Preparation is now well underway for our Early Career Microbiologists’ (ECM) Forum Summer Conference (#ECMConf22), which will see the Society return to its in person annual meeting format following a two-year hiatus due to the global health crisis.
The conference is dedicated to showcasing early career research, career development and networking. It will provide undergraduate, masters and PhD students with a peer-led conference experience designed to offer an introductory experience to scientific conferences and professional development opportunities.
Microbiology Society is taking seriously its actions in doing its best to mitigate against COVID-19 at our in-person events.
Council members and members of the Virus Division, including Paul Kellam (Council Member), Gill Elliott (Chair of Scientific Conferences Panel), Stephen Griffin (Chair of Virus Division), Jo Parish (incoming Chair of Virus Division) and Elly Gaunt (Virus Division Member), have worked with Society staff to develop a framework of mitigations for the Society to apply to its events throughout 2022, in order to ensure as COVID-secure an event as possible.
Implementation of this framework is a shared responsibility; shared between the Society, the venues we use for our events, and all potential delegates. It will be incumbent on all of us to deliver these mitigations in order for us to keep our delegates, members, and staff as safe as we can.
The framework covers the following five areas.
The following mitigations will be implemented for all those attending the ECM Forum Summer Conference 2022. The Society staff will continue to consult with the organising committee in the lead up to the event and these mitigations will be kept under review and may be amended to ensure they remain appropriate as circumstances change.
| Mitigation area | |
| Vaccines |
All attendees are required to be fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine against COVID-19 to attend the ECM Forum Summer Conference 2022. For many individuals, this will mean a primary course and booster vaccine, and with the booster administered at least 14 days before the meeting. However, if you do not meet this requirement or if you have any concerns around your vaccination status, please get in touch with us to discuss it further by emailing [email protected]. You can find further information on vaccines on the World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 vaccine advice page, which includes a list of vaccines that have been approved for use against COVID-19. |
| Ventilation | Best efforts will be made to promote the circulation of fresh air into the venue. This will include use of air conditioning, if available at the meeting venue, or opening of doors and windows during appropriate intervals in the event programme if possible. |
| Masks | FFP3 masks will be provided to all individuals attending the ECM Forum Summer Conference 2022 and everyone will be expected to wear them inside the meeting venue, except when eating or drinking and except for those that have medical exemptions. |
| Testing | Attendees will be provided with LFT devices and are expected to test themselves daily before entering the meeting venue. |
| Spacing | All attendees are reminded to adhere to social distancing where possible, particularly during communal activities such as lunch and poster sessions. |
ECM Forum Summer Conference 2022 poster abstract book
Abstract submissions for this meeting are now closed. We are unable to accept late submissions. For any questions about your abstract submission, please contact [email protected].
Those who are presenting a poster must ensure the work is presented as below. We cannot accommodate incorrectly formatted posters during the conference.
Access Microbiology is pleased to provide the ‘Best Science Prize’ to a scientific poster at the Early Career Microbiologists' Forum Summer Conference 2022. The winners, selected by members of the organising committee, will win a cash prize and be featured on the Microbe Post. All posters displayed at the ECM Forum Summer Conference are automatically entered for the prize.
Registration for the ECM Forum Summer Conference 2022 is now closed.
Registered delegates will be provided with a delegate bag and name badge at the event's registration desk, which will be open from from 11:00–11:30 on 12 July. Your delegate badge must always be worn during the conference for security purposes.
Members of the ECM Forum are eligible for subsidised registration fees for the ECM Forum Summer Conference. Join now to enjoy these discounts and many other opportunities that are designed for microbiologists at all stages of their career.
| Early bird rate (Available until 19 June) |
Full price rate | |
| ECM Forum member | £50 | £60 |
| Microbiology Society member | £60 | £70 |
| Non-member | £75 | £85 |
Upon registration, you should receive an automated confirmation email. Please contact [email protected] if this has not been received within 24 hours.
We are aware of ongoing uncertainty around event attendance as the pandemic continues. In order to give delegates the most confidence and flexibility, we will refund all registration fees in full if you cancel your booking, for whatever reason, at any time in the lead up to the event. If you wish to cancel your booking and request a refund before the event, please email [email protected].
The meeting will take place at The Diamond, University of Sheffield:
The Diamond
Faculty of Engineering
University of Sheffield
32 Leavygreave Road
Broomhall
Sheffield
S3 7RD
The event will take place in Lecture Theatre 5 and a floorplan of the building can be found here.
There is a level access route at the main building entrance and lifts access to all floors in the building. Wheelchair spaces and hearing loops also are available in the lecture theatre that will be in used for the meeting.
The event will be providing a nursing room and prayer room to help support the attendance of our diverse microbiological community.
Please email [email protected] or ask a venue host on-site for further information.
Sheffield is well connected by road and rail transport and is accessible by air travel from within the UK and overseas destinations.
The Diamond is located within a five minute walk of the city centre.
Rail: Sheffield is served by regular train services from both the North and South of the UK. For those flying into or travelling from London, Direct EMR train services operate regularly between London St Pancras International and Sheffield Railway Station.
Bus: Bus travel to and from Sheffield University is reliable, affordable and sustainable. With regular services between campuses and routes covering the majority of the city, it's easy to get about. Find out about routes, prices and tickets here.
Air: The closest airport to Harrogate is Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA).
Some suggested hotels in the nearby area include:
Jurys Inn Sheffield City Centre
14 minute walk to The Diamond
10 minute walk to Sheffield Railway Station
Contact details:
Tel: +44 (0) 870 4100 800
Further details on their website.
ibis budget Sheffield Centre St Mary’s Gate
13 minute walk to The Diamond
15 minute walk to Sheffield Railway Station
Contact details:
Tel: +44 114 350 4050
Further details on their website.
Applications for the Society Conference Grant and Travel Grant to support members attending the ECM Forum Summer Conference 2022 are now closed. Please contact [email protected] for any questions.
Led by Hebba Beech (Journal Development Editor, Microbiology Society) and Dr Claire Turner (University of Sheffield, UK), this session will give delegates the opportunity to learn more about to peer review: why it is important; how reviewers are selected; and how to complete a reviewer report. As part of the session, delegates will also take part in a collaborative peer review workshop, using the new Access Microbiology open research platform.
The ECM Forum Summer Conference 2022 has been accredited by the Royal Society of Biology (33 points). Those wishing to claim CPD credits and certificates of attendance should contact [email protected] after the event.
We are delighted to announce the following speakers have been confirmed to speak at the Early Career Microbiologists’ Forum Summer Conference 2022:
Alison Holmes OBE FMedSci is Professor of Infectious Diseases and Director of the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and AMR, UK and the Centre for Antimicrobial Optimisation (CAMO), at Imperial College London, UK. She is the David Price-Evans Chair of Infectious Diseases and Global Health at the University of Liverpool, UK. She is also the current President of the International Society for Infectious Diseases. Alison is an NIHR Senior Investigator and has a longstanding career in the NHS. She serves on WHO Expert groups related to antimicrobial use, AMR, infection prevention, sepsis, and COVID-19. She leads a large international, multidisciplinary infectious disease research programme, including collaborative programmes funded by NIHR, ESRC, UKRI and Wellcome Trust on the improved management and prevention of infections, particularly focusing on the optimising of antimicrobial use and addressing antimicrobial resistance through the integration of social sciences, the application of innovative approaches and technologies and the development of precision medicine.
Talk title - The importance and opportunities of multidisciplinary research focusing in optimising antimicrobial use
Job title – Associate Professor of Antimicrobial Resistance
Place of work – Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, UK
Research interests – Mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, efflux
Talk title – The Ins and Outs of Intracellular Drug Accumulation in Gram Negative Bacteria
Theme of talk – In this talk I’ll discuss the importance of influx and efflux to understanding how much antibiotic accumulates inside bacterial cells and how maximising this is crucial to effective treatment of bacterial infections.
Job title – Postdoctoral Research Associate
Place of work – MRC University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR), UK
Research interests – Animal virology, vaccine development, innate immunity, determinants of pathogenicity
Talk title – Drugs, SARS-CoV-2 and resistance
Theme of talk – Whistle stop tour of the research investigating the generation of remdesivir resistance in SARS-CoV-2 in vitro, the other data that arose from it and the impact of the work on the wider community.
Job title – Centre Director
Place of work – APC Microbiome Ireland, UCC, Ireland
Research interests – Antimicrobials and anti-infectives, gut flora and gut health, bacteriophages and human, animal and gut pathogens
Talk title – Bacteriocins as antimicrobial tools to edit microbiomes for food and health applications
Theme of talk (virtual) – This talk will focus on a number of strategies we are focusing on at APC Microbiome Ireland to influence the microbiome towards improved health outcomes. These strategies came to the fore due to the increasing need to develop non-antibiotic (and non-chemical) approaches whereby microbiomes can be modified in a positive manner from a compositional perspective.
Additional speaker biographies will be added in due course.
The ECM Forum Summer Conference 2022 has been accredited by the Royal Society of Biology (33 points). Certificates of attendance can be requested by emailing [email protected] after the conference.
All disclosed dietary requirements made at the point of registration will be shared with the catering team in advance. However, please ensure you ask for advice if required and the catering team will do their best to accommodate your needs.
The Society may carry out filming and photography throughout the conference. The images and videos will be used to promote the conference and the activities of the Society. They may be used online, in Society publications, or for other PR and marketing purposes. Please do not photograph posters or record presentations unless prior consent has been given by the presenter.
While every effort has been made to ensure the programme is accurate, changes are unavoidable. We will ensure updates are provided throughout the conference.
A dedicated poster session will run on day one of the conference but can be viewed at any time during the meeting. Velcro and boards will be provided. A digital abstract book will be made available on the event page ahead of the meeting.
Microbiology Society is taking seriously its actions in doing its best to mitigate against COVID-19 at our in-person events. Find out more on our Overview section.
There is a level access route at the main building entrance and lifts access to all floors in the building. Wheelchair spaces and hearing loops also are available in the lecture theatre that will be in used for the meeting.
The event will be providing a nursing room and prayer room to help support the attendance of our diverse microbiological community. Please ask a venue host on-site for further information.