Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The 8th Gordon Research Conference on the Biology of Spirochetes will be held in January 2008 in Ventura, CA. This is a unique conference, being the only ongoing international meeting devoted to research of all biologically relevant spirochetes, a unique group of Eubacteria. Many spirochetes are animal pathogens and their diseases have a negative impact on animal agriculture. Spirochetes cause leptospirosis and swine dysentery and are associated with digital dermatitis (Hairy heel warts), a leading cause of lameness in dairy cattle. Fastidious nutritional requirements and the availability of few methods for genetic manipulation have impeded research on spirochetes. Recent publication of several spirochete genomes is providing a wealth of data that are being analyzed to help understand novel aspects of physiology, pathogenesis, and immunobiology. Each of the previous Biology of Spirochetes conferences has been highly successful, receiving high praise by attendees, forging new collaborations, and providing a forum for discussing state-of-the-art research on these bacteria. One of the greatest benefits of past conferences has been the opportunity to exchange ideas among attendees leading to new research directions and developing strategies to resolve common problems. Attendance at the 2008 conference is expected to reach the maximum of 150 domestic and international scientists representing diverse research interests and different levels of seniority. Special efforts will be made to attract young investigators and achieve a balance in gender and ethnicity of attendees.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The goal of this conference is to assemble the most active and productive investigators in all areas of spirochete biology to advance the entire field of spirochete biology research by providing a forum for cross-fertilization of ideas by investigators who have no other established venue for interaction. This venue will also be used to help train new researchers entering this difficult field. Opportunities for informal interactions between participants will be made available to foster collaborative interactions.
Project Methods
The conference will contain seven "plenary" sessions with invited oral presentations by leading researchers in the fields. These morning and evening sessions will be limited to 3-5 speakers (20 minutes each) per session, so that there is ample time available for discussion. There will be two special evening sessions: 1) several past conference chairs will lead discussions on where to direct new research efforts; and 2) a late breaking session where new findings drawn from submitted abstracts, typically from junior researchers, will be presented. As with all Gordon Conferences, no sessions will be held in the afternoons so participants can interact informally with one another. Poster sessions will be held on four days, just prior to dinner. These poster sessions have an informal setting, where presenters and observers can talk about their respective work. Applicants will be accepted based on quality of research, relevance of the research to the stated topics, distribution among the sub-fields, and geographical/institutional distribution. Efforts have been made to encourage the participation of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty and to ensure the active participation of women, minorities and the disabled.