Workshop: North American Comparative Immunology Workshop, Santa Barbara, CA

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All organisms require an immune system to protect them from viruses and other disease-causing microbes. However, comparisons of immune defenses of different animals, from worms to humans, have shown a surprising diversity. Mammals and roundworms, for instance, use a completely different set of immune "tools" to accomplish the same goal: the recognition and elimination of pathogens. The central question to be addressed in this workshop is: "How do immune systems operate in different organisms, and what insights can the diversity of immune mechanisms offer to our understanding of the evolution of immunity in animals?" This workshop will bring together researchers who study a diverse array of organisms (worms, flies, fish, sea urchins, tunicates, frogs and humans)for an small meeting that will foster an exchange of ideas between investigators in different fields and stimulate new collaborations between investigators. The new insights arising from this meeting could ultimately provide fresh applied perspectives, such as novel diagnostic and clinical applications. In addition, a greater understanding of diverse immune systems could provide fresh ideas on how maintain the health of animals that are being reared for food, or under stress due to the impacts of environmental change. Overcrowding due to farming, or other environmental stress is often reflected in a weaker immune response, with an increased susceptibility to disease. In addition, the meeting will provide a venue that gives younger investigators, including undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows, the opportunity to present their research to the community, in an interactive environment conducive to guiding and nurturing their careers. The research presented at the meeting will be publicly available on a website (accessible via http://www.mcdb.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/detomaso) and published in an immunology journal.