Program - Preliminary

TWELFTH ANNUAL MIDWEST MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS CONFERENCE

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
October 14 – October 16, 2005

Friday, October 14, 2005

5-6 PM     Registration

6-8 PM     Reception and Dinner- Holiday Inn Minneapolis Metrodome

8-9 PM     Opening Remarks – Patrick Schlievert, Ph.D.

        OPENING ADDRESS:
        Martha Mulks, Ph.D.
        Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
        Michigan State University
        Title: Pigs, pathogens, and promoters:  What IVET studies with
                Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae reveal about bacterial
                pneumonia

Saturday, October 15, 2005

7-8 AM Breakfast

SESSION I:  Biofilms and Microbial Virulence
                       Coffman Memorial Union

8:00 AM       Jeremy Yarwood, Ph.D.
                     3M Corporation, St. Paul, MN
                     Title: Quorum Sensing and Variant Generation in
                              Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms

8:45 AM       Matthew Parsek. Ph.D.
                     Department of Microbiology, University of Iowa
                     Title: Biofilm growth produces P. aeruginosa variants geared
                              toward persistence

9:30 AM       Christopher Kristich, Ph.D.
                     Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota
                     Title: Biofilms, genetics, and signal transduction in Enterococcus
                              faecalis

10:15 AM     Coffee Break

SESSION II:  Microbial Interactions with the Innate Immune System

10:30 AM      Larry Schlesinger, Ph.D.
                      Department of Medicine, Ohio State University
                      Title: Mycobacterium tuberculosis adaptation to the host: Sweet-
                               talking one's way in

11:15 AM      Marnie Peterson, Pharm.D., Ph.D.
                      Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology
                      College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota
                      Title: Innate immune system activation following exposure of
                              vaginal epithelial cells to Staphylococcus aureus

12:00 noon     Lunch – Coffman Union

1:00 –            Poster Session I
2:30 PM

2:45 PM   KEYNOTE ADDRESS:

                     Dr. Malak Kotb
                     University of Tennessee, Memphis
                     Title: "Immunopathogenesis and Genetics of Susceptibility to
                               Streptococcal Diseases:  Why me?  Why not you?"

4:00 – 5:30 PM   Poster Session II

5:30 --  Free Evening

Sunday, October 16, 2005

7:00 - 8:00 AM   Breakfast

SESSION III:  Microbial Virulence Mechanisms

8:00 AM         Dr. Keith Weaver
                       Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences
                       University of South Dakota
                       Title:  "Programmed cell death in Enterococcus
                                faecalis: protective RNAs and lethal peptides"

8:45 AM         Dr. Hae-Sun Park
                       Department of Microbiology
                       University of Minnesota
                       Title: Streptococcal M protein upregulates B-1 integrin expression
                               on host cells which promotes bacterial colonization

9:30 AM         Dr. David Kranz
                       Department of Biochemistry
                       University of Illinois
                       Title: Engineering high-affinity, soluble receptor antagonists for
                                bacterial enterotoxins

10:15 AM       Dr. Nick Bergman
                       Department of Microbiology and Immunology
                       University of Michigan
                       Title: Transcriptional profiling of the complete Bacillus anthracis
                                life cycle

11:00 AM       Dr. Elizabeth Stohl, Ph.D.
                       Feinberg School of Medicine
                       Northwestern University
                       Title:  Oxidative damage response, antioxidants, and DNA
                                 repair in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

11:45 AM      Closing Remarks/Adjourn