Gordon Conference: Biology of the Spirochetes

描述(申请人提供)：第六届戈登螺旋体生物学研究会议将于2004年1月或2月在加利福尼亚州文图拉举行。螺旋体生物学会议是独一无二的。这是唯一一个正在进行的国际会议，专门讨论所有具有医学重要性和生物相关性的螺旋体的基础研究，螺旋体是一组独特的真细菌。许多螺旋体是病原体，可引起多种疾病，包括梅毒、莱姆病、复发性发热、钩端螺旋体病、牙周病、牛的数字皮炎以及猪和人的痢疾。从历史上看，螺旋体一直很难研究。这些细菌通常具有挑剔的营养要求，其中一些尚未在体外成功培养。目前尚不存在对几种螺旋体进行遗传操作和突变分析的方法。研究不同螺旋体的小组之间交流思想的机会是过去会议的最大好处之一，特别是在基因操纵的新技术领域。伯氏疏螺旋体、梅毒螺旋体、齿状螺旋体的遗传进展和基因组序列的可用性以及钩端螺旋体新的测序项目的应用。提供了丰富的新信息。综合起来，这些数据正在被整合到对这些细菌的生理、结构、发病机制和免疫生物学的正在进行的研究中。 以前的每一届螺旋体生物学会议都非常成功，得到了与会者的高度评价，建立了新的合作关系，为展示对这些细菌的最新研究提供了一个论坛，并帮助确定了新的研究方向。与以往的会议一样，我们预计参加2004年会议的教职员工、研究生、博士后研究员和工业科学家将达到最多150人。代表不同研究兴趣、地理位置和资历的广泛科学家将被邀请参加。将特别努力确保年轻研究人员(研究生、博士后和初级教员)的强劲出勤率，并在参与者的性别和种族方面实现平衡。口头和海报演示的组织是为了提供许多讨论、思想交流和合作发展的机会。要求国家卫生研究院提供资金，以部分抵消参与的研究生研究员和初级教员的旅费和登记费。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The sixth Gordon Research Conference on the Biology of Spirochetes will be held in January or February 2004 in Ventura, California. The Biology of Spirochetes Conference is unique. This is the only ongoing international meeting devoted to discussions on basic research of all medically important and biologically relevant spirochetes, a unique group of Eubacteria. Many spirochetes are pathogens and cause a variety of diseases, including syphilis, Lyme disease, relapsing fever, leptospirosis, periodontal disease, digital dermatitis of cattle, and swine and human dysentery. Historically, spirochetes have been difficult to study. These bacteria often have fastidious nutritional requirements, and some have yet to be successfully cultured in vitro. Methods for genetic manipulation and mutational analysis of several spirochete species do not exist. The opportunity for exchange of ideas among groups working on different spirochetes has been one of the greatest benefits of past conferences, particularly in the area of new techniques for genetic manipulation. The application of genetic advancements and the availability of genomic sequences for Borrelia burgdorferi, Treponema pallidum, T. denticola, and new sequencing projects in Leptospira spp. are providing a wealth of new information. Combined, these data are being integrated into ongoing studies on the physiology, structure, pathogenesis, and immunobiology of these bacteria. Each of the previous Biology of Spirochetes conferences have been highly successful, receiving high praise by attendees, forging new collaborations, providing a forum for presenting state-of-the-art research on these bacteria, and helping to set new research directions. As in previous conferences, we expect attendance at he 2004 conference to reach the maximum of 150 faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and industrial scientists. A broad spectrum of scientists of representing different research interests, geographic locations, and seniority will be invited to attend. Special efforts will be made to insure strong attendance of young investigators (graduate students, post-docs, and junior faculty), and achieve a balance in gender and ethnicity of attendees. The oral and poster presentations are organized to provide many opportunities for discussion, the exchange of ideas, and development of collaborations. Funding from the National Institutes of Health is requested to partially offset the travel and registration expenses of the participating graduate students fellows, and junior faculty members.