Molecular Genetics of Bacteria and Phages Conference (The Phage Meeting)

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PROJECT SUMMARY The Molecular Genetics of Bacteria and Phages (“Phage”) meeting is a long-standing national scientific conference that brings together investigators from the US and abroad to present and discuss advances in the molecular biology of bacteria and their viruses. The Phage Meeting is significant because it directly and positively impacts broad molecular research focused on the causative agents of human disease, commensals, symbionts and phages while prioritizing the training of a diverse scientific workforce. A long-standing objective of the Phage Meeting is to provide an engaging and encouraging forum for students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty to share their work in a collegial environment. The annual Phage Meeting originates from the Phage Meetings initiated in 1940 at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL). The ~400 attendees of the five day meeting include undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty members and professional scientists from the private sector. The 2022 attendees hailed from 35 US states and 13 countries. Several innovative aspects distinguish the Phage meeting including mentoring tables for discussion of career paths, inclusivity, and diversity, the Sternberg Thesis Award for the most outstanding PhD thesis on bacterial or phage molecular genetics, trainee poster awards and community building events. The 2023 Phage Meeting will be held from August 7-11, 2023 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an ASM-designated Milestones in Microbiology Site. Aligned with the tradition of past Phage Meetings, ~70% of the oral presentations for the 2023 meeting will be from postdoctoral scholars and graduate students, chosen from submitted abstracts. The remaining 30% of the presentations will be from faculty, including the Keynote and Session Chairs, and ~10 additional talks by young faculty chosen from the submitted abstracts. Of the invited talks for the 2023 meeting, 70% are female, and 20% are underrepresented scientists. 70% are Assistant or Associate Professors. The Keynote for the 2023 meeting will be Dr. Gigi Storz, a long-standing member of the Phage Meeting Community who is committed to promoting equity in science and advocating for scientists raising families. Dr. Storz will be present for the entire meeting to facilitate interaction between the faculty and trainees. We propose to select 13 meritorious trainees from the submitted abstracts for registration waivers to promote ethnic and gender diversity. We propose to provide childcare/ family care funding grants for trainees and faculty to support inclusivity. Together, the rigor and inclusivity of the scientific program, the focus on increasing gender and racial diversity of trainees, and the opportunities for interaction will positively impact the broad field of molecular biology of bacteria and their viruses.