6th ASM Conference on Beneficial Microbes, Seattle, Washington, September 9-12, 2016

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These funds will help support the 6th American Society for Microbiology Conference on Beneficial Microbes to be held September 9-12, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. Biologists are increasingly recognizing that macro-organisms (animals and plants) are multi-organismal, i.e. invariably associated with beneficial microorganisms. The implications are profound. For example, interactions with pathogens are just a small subset of the diversity of host-microbe interactions, and the phenotype and fitness of animal/plant hosts can only be understood fully in the context of the resident microbiota. The ubiquity and importance of beneficial microbes has come center-stage as a consequence of high throughput sequencing, analytical methods and advanced microscopy techniques, enabling researchers to study the diversity and function of complex microbial communities. The impact of this research includes a conceptual re-evaluation of the nature of host-microbe interactions, as well as opportunities for major advances in promoting the health and vigor of diverse organisms from a number of environments. The conference will provide a unique opportunity to bring together researchers from a variety of disciplines and career stages who study diverse host-microbe model associations. There will be opportunities for break out sessions to discuss specific scientific topics and issues in professional development. The conference will promote opportunities for early career researchers, women and minorities through invitation and travel assistance, ensuring that these participants are well represented and their scientific career opportunities are fully supported. The 6th ASM Conference on Beneficial Microbes will have six sessions: (1) Beneficial Microbes in Human Health and Disease Dynamics, to identify the causal roles of microbiota in promoting health and influencing susceptibility to disease; (2) Evolutionary Dynamics of Host-Microbe Interactions, focusing on how coevolution among microbes and between host & microbes can shape host-microbial interactions; (3) Role of Microbiota on Development will investigate mechanisms by which microorganisms influence organ, tissue and cellular development; (4) The Ecology of Host-Microbe Interactions will apply principles of population ecology and community ecology to explain and predict the composition and function of host-associated microbial communities; (5) Host Defenses Shaping Microbiota will explore interactions between the microbiota and immune/defense systems that lead to the formation of host-associated microbial communities; (6) Host-microbe signaling will explore the molecular mechanisms by which hosts and their associated microbiota communicate. Each session will include two invited talks and up to four talks selected from submitted abstracts. Funds from this award will be used to support the travel of 15 early stage investigators including junior faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students, with the goal of at least half of these being women or underrepresented minority individuals.