ASM Conf. on Beneficial Microbial Symbionts in Animals

描述（由申请人提供）：2001年10月21-24日在西雅图举行了一次有益微生物研讨会（BMW）。该会议的摘要最近发表在ASM新闻（1）上。超过125名研究人员参加了研讨会，并强调了研究表明，许多细菌可以对宿主非常有益。当被认为是宿主的组成部分时，细菌细胞的数量远远超过体内真核细胞的数量。口腔和肠道的生物膜可以被视为一种组织，与其他解剖位置完全整合，并与其他细菌和宿主细胞不断交流。进化生物学家报告说，细菌与宿主的相互作用一直是遗传压力的恒定来源，因此不仅细菌进化为与我们生活在一起，我们（宿主）也进化为更好地与细菌生活在一起。在这方面，宿主免疫系统已经“学会”容忍甚至利用寄生虫和共生微生物。例如，先天免疫系统对有益微生物的耐受性的发展现在被认为是健康的组成部分，但还没有得到很好的理解。我们建议在2005年就这一主题举行第二次会议，为来自不同学科的科学家提供一个论坛，讨论有益的宿主微生物界面，并开发新的方法来研究人类健康的这一重要方面。以有益的宿主-微生物相互作用为中心的会议特别及时，因为： . 这是一个科学上重要和令人兴奋的微生物学领域，现在值得一个专门和明确的研究联盟;尽管它对人类健康很重要，但它仍然是一个需要额外资金的研究领域; .会议是一种理想的机制，可以汇集各种学科，以充分了解有益的宿主-微生物界面; . 这是一个激发智力的主题，吸引了具有开拓精神的研究生和博士后研究员，他们将受益于参加一个重点突出和充满活力的会议;

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A previous Beneficial Microbial Workshop (BMW) was held in Seattle in October 21-24, 2001. A summary of that meeting was recently published in the ASM News (1). The workshop was attended by over 125 investigators and highlighted the research showing that many bacteria can be and are of great benefit to the host. When considered as an integral part of the host, bacterial cells far exceed the number of eukaryotic cells in the body. Biofilms of the mouth and intestines can be viewed as a type of tissue, fully integrated with other anatomical locations and in constant communication with other bacteria and host cells. The evolutionary biologists report that bacteria-host interactions have been a constant source of genetic pressure, and thus not only have bacteria evolved to live with us, we (the hosts) have evolved as well to better live with bacteria. In this regard, the host immune system has "learned" to tolerate and even exploit the commensals and symbiotic microbes. For example, the development of tolerance to beneficial microbes by the innate immune system is now recognized as integral to health, but is not well understood. We propose to hold a second meeting on this topic in 2005 to provide a forum in which scientists from diverse disciplines can discuss the beneficial hostmicrobe interface and develop novel approaches to study this important facet of human health. A meeting centered on beneficial host-microbe interactions is particularly timely because : . It is a scientifically important and exciting area of microbiology that now merits a dedicated and defined research consortium; Despite its importance to human health it remains an understudied area of research in need of additional funding; . A conference is the ideal mechanism to bring together the diversity of disciplines required to fully understand the beneficial host-microbe interface; . It is an intellectually stimulating subject that attracts pioneering graduate students and post-doctoral fellows who will benefit from participation in a focused and dynamic conference;