Conferences

Will you be there?

SGM Annual Conference 2014

14–17 April, Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool

The 2014 Annual Conference will feature four packed days of microbiological science aimed at scientists at all levels.

The event will start with a pre-conference networking workshop and supper for early-career delegates on Sunday 13 April to bring together early-career delegates before the start of the conference. Delegates who attend will get to know some friendly faces and can pick up tips and advice on making the most of networking opportunities in the coming days.

The full scientific programme will kick off on the Monday and includes a wide range of sessions from Metabolic engineering for biotech to Viruses in the respiratory tract, Evolution of microbial populations within the host and Mind-altering microbes. The full programme, including the list of confirmed speakers, is online.

GRANTS

Grants are available to eligible SGM members. View the SGM website for details.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

Abstracts are invited from all areas of microbiology for presentation at the conference as either offered papers or posters. Most sessions have space for offered orals, and all welcome poster abstracts. Poster presentation sessions will take place on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings during the conference.

Details on how to submit your abstract, via the online system, are available on the SGM website. Don’t forget, if you would like to be considered for the Sir Howard Dalton Young Microbiologist of the YearCompetition please indicate this when submitting your abstract.

CONFERENCE SESSIONS

• 10 Questions in virology
• Pseudomonas signalling, secretion and social interactions
• Cell cycle
• Metabolic engineering for biotech
• Sexually transmitted and reproductive infectious diseases in humans and animals
• Mind-altering microbes
• Viruses in the respiratory tract
• Evolution of microbial populations within the host
• RNA and riboswitches in bacterial regulation
• Professional microbiologist support

WORKSHOPS AND FORUMS

• Prokaryotic microbial infection forum
• Environmental microbiology forum
• Prokaryotic cell biology forum
• Prokaryotic genetics forum
• Virology workshop: DNA viruses
• Virology workshop: Positive-strand RNA
• Virology workshop: Negative-strand RNA
• Virology workshop: Clinical virology
• Virology workshop: Retroviruses
• Virology workshop: Respiratory viruses

The deadline for the submission of abstracts is Monday 20 January 2014.

New for the Annual Conference 2014 - Prokaryote biology forums

In response to delegate feedback, and to ensure broad areas of prokaryote biology are always represented at the Annual Conference, the Society is launching a recurring forum for early-stage researchers to present their findings at Liverpool. Four forums will be led by the Prokaryotic Division to provide opportunities for doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers to deliver short offered papers in a supportive context.

If successful, the four subject categories will feature in future meetings, and (depending on demand) further forums in areas that are not catered for will be added. Offered papers will be selected from the submitted abstracts by members of the Prokaryotic Division. Papers on tools and technologies, systems approaches or practical applications of knowledge will be welcome in any forum.

The scope statements below are not intended to be prescriptive or exclusive but rather serve as a guide.

PROKARYOTIC INFECTION FORUM

Offered papers will be welcome in any area related to infections caused by prokaryotes of human, veterinary or botanical significance, including epidemiology, diagnosis, typing, identification, pathogenesis, treatment, antimicrobial agents and resistance, prevention, virulence factors, host responses and immunity, transmission, and models of infection at the cell, tissue or whole organism level. Papers on interactions between non-pathogenic prokaryotes or indigenous microbiota and the host will also be welcome.

PROKARYOTIC GENETICS FORUM

Offered papers on all aspects of the genes and genomes of prokaryotes and their mobile elements will be considered, including their sequencing, transcription, translation, regulation, chromosome dynamics, gene transfer, population genetics and evolution, taxonomy and systematics, comparative genomics, metagenomics, bioinformatics and synthetic biology.

PROKARYOTIC CELL BIOLOGY FORUM

This forum will consider all fundamental aspects of the physiology, biochemistry and structure of prokaryotic cells, including metabolism, synthesis and transport of macromolecules, membrane transport of ions and small molecules, the cell cycle, cell architecture, differentiation, sensing and cellular responses, signalling and communication, bioenergetics and the structure, function and mode of action of microbial factors. Papers on the engineering and applications of microbes will also be welcome.

ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY FORUM

Offered papers will be welcome in any area of microbial ecology, symbiotic and non-pathogenic plant–microbe interactions, community structures and interactions, aquatic- and geo-microbiology, extremophiles, biodegradation, bioremediation, biodiversity and prokaryote evolution.

Do you have an idea for an SGM Conference or Focused Meeting, or need funding for your own microbiology meeting?

Following on from feedback received from SGM members, the Society are launching three exciting new ways for members to contribute to the Society’s Conference programme via the submission of proposals for: Annual Conference sessions, Focused Meetings and Society-Supported Conference Grants.

PROPOSE A SESSION FOR AN ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Members are invited to suggest a session for the Society’s Annual Conference in 2015, which will take place at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham.

PROPOSE A FOCUSED MEETING

Focused Meetings are stand-alone events that take place outside of the Society’s Annual Conference and concentrate on one specific area of microbiology.

Organisers for both Annual Conference sessions and Focused Meetings retain control of the scientific content with the support of the Society’s Scientific Conferences Committee. Organisers:

• are entitled to full secretariat support services
• can organise meetings or sessions that include between one and two full days of science
• can organise a meeting or session jointly with another organisation

The proposal forms and full details on how to apply are now available.

DEADLINES

Proposals and grants will be reviewed by the SGM Divisions and the Scientific Conferences Committee.

• Annual Conference session proposals 2015 16 December 2013
• Society-Supported Grants 2014 16 December 2013
• Focused Meeting proposals 2015 12 May 2014 (up to three will be decided)

LET’S TALK

If you are thinking of submitting proposals/applications for any of the above you are actively encouraged to discuss your proposal prior to submission with the relevant Division. Or alternatively, contact the conferences team at [email protected].

Society-Supported Conference Grants

Members can now also apply for a Society-supported Conference Grant to fund reasonable speaker expenses associated with a microbiological conference they are organising. Support is in the form of a grant of up to £2,000 but does not include secretariat support.

Application forms are available online.

Dates for the diary

Irish Division Spring Meeting 2014
Host–pathogen interactions; from animals to humans and back again
Thursday 20–Friday 21 March
University College Dublin, Ireland

SGM Annual Conference 2014
Monday 14–Thursday 17 April
Liverpool, UK

Irish Division Autumn Meeting 2014
Microbe–host dialogue
Thursday 21–Friday 22 August
Limerick, Ireland

SGM Annual Conference 2015
Monday 30 March–Thursday 2 April
Birmingham, UK