Gordon Research Conferences: Biology of Spirochetes, January 18-23, 1998, Ventura, California

第三届戈登螺旋体生物学研究会议将于1998年1月举行。 这次会议是唯一正在进行的国际会议，致力于螺旋体的基础研究，这是一个独立的门的细菌。 这些生物体具有独特但共同的整体结构和运动模式。 既有自由生活的螺旋体，也有与节肢动物宿主（包括白蚁和蜱）以及哺乳动物的寄生有关的螺旋体。 已发现某些物种可增强聚合物（如纤维素）的降解。 自由生活的生物体是无处不在的，在淡水和盐水中都可以找到，其中一些物种是迄今为止描述的最大的原核生物。 这些生物体中的许多非常难以研究，因为它们不能在体外培养，并且因为缺乏用于产生突变体的简易遗传系统。 尽管如此，这是一般微生物学和基因组研究中增长最快的领域之一。 前两次戈登研究会议分别于1994年和1996年举行;两次会议都以戈登会议准则所允许的能力出席，两次会议都被与会者认为是有史以来最有用和最具启发性的会议之一。 1998年的会议预计将有大约135名与会者，阿金将为来自美国和国外的科学家，包括教师、研究生和博士后研究员提供一个论坛，讨论有关螺旋体生物学的最新发展和想法。

Lukehart 9726956 The third Gordon Research Conference on Biology of the Spirochetes is being held in January, 1998. This conference is the only ongoing international meeting devoted to basic research on spirochetes, which is a separate phylum of the Bacteria. These organisms have a unique but common overall structure and mode of motility. There are both free living spirochetes and also those associated with parasitism of arthropod hosts including termites and ticks, and also mammals. Some species have been found to augment degradation of polymers such as cellulose. The free living organisms are ubiquitous and are found in both fresh and salt water, and some species among the largest prokaryotic organisms yet described. Many of these organisms are very difficult to study because of their inability to be cultivated in vitro and because of the lack of a facile genetic system for creating mutants. Nonetheless, this is one of the most rapidly growing areas in general microbiology and genomic research. The first two Gordon Research Conferences were held in 1994 and 1996; both were attended to the capacity allowed by the Gordon Conference guidelines, and both were judged by the participants to be among the most useful and stimulating meetings ever attended. The 1998 conference, which is anticipated to have approximately 135 attendees, will agin provide a forum for scientists, including faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows from the United States and abroad, to discuss recent developments and ideas regarding the biology of the spirochetes funds are provided to support participation by beginning investigators.