland) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
15:15 - 15:30
Wendy Le Mouëllic (Université de Toulouse, France) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
15:15 - 15:30
Hannah Preston (Cardiff University, UK) The consequences of congenital virus infections
15:15 - 15:30
Lisa Crossman (University of East Anglia, UK) Biofilm Prevention and Control
15:25 - 15:35
Catherine Lawler (Bath Spa University, UK) Education and Outreach Symposium
15:30 - 15:35
Ingrida Olendraite (University of Cambridge, UK) Finding the needle in the haystack: microbial surveillance in complex samples
15:30 - 15:45
Shannon Quek (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK) Genetics & Genomics Forum
15:30 - 15:45
Ricardo Valencia Albornoz (University of Edinburgh, UK) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
15:30 - 15:45
John Helmann (Cornell University, USA) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
15:30 - 15:45
Alistair McGregor (Texas A&M University, USA) The consequences of congenital virus infections
15:30 - 15:45
Maria Solsona Gaya (Quadram Institute Bioscience and University of East Anglia, UK) Biofilm Prevention and Control
15:35 - 15:45
Leighann Sherry (University of Glasgow, UK) Education and Outreach Symposium
15:35 - 15:40
Rebbekah Menday (University of Sheffield, UK) Education and Outreach Symposium
15:40 - 15:45
Ed Deshmukh-Reeves (University of Kent, UK) Biofilm Prevention and Control
15:45 - 15:55
Education and Outreach Symposium
15:45 - 16:00
Finding the needle in the haystack: microbial surveillance in complex samples
15:45 - 16:00
Genetics & Genomics Forum
15:45 - 16:00
Haichun Gao (Zhejiang University, China) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
15:45 - 16:00
Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
15:45 - 16:00
The consequences of congenital virus infections
15:45 - 16:00
Biofilm Prevention and Control
15:55 - 16:05
Niall O'Leary (University College Cork, Ireland) Education and Outreach Symposium
16:00 - 16:15
David Cooke (The James Hutton Institute, UK) Finding the needle in the haystack: microbial surveillance in complex samples
16:00 - 16:30
Elizabeth Cummins (University of Oxford, UK) Genetics & Genomics Forum
16:00 - 16:15
Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
16:00 - 16:15
Stefano Pagliara University of Exeter, UK) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
16:00 - 16:30
Ruth Jarrett (MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, UK) The consequences of congenital virus infections
16:00 - 16:30
Jeremy Webb (University of Southampton, UK) Biofilm Prevention and Control
16:05 - 16:25
Zoe Robinson (Keele University, UK) Education and Outreach Symposium
16:15 - 16:45
Tom Williams (University of Bristol, UK) Genetics & Genomics Forum
16:15 - 16:30
Katherine Schaefer (University of Missouri, USA) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
16:15 - 16:30
Tom Coenye (Ghent University, Belgium) Biofilm Prevention and Control
16:25 - 16:45
Jack Whitehouse (University of Surrey, UK) Finding the needle in the haystack: microbial surveillance in complex samples
16:30 - 16:45
Emma Holden (Quadram Institute Bioscience, UK) Genetics & Genomics Forum
16:30 - 16:45
Pranay Agarwal (Maynooth University, Ireland) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
16:30 - 16:45
Sean Brennan (University of Leicester, UK) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
16:30 - 16:45
Hollie Jackson Ireland (MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, UK) The consequences of congenital virus infections
16:30 - 16:45
Ashraf Zarkan (University of Cambridge, UK) Biofilm Prevention and Control
16:45 - 16:55
Linda Percy (University of Westminster, UK) Education and Outreach Symposium
16:45 - 17:00
John-Paul Wilkins (Queen's University Belfast, UK) Finding the needle in the haystack: microbial surveillance in complex samples
16:45 - 17:00
Woojun Park (Korea University, Republic of Korea) Genetics & Genomics Forum
16:45 - 17:00
Suzanne Humphrey (University of Glasgow, UK) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
16:45 - 17:00
Kosuke Oana (Yakult Central Institute, Japan) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
16:45 - 17:00
Philip Goulder (University of Oxford, UK) The consequences of congenital virus infections
16:45 - 17:15
Dean Walsh (University of Warwick, UK) Biofilm Prevention and Control
16:55 - 17:05
Maria del Carmen Montero-Calasanz (Andalusian Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training (IFAPA), Spain) Education and Outreach Symposium
17:00 - 17:05
JJ Miranda (Columbia University, USA) Finding the needle in the haystack: microbial surveillance in complex samples
17:00 - 17:15
Andreas Haag (University of St Andrews, UK) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
17:00 - 17:15
Fiona Sargison (University of Oxford, UK) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
17:00 - 17:15
Nathan Burton (University of Warwick, UK) Biofilm Prevention and Control
17:05 - 17:15
Bridget Kelly (Dundalk Institute of Technology, Ireland) Education and Outreach Symposium
17:05 - 17:10
Lizzie Archer (University of Essex, UK) Education and Outreach Symposium
17:10 - 17:15
Poster Block B, Refreshments + Exhibition (Lennox Suite + Cromdale Hall, Level -2)
17:15 - 18:15
Dr Lucy Thorne, Imperial College London Peter Wildy Prize 2024 Lecture: Infectious Science Outbreak (Pentland Suite, Level 3)
18:15 - 19:00
Registration (Strathblane Hall, Level 0)
07:45 - 08:45
Claas Kirchhelle (University College Dublin, Ireland) Hot Topic: Faecal Flows – a very short history of microbiology, sewers, and Britain's rivers (ca. 1850-2023) (Pentland Suite, Level 3)
08:45 - 09:30
Leanne Taylor- Smith Education and Outreach Network (EON) Higher Education Fellowships (Lammermuir, Level -2)
09:40 - 10:10
Get Involved drop in (Moffat, Level -2)
09:40 - 10:10
Birthe Kjellerup (University of Maryland, USA) Biofilm Prevention and Control
10:15 - 10:40
Anderson Oaikhena (University of Ibadan, Nigeria) Education and Outreach Symposium
10:15 - 10:45
Bede Constantinides (University of Oxford, UK) Genetics & Genomics Forum
10:15 - 10:30
John McGrath (Queen’s University Belfast, UK) Microbes in our waterways: surveillance, significance and solutions
10:15 - 10:45
Imran Khan (University of York, UK) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
10:15 - 10:30
Rosalind Allen (Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Germany) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
10:15 - 10:45
Tom Blanchard (Royal Liverpool University Hospital, UK) The consequences of congenital virus infections
10:15 - 10:45
Avril Coghlan (Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK) Genetics & Genomics Forum
10:30 - 10:45
Angela Sun (University of Oxford, UK) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
10:30 - 10:45
Paul Williams (University of Nottingham, UK) Biofilm Prevention and Control
10:40 - 11:00
Moe Kyaw Thu (Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia, Malaysia) Education and Outreach Symposium
10:45 - 11:00
Kieran Bowran (Newcastle University, UK) Genetics & Genomics Forum
10:45 - 11:00
Thomas Peacock (The Pirbright Institute and Imperial College London, UK) Microbes in our waterways: surveillance, significance and solutions
10:45 - 11:15
Rahan Nazeer (University of Cambridge, UK) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
10:45 - 11:00
William Smith (University of Manchester, UK) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
10:45 - 11:00
Duncan Smith (Mahidol University, Thailand) The consequences of congenital virus infections
10:45 - 11:00
Maria Diaz (Quadram Institute, UEA, UK) Biofilm Prevention and Control
11:00 - 11:10
Emma Waters (Quadram Institute Bioscience, UK) Education and Outreach Symposium
11:00 - 11:15
David Forrest (University of Birmingham, UK) Genetics & Genomics Forum
11:00 - 11:15
Sophie Darch (University of South Florida, USA) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
11:00 - 11:15
Lucy Lansch-Justen (University of Edinburgh, UK) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
11:00 - 11:15
Nerea Irigoyen (University of Cambridge, UK) The consequences of congenital virus infections
11:00 - 11:30
Alison Jane Reid (Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, Ireland) Biofilm Prevention and Control
11:10 - 11:20
Leanne Timpson (Nottingham Trent University, UK) Education and Outreach Symposium
11:15 - 11:20
Genetics & Genomics Forum
11:15 - 11:30
Microbes in our waterways: surveillance, significance and solutions
11:15 - 11:35
Joanna Szczepaniak (University of Oxford, UK) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
11:15 - 11:30
Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
11:15 - 11:30
Lyuboslava Harkova (Brunel University London, United Kingdom) Biofilm Prevention and Control
11:20 - 11:30
Ali Floyd (University of Dundee, UK) Education and Outreach Symposium
11:20 - 11:25
Mark Erickson (University of Brighton, UK) Education and Outreach Symposium
11:25 - 11:30
Biofilm Prevention and Control
11:30 - 11:45
Education and Outreach Symposium
11:30 - 11:45
Wing Yui Ngan (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Germany) Genetics & Genomics Forum
11:30 - 11:45
Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
11:30 - 11:45
Charles Winterhalter (Newcastle University, UK) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
11:30 - 11:45
The consequences of congenital virus infections
11:30 - 11:45
William Perry (Cardiff University, UK) Microbes in our waterways: surveillance, significance and solutions
11:35 - 11:45
Rebecca Hall (University of Kent, UK) Biofilm Prevention and Control
11:45 - 12:05
Gemma Wattret (University of Liverpool, UK) Education and Outreach Symposium
11:45 - 12:00
Gemma Murray (University College London, UK) Genetics & Genomics Forum
11:45 - 12:00
Reshma Silvester (Bangor University, UK) Microbes in our waterways: surveillance, significance and solutions
11:45 - 11:55
Kirill Sukhoverkov (John Innes Centre, UK) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
11:45 - 12:00
Harry Low (mperial College London, UK) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
11:45 - 12:00
Kai Wu (Moderna, USA) The consequences of congenital virus infections
11:45 - 12:15
Zina Alfahl (University of Galway, Ireland) Microbes in our waterways: surveillance, significance and solutions
11:55 - 12:05
Andy Gilbert (University of Lincoln, UK) Education and Outreach Symposium
12:00 - 12:05
Barney Geddes (North Dakota State University, USA) Genetics & Genomics Forum
12:00 - 12:15
Nicholas Bailey (Newcastle University, UK) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
12:00 - 12:15
Linda Grillova (Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK) Prokaryotic Stress Responses – their diversity and regulation
12:00 - 12:15
Liam Rooney (University of Strathclyde, UK) Biofilm Prevention and Control
12:05 - 12:15
Victoria Easton (University of Leeds, UK) Education and Outreach Symposium
12:05 - 12:10
Jiyoung Lee (Ohio State University, USA) Microbes in our waterways: surveillance, significance and solutions
12:05 - 12:15
Arindam Mitra (Adamas University, India) Education and Outreach Symposium
12:10 - 12:15
Thomas Hall (Matoke Holdings Limited, United Kingdom) Biofilm Prevention and Control
12:15 - 12:25
All Education and Outreach Symposium
12:15 - 12:45
Helena Cooper (Monash University, Australia) Genetics & Genomics Forum
12:15 - 12:30
Jirachaya Toyting (Hokkaido University International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Japan) Microbes in our waterways: surveillance, significance and solutions
12:15 - 12:25
Andreas Lawaetz (University of Bath, UK) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
12:15 - 12:30
Charlotte Houldcroft (University of Cambridge, UK) The consequences of congenital virus infections
12:15 - 12:30
Rania Nassar (Dubai Health, UAE and Cardiff University, UK) Biofilm Prevention and Control
12:25 - 12:35
Linda Lawton (Robert Gordon University, UK) Microbes in our waterways: surveillance, significance and solutions
12:25 - 12:35
Stephanie Lo (Wellcome Sanger Institute and University of Bath, UK) Genetics & Genomics Forum
12:30 - 12:45
Victory Nnaemeka (Imperial College London, UK) Microbial physiology, metabolism and molecular biology forum
12:30 - 12:45
Anusyah Rathakrishnan (The Pirbright Institute, UK) The consequences of congenital virus infections
12:30 - 12:45
Isobel Garrat (University of Bath, UK) Biofilm Prevention and Control
12:35 - 12:45
Jarmila Lausova (University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Czech Republic) Microbes in our waterways: surveillance, significance and solutions
12:35 - 12:45
All our exhibition stands have now sold out.
If you have missed out on exhibiting at Conference, there are still a number of sponsorship opportunities available. We would like to invite companies and organisations who are interested to please download our sponsorship pack or contact exhibitions@microbiologysociety.org to discuss options.
Exhibition and Sponsorship Opportunities
We are delighted to invite you to participate in the Annual Conference 2024, where over the three days there will be opportunities to network with delegates across all career stages, oral and poster presenters, and authors publishing in our journals.
From making an impact with the Gold, Silver and Bronze packages, through to individual options from our pick and mix, we have a range of options to help you reach and strengthen your connections in this targeted community. Please download our exhibition and sponsorship pack for more details. If you have any questions about the packages available please email exhibitions@microbiologysociety.org.
Annual Conference 2024 Exhibition and Sponsorship Pack
Annual Conference 2024 talk abstracts book
Annual Conference 2024 Poster abstracts book
Abstract submission for the Microbiology Society Annual Conference is now closed. If you have submitted an abstract it will be reviewed by the session organisers and submitters will be notified of the outcome directly in mid-January 2024.
By submitting an abstract to this meeting, you are indicating to the session organisers your commitment to attend the event.
Abstracts are welcome for any of the following sessions:
Abstracts should be submitted through the Oxford Abstracts system. Both members and non-members of the Microbiology Society are welcome to submit an abstract. Once submissions are closed, these will be reviewed by session Chairs and scientific committee members and you will be informed of the outcome directly. By submitting an abstract to this conference, you are indicating to the session organisers your commitment to attend the event.
Please note that the abstract is the only information session organisers use when deciding whether to accept your work for presentation as an offered oral or poster. If accepted, it will be published in the online programme or poster abstract book for the conference – so think carefully about what needs to be included.
Due to overwhelming interest, registration for Annual Conference has officially closed as we've reached capacity.
We understand this may be disappointing news for those who haven't registered.
Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates and reminders for Annual Conference 2025.
Upon registration, you should receive an automated confirmation email. Please contact conferences@microbiologysociety.org if this has not been received within 24 hours.
If you need a letter of invitation for a visa application, we will be happy to supply this after we have received full payment. To find out if you need a visa to visit the UK, please visit the UK visa and immigration website.
It is the policy of the Microbiology Society not to supply an invitation letter to any delegate without payment and we will not reply to any request from an unregistered delegate. When the delegate has paid, the Conference office will email back a confirmation/receipt letter and, upon request, a letter of invitation, which may be used to obtain the necessary visa.
Please note that all conference delegates are responsible for their own travel and visa arrangements; the Microbiology Society will not take any responsibility for travel or visa problems.
All registration fees must be paid in full before arrival at the conference. Any outstanding registration fees must be paid before admittance will be granted to the conference.
Refunds are not provided; however substitutions of attendees can be made at any time before the event by contacting conferences@microbiologysociety.org.
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Time
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Session
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Speaker (where applicable)
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Monday 8 April 2024
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13:00- 13:45
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ERC Grant Writing: How to apply for your next ERC grant
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Alessandra Ferrari
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14:00- 16:30
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Careers Session: Transitions: career paths outside of academia
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Angharad Green
Ashley Otter
Smilla Huzell
Oliver Severn
Joyce Bennett
Rebekah Penrice- Randal
Alain Richard
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16:40-17:20
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Careers Session: Speed Networking
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Careers Session speakers
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Tuesday 09 April 2024
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9:40- 10:10
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Governance Opportunities: Intro to Governance: Getting involved with Committees and Council
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Glyn Owen
Éva Bernadett Bényei Guerrino Macori
Karen Robinson
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| 13:00- 13:45 | EDI Panel : Cultivating diversity: practical ways to make microbiology more inclusive |
Professor Emmanuel Adukwu
Dr Leighann Sherry Elizabeth Wynn
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14:45- 15:45
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Infection Science Award (ISA) 2023 Awardees
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Eva Bernadette Benyei
Ijeoma Okoliegbe
James Shepherd
Neil Cunningham
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16:00-17:15
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Infection Forum: Infection Science Award
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Infection Science Award Finalists
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Wednesday 10 April 2024
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9:40- 10:10
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Champions Showcase
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Arindam Mitra
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10:15- 12:45
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Infection Forum: Infection Science Award
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Infection Science Award Finalists
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13:00- 13:45
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Publishing Fundamentals
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Tamanna Khanom
Dalia Nikadon
Naomi Froude
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Thursday 11 April 2024
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9:40-10:10
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Education and Outreach Network (EON) Higher Education Fellowships
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Leanne Taylor- Smith
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Throughout conference
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Sir Howard Dalton Early Career Microbiologist of the Year Award
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Throughout conference
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Early Career Co-chairing Scheme
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The European Research Council's mission is to encourage the highest quality research in Europe through competitive funding and to support investigator-driven frontier research across all fields, based on scientific excellence.
The ERC is the premier European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. It funds creative researchers of any demographic, to run projects based across Europe.
The ERC offers four core grant schemes: Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants, Advanced Grants and Synergy Grants. With its additional Proof of Concept Grant scheme, the ERC helps grantees to explore the innovation potential of their ideas or research results.
During the grant writing session, useful information will be shared on how to best prepare your ERC grant applications, including tips, dos and don’ts . The session will be followed by Q&A time.
During the career session, delegates will benefit from the varying perspectives and career journeys of invited speakers who have transitioned from academia to industry, government agencies, membership societies and more—they will have the opportunity to further interact with them during the subsequent Speed Networking round.
A brief introduction to the Society's governance structure and how it works to benefit our members. Join the Governance Executive (Glyn Owen) along with some current members of Council and Committees to learn about what they do for the Society and how getting involved could benefit you.
The Infection Science Award is an exchange scheme that facilitates the most promising trainee and early career presenters from the Federation of Infection Societies (FIS) Annual Conference (Infectious Disease Futures session) to present at the Microbiology Society Annual Conference (Infection Forum) and vice versa. The Award aims to support the exchange of ideas between the two meetings and the career development of early career researchers and trainee scientists and doctors by exposing them to new audiences and networks.
The Champions’ Showcase will feature the Society’s Champions discussing their experiences taking part in the Scheme and how it has benefited both them and the Society, with a particular focus on the importance of international collaborations. The Scheme aims to raise awareness of the Microbiology Society and microbiology. Champions do this in their local area by initiating activities and events of their own or participating in Society-led activities.
This year’s conference will feature a first of its kind session on Publishing Fundamentals: a workshop in which our journals’ editors will take delegates through some of the basics of the publishing process and how to ensure that they produce journal-worthy papers.
The Education and Outreach Network emphasises aspects of learning or teaching microbiology as well as any aspect of engaging a wider audience with microbiology. The Network’s symposium this year will take particular interest in the topics of sustainability, artificial intelligence, the use of game-enhanced learning or antimicrobial resistance and welcomes colleagues in any setting e.g. clinicians, technicians, those in industry, etc.
The EC-Co-Chairing scheme offers selected EC Forum members an insightful professional development opportunity to learn about being a session chair from more experienced colleagues. Co-Chairs will receive a letter of thanks from the EC Forum Executive Committee confirming that they participated in the Co-Chairing Scheme and will be recognised in the conference programme.
The Sir Howard Dalton Early Career Microbiologist of the Year prize recognises and rewards excellence in science communication by a member in the early stages of their career. With the new set up, the Competition will be split between talks and posters. Talk presentations will be judged by division chairs while poster and flash talks will be judged by the Early Career Forum Executive Committee.
Accreditations This event has been approved by the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) for 18 CPD credits (excluding refreshment breaks), accredited by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) for 140 CPD credits and endorsed by the Institute of Biomedical Sciences.
The conference will take place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC):
150 Morrison Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 8EE
By car
If you are travelling using a sat nav, please use the postcode EH3 8EE. The main entrance is 150 Morrison Street.
By air
The Airlink 100 operates a frequent bus service (every 10 minutes at peak times) between Edinburgh Airport and the city centre, with designated stops en route. The service starts at 04:30 and runs until 00:22 at night, with the journey taking 20 minutes. Tickets cost £4.50 for a single and £7.50 for a return. Delegates are advised to disembark at Haymarket Railway Station and to follow signs for EICC on foot (a 5-minute walk).
The N22 bus also departs from outside the Airport entrance and runs every half an hour through the night until the Airlink service starts again. For more information about these services visit www.flybybus.com.
By Tram
Edinburgh Trams run between the Airport and York Place every 8-10 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 12-15 minutes on Sundays. The closest tram stop to the EICC is at Haymarket Station. Please visit the Edinburgh Trams website for more details.
By rail
Edinburgh has two railway stations:
Waverley Station, which is 1.3 miles from EICC, is the city's main railway station and has direct routes to many cities across the country, including over 25 daily departures from London.
Haymarket Station, which is just 0.4 miles from EICC, is a stop for many commuters and some UK train routes. Please ensure that you check with your rail network provider to find out if your train will stop at Haymarket or Waverley.
By bus
Edinburgh's main bus terminal is located at St Andrew's Square. Visit Lothian Buses for more information on local bus services.
Coach
For information about travel by coach please visit the National Express website.
There are many car parks within close walking distance of the EICC. Please see the EICC website for more details.
To support you in securing your accommodation we provide links to our booking and accommodation services via First Choice.
First Choice have secured negotiated rates at hotels to suit a broad range of budgets.
If you require any further information for personal or group hotel bookings, please email accommodation@firstchoice-ce.co.uk at any time.
The Society is again teaming up with Nipperbout to provide a free crèche at the Annual Conference 2024. The crèche will be available to all children of delegates between the ages of 0 and 12 years.
All registered delegates will be offered the opportunity to make use of these free childcare services, which will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Parents: how to register for a creche place
In order to register, visit the Nipperbout portal.
Existing account holders who have already used the system can log into their existing account and register for the event using the event code: MSA080423 under Events and Sessions.
Members who have not used the system before can create an account by clicking register, completing the form and entering the event code: MSA080423. You will then be able to request a place for your child in the creche and create your password.
Booking is on a first-come, first-served basis. Confirmation of your booking will be sent prior to the conference.
Please note that you are entering into an agreement with Nipperbout and not the Microbiology Society.
Nipperbout is an award-winning event childcare company with over 25 years of experience. For more information, please visit the Nipperbout website. If you have any queries about this service, please contact: registration@nipperbout.com.
For further information, please contact: conferences@microbiologysociety.org.
The Microbiology Society Annual Conference is a key feature in the calendar of a microbiologist – from undergraduates to those more established in their career.
The scientific event is designed to provide ample opportunities for formal networking and the social programme offers informal opportunities for delegates to make new friends, forge future collaborations and have fun.
The Early Career (EC) Forum Executive Committee will be hosting an evening of interactive games and networking on Monday 8 April 2024. With complimentary buffet supported by the Microbiology Society. Whether it's your first time at Conference and you'd like to meet new people and brush up on your networking skills, or you'd just like to come and enjoy an evening of fun and socialising, be sure to join this event.
Join the waiting list
Members of the Society, led by the Members Panel, invite you to join the first ever Disabled and Neurodivergent Members social at Annual Conference. All members of the Society, at any career stage, who identify as disabled and/or neurodivergent (e.g. autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, dyspraxic and more) are welcome, irrespective of whether they have a formal diagnosis, are awaiting diagnosis or self-identify. Light refreshments will be provided by the venue’s vegan cafe with generous support from the Microbiology Society.
Secure your tickets
After two years of successful and highly-praised LGBTQ+ networking events, Society Champions and Members Panel members have come together to organise a third instalment at Annual Conference 2024 in Edinburgh, UK. This year there will also be a Trans and Nonbinary pre-meet before the main event, which can be booked in addition, via the same booking link.
Join our members for an evening of fun, networking and celebration over soft drinks and vegan nibbles, from 20:00–21:30 on Tuesday 9 April 2024. The pre-meet for our Trans and Nonbinary members will run beforehand, 19:30–20:00.
Join the waiting list
Calling all dancers, music lovers, and anyone looking for a rip-roaring good time! Get ready to stomp your boots and swing your partners at our upcoming Ceilidh! It's a chance to let loose, make new friends, and experience the rich culture of Scotland.
Guests will enjoy a welcome drink, followed by traditional ceilidh dancing with our live ceilidh band and caller.
Secure your tickets
It's quiz time! Ready to unleash your inner quiz champion? Gather your troops, book your tickets, and prepare to flex your intellectual muscles!
The quiz will be held in the Orchardfield Suite at the Doubletree by Hilton Edinburgh City Centre and your ticket includes a welcome drink.
Secure your tickets
Join the Society's Education and Outreach Network for an evening of fun and games! We will be hosted by the Games Hub Edinburgh, which is just a 10-minute walk from the conference centre. This venue is wheelchair-accessible via the ground floor entrance. The event starts at 19:00 but please feel free to arrive later and drop in and out throughout the event. Reasonably priced food and drink are available to purchase at the venue if you wish (toasties, paninis, burgers, hot and cold drinks etc). We would encourage those attending to bring any microbiology-themed games with you!
Join the waiting list