The meeting was postponed from February to May 2022, due to the COVID situation. Delegates that have previously registered for the meeting will not be required to register again for the rescheduled dates. For those that are unable to attend the meeting on the rescheduled dates and would like to request a cancellation or would like to transfer their place to another delegate please email conferences@microbiologysociety.
Microbes are the organisms primarily responsible for degrading, modifying and producing Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOCs), which are:
This meeting will address recent advances in the field of BVOC microbiology, e.g. their roles in global biogeochemical cycles, the discovery of new degradation pathways, the role of BVOCs in inter- and intra-species signalling, new techniques to explore the volatile metabolome and synthetic biology approaches to create novel BVOC biosynthetic pathways.
BVOCs to be discussed include terpenes, isoprene, methylated amines, dimethylsulfide, gaseous alkanes, alkenes, aromatics, halogenated methanes, acetaldehyde, acetone, propanol, methanol and related gases, such as carbon monoxide, which can react with VOCs to create ozone pollution. All of these volatiles have biogeochemical cycles, some of which are well known, while others are almost unexplored.
As part of the preparations for returning to delivering in-person events, Microbiology Society Council members and members of the Virus Division have worked with Society staff to develop a framework of mitigations for the Society to apply to all of its events throughout 2022, in order to ensure that these are as COVID-secure as possible.
Implementation of this framework is a shared responsibility; shared between the Society, the venues we use for our events, and all potential attendees. Attendance at any of our events is a personal choice, but it will be incumbent on all of us to deliver these mitigations in order for us to keep all delegates and staff as safe as we can.
The framework covers the following five areas.
The following mitigations will be implemented for all those attending a Focused Meeting in 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 a Focused Meeting in 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 each Focused Meeting 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 a Focused Meeting in 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.
Abstracts for the Poster Session on Wednesday 25 May
Abstract submissions for this meeting are now closed.
Note: Presenters accepted for oral presentations in the previous submission round retain their places and do not need to re-submit abstracts. Previously accepted poster presenters also retain their place but should make a new submission if they wish to be considered for an oral presentation.
Please prepare your presentation in widescreen (16:9) format for PowerPoint and bring the file to the meeting on USB memory stick or ensure the file is accessible via cloud storage.
A Windows PC will be available. If you wish to present from a Mac, please bring your own device and cable to connect to the projector.
All offered paper presentations are either 12 minutes or 15 minutes in length. Please check the online programme to find the time that your presentation will be taking place.
For those delivering 15 minute presentations, please prepare a 12 minute presentation and allow 3 minutes for questions.
If delivering a 12 minute presentation, please prepare a 10 minute presentation and allow 3 minutes for questions.
We have produced a guide on how to give an oral presentation, which can be downloaded below:
How to...give an oral presentation
Those delivering a flash poster presentation should prepare a 5 minute PowerPoint presentation and note the technical instructions provided for oral presenters.
Those who are presenting a poster must ensure the work is presented as below. Incorrectly formatted posters might not be displayed.
We have produced a guide on how to give a poster presentation, which can be downloaded below:
How to...give a poster presentation
Microbiology is pleased to provide the ‘Most Promising Science Prize’ to a scientific poster at the Microbial Cycling of Volatile Organic Compounds meeting. The winner selected by members of the organising committee will win a cash prize and be featured on the Microbe Post. All posters displayed at the meeting are automatically entered for the prize.
Registration is now open.
The deadline to register is 16 May 2022.
Members get heavily subsidised registration fees for Annual Conference, Focused Meetings and other Society events – both online and in-person. Join now to enjoy these discounts and many other opportunities that are designed for microbiologists at all stages of their career.
|
Non-member |
£290 |
|
Full member |
£190 |
|
Concessionary member |
£130 |
|
Student member |
£130 |
Delegates that have previously registered for the meeting will not be required to register again for the rescheduled dates. For those that are unable to attend the meeting on the rescheduled dates and would like to request a cancellation or would like to transfer their place to another delegate please email conferences@microbiologysociety.
As part of the preparations for returning to delivering in-person events, Microbiology Society Council members and members of the Virus Division have worked with Society staff to develop a framework of mitigations for the Society to apply to all of its events throughout 2022, in order to ensure that these are as COVID-secure as possible.
Implementation of this framework is a shared responsibility; shared between the Society, the venues we use for our events, and all potential attendees. Attendance at any of our events is a personal choice, but it will be incumbent on all of us to deliver these mitigations in order for us to keep all delegates and staff as safe as we can.
The framework covers the following five areas.
The following mitigations will be implemented for all those attending a Focused Meeting in 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 a Focused Meeting in 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 each Focused Meeting 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 a Focused Meeting in 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.
Upon registration, you should receive an automated confirmation email. Please contact [email protected] if after 24 hours this has not been received.
All registration fees must be paid in full before the start of the event. Any outstanding registration fees must be paid before any joining instructions containing information on how to access the event are sent out.
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]
Applications for the Society Conference Grant and Travel Grant to support members attending the Microbial Cycling of Volatile Organic Compounds 2022 Focused Meeting are now closed. Please contact [email protected] for any questions.
Sponsorship opportunities are available for this meeting.
Please download our exhibitor and sponsor pack to view our options, which suit varying budgets and help create the opportunities you need to connect with new and existing customers. If you have any questions about the packages please email [email protected].
Microbial Cycling of Volatile Organic Compounds 2022 Exhibitor and Sponsor Pack
|
|
|
|
|
|
This meeting will take place at the John Innes Centre (JIC) Conference Centre in Norwich.
JIC Conference Centre,
Norwich Research Park,
Colney Lane,
Norwich
NR4 7UH
In the Conference Centre there are:
Unfortunately, there is no lift or ramp to the Gallery area, only stairs. All other areas are accessible.
Please contact conferences@microbiologysociety for further information.
Please note that accommodation is not included in the registration fees for this meeting; however, below we have provided some details of accommodation close to the venue should you need to book a place to stay:
En-suite double, twin, family and accessible rooms available
Flexible rate of £55.00 single occupancy or £65.00 double occupancy (room only)
15 - 20 minute walk, 15 minute bus journey (number 511) or 5 minute drive to venue
Contact details:
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591918
Email: [email protected]
Further details on their website.
En-suite double, twin, family and accessible rooms available
Advance and flexible rates available with optional breakfast
15 minute bus journey (number 4) or 5 - 10 minute drive to venue
Contact details:
Tel: +44 (0)333 321 1366
Further details on their website.
En-suite double, twin, family and accessible rooms available
Saver and flexible rates available with optional breakfast
25 minute bus journey (ask hotel for options) or 5 - 10 minute drive to venue
Contact details:
Tel: +44 (0)871 984 6205
Further details on their website.
En-suite double, twin and family rooms available
Saver and flexible rates available with optional breakfast
20 minute bus journey (number 21) or 10 minute drive
Contact details:
Tel: +44 (0)160 374 1161
Email: [email protected]
Further details on their website.
En-suite single and double rooms available
Single occupancy rates available with breakfast included
20 minute bus journey (ask hotel for options) or 5 - 10 minute drive to venue
Contact details:
Tel: +44 (01)603 451932
Further details on their website.
Below you will find more information about our invited speakers, who will present their work and research at Microbial Cycling of Volatile Organic Compounds: Biogeochemistry to Biotechnology.
Associate Professor Chris Greening hosts a diverse team of microbiologists, biochemists, ecologists, and bioinformaticians working together to understand the causes and consequences of bacterial persistence. Following a first-class degree in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry at the University of Oxford (2010), Chris undertook a doctorate at the University of Otago (2013) investigating the physiological roles of the hydrogenases in mycobacteria. He then gained postdoctoral experience at the University of Otago, CSIRO, and Australian National University. In 2016, he was appointed as a group leader in Monash University’s School of Biological Sciences and completed an environmentally focused Australian Research Council Fellowship. In 2020, he moved to Monash’s Department of Microbiology to take up a medically focused NHMRC Fellowship. He has published over 85 research papers, half of which are in high-impact journals, and partnered extensively with large-scale intervention programs and diverse industrial organisations.
Lucy Carpenter, FRS is a Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of York. Her group studies the complex interactions between the oceans and the atmosphere, in particular the chemistry of reactive halogens, organic carbon, and reactive nitrogen. She helped establish and is Director of the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory. She has been lead chapter author of two WMO/UNEP Scientific Assessments of Ozone Depletion and now serves on the Scientific Steering Committee. She holds an ERC Advanced Grant to study air-sea interactions involving tropospheric ozone and has received a Philip Leverhulme Prize, the Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award and Wolfson Merit Award, and a Royal Society of Chemistry Tilden Prize.
Yin Chen is a Professor in microbiology at the University of Warwick, UK. He obtained a BSc/MSc in 2002/2005 from Tsinghua University, China, and a PhD in 2008 from the Department of Biological Sciences, Warwick. Current research in his group focuses on microbial diversity, genetics and biochemistry of microorganisms involved in the metabolism of methylamines, quaternary amines and lipids in the human body as well as a variety of terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
Twitter: @chen_group
Dr Paolina Garbeva is microbiologist by training with strong affinity for Microbial Chemical Ecology. She received her PhD degree from the Leiden University (Netherlands) in 2005. At present she is a senior scientist and research group leader at the department of Microbial Ecology at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW).
During the last ten years, she gained experience in the fields of plant-microbe interactions, chemical ecology, molecular microbiology, comparative genomics and metabolomics. The focus of her research group is to understand the fundamental mechanisms of microbe-microbe and plant-microbe communication and interactions with particular attention to the role of microbial volatiles.
Next to fundamental scientific aspects, her research programme also contributes to applied science through the discovery of novel bioactive compounds important for sustainable agriculture and crop production.
Dr Hernández is a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellow at the University of East Anglia (UEA), UK and a visiting professor at the Institute of Soil Science, CAS, China. She obtained her PhD in 2010 from the Universidad de La Frontera, Chile. After finishing her PhD, she received an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship to perform her postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Germany. In the UK, she has worked as a research associate at the University of Southampton and the UEA. Dr Hernández studies the process of soil formation by investigating the role of microbes in volcanic soils, specifically characterising CO-oxidising microbes. Her research focuses on soil bacteria involved in atmospheric trace gas metabolism in volcanic soils of varying ages and their importance for plant survival and growth. Dr. Hernández is a Senior Editor of the Journal of Applied Microbiology, and a trustee of the Society for Applied Microbiology.
Dr Kalyuzhnaya graduated with honours from the Dnepropetrovsk National University, Department of Microbiology, Ukraine, in 1994. She earned her PhD in Microbiology in 2000 from the Russian Academy of Sciences, Center for Microbiology and Biotechnology & the Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms (Pushchino). Since 2001 Dr Kalyuzhnaya has lived and worked in the United States. She is currently a faculty member in the Department of Biology and the Viral Information Institute at San Diego State University. She is also an Affiliate Associate Professor at the University of Washington.
Her research interests are focused on improving the knowledge of microbial cycling of single-carbon compounds in nature and bioengineering of novel systems for sustainable production of biofuels, chemicals, and biodegradable materials. Her unique expertise includes microbial genomics and physiology, systems biology, and metabolic engineering. She is an author of more than 100 scientific publications, book chapters, and numerous patents related to microbial single-carbon conversion.
Associated professor at the Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology Department at the University of Valladolid and senior researcher at the Institute of Sustainable Processes. Raquel Lebrero completed her PhD Thesis on biotechnologies for odour abatement in 2013. To date, she has published more than 90 research articles in international journals (h index 26) and co-authored 14 international book chapters. She has directed 4 PhD Thesis, with 12 Thesis under supervision. Dr Lebrero has been principal investigator of several national and international research projects (INCOVER or URBIOFIN) and has led numerous R&D contracts with national and international companies (Nestle, Naturgy, Plasfich Iberica, Tholander, etc.). Over the past 10 years, Raquel has presented 65 contributions in international conferences. Her research work is focused on the field of biological waste gas treatment and valorization (odours, volatile organic compounds and greenhouse gases), biogas and wastewater treatment and valorization through microalgae technology and indoor air treatment.
Dr Linnea Honeker received her BSc in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona, USA, in 2001. After graduation, she discovered her love for microbial ecology while working for an aquarium company in Los Angeles, CA where she studied ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. With this new-found love, she returned to graduate school to study the role of microbes in plant health and metal(loid) cycling during revegetation of toxic mine tailings and received her PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Arizona in 2017. She is currently working as a post-doc with Dr Laura Meredith where she studies the effect of drought on the soil microbial ecology of the tropical rainforest at Biosphere 2. She works on the integration of multi-omics datasets including metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metabolomics to help understand how drought impacts soil microbial activity and metabolic pathways, with a focus on microbial VOC cycling.
Colin Murrell researches the bacterial metabolism of methane and other one-carbon compounds and the microbiology of the climate-active gas isoprene. He has pioneered work on the physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics and ecology of methanotrophs, and the development of molecular ecology techniques such as functional gene probing and DNA Stable Isotope Probing, resulting in ~350 publications and six edited books. He has graduated around 60 PhD students. Murrell was President of ISME from 2016-2018 and currently serves on their Executive Advisory Board. He has chaired Gordon Research Conferences on C1 Metabolism and Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Elected Member of EMBO in 2014 and Member of the European Academy of Microbiology in 2015. He is an ERC Advanced Grant holder, member of the SAB of the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, and the Governing Council of the John Innes Centre.
Florin Musat is a research scientist in Microbiology and Anaerobic Processes at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Germany. He studied Biology and Genetics at the University of Bucharest, Romania, and conducted his doctoral research at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Marine Microbiology, Germany. He obtained his PhD in Microbiology in 2005 from the University of Bremen. He held researcher positions at the University of Bucharest, MPI, UFZ, and associate researcher at the Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. During his stay at the UFZ he discovered novel lineages of archaea that oxidize higher alkanes, which is currently his major research topic. The group is now investigating the physiology and biochemistry of such archaea, and the way they shuttle electrons to sulfate-reducing bacteria. Other research interests include iron corrosion by methanogens, oxidation of hydrocarbons by anaerobes, microbial physiology, interspecies interactions, and the ecophysiology of hydrocarbon-oxidizing microbes.
I am a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) at the University of Essex in Colchester. My research addresses fundamental questions on the role of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) in the physiology and ecology of aquatic organisms. Many of the BVOCs I study transfer into the atmosphere where they contribute to the biogeochemical cycling of important elements and affect atmospheric processing, particle formation and climate.
Twitter: @oxyrrhis
Professor J. Todd is an environmental microbiologist at the University of East Anglia, UK and Ocean University of China. His research group combines molecular genetics with environmental microbiology to investigate microbial biogeochemical cycling, with specific aims to elucidate the mechanisms used to synthesise and regulate the cycling of abundant biomolecules, including important climate active gases. For example, he is at the forefront of organosulfur cycling research and has made significant contributions in this field. Working with many inter/national collaborators, he identified a novel pathway and the mechanism by which diverse bacteria produce dimethyl sulfide (DMS) from methanethiol. His group also uncovered large biodiversity in marine dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) synthesis and lysis; characterised the pathways, the enzyme structures, their biochemical mechanisms; the global distribution of the genes, their environmental transcript levels and regulation; and uncovered overlooked hotspot environments for organosulfur cycling. His publications are influencing research on e.g. sulfur cycling and are providing key molecular tools for environmental applications.
Twitter: @ToddLabUEA
Stéphane Vuilleumier studied Natural Sciences at ETH Zürich (Switzerland) and obtained his PhD in chemistry at the University of Basel. After post-doctoral fellowships in Cambridge (UK) and at ETH Zürich, he became group leader at the Institute of Microbiology at ETH Zürich. He has been Professor of microbiology in Strasbourg (France) since 2002 and leads the team “Adaptations et interactions microbiennes dans l’environnement” of the CNRS research unit Génétique Moléculaire, Génomique, Microbiologie (UMR 7156 CNRS). He chaired the Gordon Research Conference “Molecular Basis of Microbial One Carbon Metabolism” in 2016 and coordinated the Upper Rhine Cluster for Sustainability Research for Strasbourg (2016-2018). He shares responsibility for the Master Chemistry, Biology and Drug Design at the University of Strasbourg, and participates in the animation of the EcotoxicoMic microbial ecotoxicology network, and of the Strasbourg Research Initiative in Sustainability and the Environment.