2022 Streptococcal Biology Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar

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PROJECT SUMMARY The purpose of this grant submission is to request funds to partially support the 2022 Streptococcal Biology Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). This will be the second meeting of this GRC and the first meeting of the GRS, the purpose of which is to foster development of the next generation of investigators and invite their active participation and integration into the broader research community. Both meetings will be held the Jordan Hotel at Sunday River, Newry, Maine, USA, with the GRS being held on August 13-14, 2022 and the GRC following on August 14-19, 2022. The Chairs for the 2022 meeting will be Drs. Kelly Doran and Shiranee Sriskandan. Drs. Michael Federle and Jan-Willem Veening will serve as Co-Vice Chairs for the 2022 meeting. Postdoctoral fellow, Brady Spencer, and graduate student, Lamar Thomas, will serve as Co- Chairs of the GRS. The GRS/GRC program encompasses a wide range of exciting topics among important human and animal pathogens from the genera Streptococcus and Enterococcus. Topics will include genomics, virulence regulation, phage, host-pathogen interactions, microbial communities and advancing therapeutics. Additionally, through invited speakers and panelists, the GRS will address current topics in the field of scientific research spanning as well as scientific communication. The overall goal of the GRC and its associated GRS is to bring the world's leading scientists and the most promising young investigators and trainees together in a collegial and supportive environment. The specific goals are to: 1) provide a forum for the presentation of unpublished, cutting-edge research on streptococci and enterococci and foster formal and informal discussions on how these results advance the field, 2) include investigators and clinicians focusing on diverse streptococcal species and define the impact of these on infection 3) expand the boundaries of the work of the scientists within this field, and 4) ensure development and integration of young investigators, including those in under- represented groups into the broader research community in a meaningful and interactive way. The collegial atmosphere will include organized discussion sessions during talks and poster sessions, and opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings, providing an ideal setting for scientists from different disciplines to exchange ideas and foster cross-disciplinary collaborations both among themselves and the next generation of investigators. Thus, the GRC will provide a unique and fundamentally important opportunity to bring together leading investigators in a format designed for the free exchange of research results and ideas covering all aspects of streptococcal biology and its relationship to disease. Together with the GRS, the GRC will promote diversity, equity and inclusion and the development of promising young investigators in the field and their integration into the larger research community. In the short term, this will significantly enhance the ability of investigators around the world to address critical problems in streptococcal and enterococcal diseases, while in the long term it will ensure the continued success of their efforts and those of the next generation of investigators.