The Second Rust Belt Microbiome Conference

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Project Summary This application requests partial funding for the Second Pittsburgh Rust Belt Microbiome (RBM) Conference 2022. For the Second RBM Conference, we intend to leverage the strength, successes and lessons learned from the first conference held in 2019 with an exciting and forward-thinking program featuring a focus on mechanistic studies of the microbiome through cutting-edge basic and translational research and new developments in the role of the microbiome in infectious disease, clinical science, and personalized medicine. Our goal is to establish this conference as a biennial event open to nation-wide attendance yet focused on bringing together the microbiome research and clinical communities from Pittsburgh (University of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center [UPMC], Carnegie Mellon, Duquesne, Allegheny General Hospital, as well as Allegheny College, Carlow University, and Chatham University) and nearby cities (including Buffalo, Morgantown, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and Columbus). The conference will be open to national attendance, while promoting inclusion of undergraduate and regional institutions and hospital staff who may otherwise have limited access to national/international conferences on human pathogens and microbiome. While research in the microbiome space is presented at other national meetings, the RBM conference distinguishes itself in multiple ways including research topics focused on new technologies that can be incorporated into microbiome studies, new forays into the use of the microbiome in the treatment of cancer, and the importance of evolution and adaptation processes in host-microbiome interactions. Further, the conference emphasizes the integration of basic and clinical researchers, along with highlighting the work of students and junior investigators. To this end, the conference will feature several “rapid-fire” sessions for short talks from junior investigators that will be chosen by the organizing committee from submitted abstracts. There will also be opportunities for students to present their work in an interactive poster session in which posters are grouped by topics and students orally present posters to their peers and senior investigators who are part of the group. Opportunities for students to interact with speakers will also be organized. The conference brings together leading scientists from multiple disciplines and institutions to advance this vital field while striving for an inclusive meeting that actively involves students and junior scientists.