10th International Conference on Tularemia

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SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This proposal seeks support for the 10th International Conference on Tularemia, which will be held from September 25 – 28, 2023, in Grenoble, France. Tularemia is a rapidly progressive and potentially fatal zoonosis of humans caused by the intracellular bacterial pathogen, Francisella tularensis. Because of its low infectious dose and lethality when inhaled, F. tularensis was developed as a bioweapon, and remains a potential bioterrorist agent. Research and understanding of tularemia pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention have been significantly advanced by the International Conferences on Tularemia. Attendance and impact of this meeting has grown steadily in subsequent years. This conference is a unique venue that brings together scientists and interested parties from the U.S., Canada, Scandinavia, Europe, the Middle East, and Japan. CBER/FDA has an ongoing commitment to facilitating development of medical countermeasures for bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases. Advancing development of medical countermeasures is an explicit goal of this meeting. Senior scientists, clinicians, and trainees at all levels attend; attendees with knowledge and interests outside the Francisella community also bring perspective and instructive comparisons. The conference is designed to provide an environment that fosters collaboration and a free exchange of ideas. Highlights from past meetings include announcing the discoveries of the Francisella pathogenicity island (FPI); the Type VI secretion system encoded by the FPI; development of new animal models; detailed genomic and proteomic characterizations that inform epidemiology of disease and development of new therapeutic options; and identification of immune evasion strategies of the bacterium that advance vaccine development. The 2023 conference will include a keynote address as well as six plenary sessions, poster previews (flash talks) and three poster sessions, and additional opportunities for networking during shared meals and social activities. The six plenary sessions will highlight the latest advances in diagnosis and treatment of tularemia, vaccine development, host responses to infection, epidemiology and bacterial ecology, bacterial physiology and gene regulation, and pathogenesis and cell biology. Each plenary session will be chaired by scientists who are recognized leaders in the field. Over 85% of speakers will be selected based on the merit of submitted abstracts. To achieve these goals, we seek support for meeting logistics that will allow dissemination of research findings as well as professional development of attendees. Specifically, we request support for rental of presentation equipment (audiovisual services and poster boards), conference management and web site development, and travel support for attendees with financial and educational needs.