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ASMBL 2008-2009 Lecturer Roster

American Society for Microbiology Branch Lectureships (ASMBL) (formerly Waksman Foundation for Microbiology Lectures)

Program Year 2008-2009 Lecture Topics and Descriptions

Joan Barenfanger. M.D., A.B.M.M. (term ends on 6/30/09) Memorial Medical Center 701 North First Street Springfield, IL 62781

Office Phone: 217-788-3672 Fax: 217-788-5577 E-mail: [email protected]

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS Improving Clinical Usefulness of Microbiology Data Objectives: • Describe the appropriate collection and processing methods which correlate with clinical

benefits and appropriate therapy • Discuss evidence-based approaches to ensure improved outcomes to patients and decreased

costs • Evaluate “cost-effectiveness” in terms of patient outcomes • Provide 10 ways microbiologists can save lives and improve patient care • Develop strategies to implement reporting of more effective data • Develop mechanism(s) to communicate with clinicians with necessary updates Decreasing Clinically Irrelevant Testing from the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Objectives: • Review where we fail to adhere to guidelines for appropriate (evidence-based) workup • Develop approaches to correcting these shortcomings • Provide examples of how reports mislead clinicians • Topics may include culturing/evaluating: blood, CSF, respiratory secretions, wounds Detection and Prevention of Errors Objectives: • Develop strategies to decrease errors • Provide insight into methods which decrease errors, including control charts, the Swiss

cheese model for redundancy, and feedback to participants • Provide examples (including references) of where most errors are made in clinical

microbiology and give approaches to their solutions Reviving and Standardizing the Art of Interpretation of Gram Stains Objectives: • Provide characteristic patterns of inflammation, other indicators of pathology, and patterns

pathognomonic of specific infectious syndromes • Propose guidelines for standardization of Gram staining, including selection of appropriate

portion of specimen for examination, smear preparation, staining method, evaluation for

Lecturer Contact Info and Topic Descriptions.doc 5/20/2008

mailto:[email protected]


specimen quality, pathology, microbial morphotype reporting, minimum competency by readers, and communicating and reporting of results

• Suggest training approaches for quality assurance to educate personnel • Provide an atlas Identification of Yeasts and Fungi from Direct Microscopic Observation Objectives: • Describe key diagnostic features of yeasts and fungi in preparations made directly from the

specimen and from specimens processed in surgical pathology. • Define and provide examples of commonly used terms in fungal infection such as

granulomatous inflammation, abscess, pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, etc. • Provide an atlas BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Joan Barenfanger • Graduated from University of Illinois with a B.S; from Harvard University with a Doctor of

Science; from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine with an M.D. • Boards: American Board of Pathology in Anatomical and Clinical Pathology with Specialty

Boards in Medical Microbiology and Diplomate of American Board of Medical Microbiology

• Current position: Chair of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and Director of Microbiology/Virology at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, IL ----Past president of Medical Executive Committee (“Chief of Staff”); has served multiple terms as an elected member of the Medical Executive Committee ----Previously chaired P&T Committee ----Member of quality initiatives, infection control and other committees

• Member of CDC’s Best Laboratory Practices Initiative • Studied and published on the impact of microbiology practices on patient care

(Limited list of recent publications follows.) 1. Barenfanger J. 2003. Improving the Clinical Utility of Microbiology Data: an

Update. Clin. Microbiol. Newsl. 25: 1-8. 2. Barenfanger, J. Pushpalatha Arakere, Rafael Dela Cruz, Adil Imran, Cheryl

Drake, Jerry Lawhorn, Steven J. Verhulst, and Nancy Khardori. 2003. Improved Outcomes Associated with Limiting Identification of Yeasts in Respiratory Secretions. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41:5645-49.

3. Barenfanger, J., Cheryl Drake, Jerry Lawhorn. 2004. Non-value of Culturing Cerebrospinal Fluid for Fungi. J. Clin. Microbiol. 42:236-238.

4. Cumitech 41, Detection and Prevention of Clinical Microbiology Associated Errors. 2004. ASM Press, Washington, DC.

5. Barenfanger, J. Robert L. Sautter, Diane L. Lang, Susan M. Collins, Donna M. Hacek, and Lance R. Peterson. 2004. Improving Patient Safety by repeating (read-back) telephone reports of critical information. American J. Clinical Path. 121: 801-803.

6. Barenfanger, J. 2006. Quality Assurances: Decreasing Clinically Irrelevant Testing from Clinical Microbiology Laboratories. Part I and Part II. Clin, Microbiol. Newsl. 28: 17-29.




Areas of Interest: • Improving the quality and relevance of reports from microbiology laboratories • Decreasing laboratory errors • Improving patient outcomes and safety ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Joan Barenfanger Primary Division C Clinical Microbiology


Joanne Bartkus (term ends on 6/30/09) Minnesota Department of Health 601 Robert Street N PO Box 64899 St. Paul, MN 55164-0899

Office Phone: 651-201-5256 Fax: 651-201-5070 E-mail: [email protected]

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS Microbial CSI – Using DNA Fingerprinting to Identify the Source of Disease Outbreaks In a manner analogous to human forensics, DNA fingerprinting can be used to detect and investigate disease outbreaks caused by infectious agents. For example, DNA fingerprinting was instrumental in detection of the well-publicized 2006 outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 associated with bagged spinach. This presentation will provide a brief overview of the methods used for DNA fingerprinting and will illustrate the utility of these methods by analysis of recent outbreaks where DNA fingerprinting was used successfully. Everybody Knows Viruses Don’t Cause Food Poisoning….Or Do They? Bacteria are well known as a common cause of food poisoning, but many people are unaware that viruses are actually the most common cause of gastroenteritis. Norovirus, most notable as the culprit involved in outbreaks of gastroenteritis on cruise ships, is a very common cause of diarrheal disease and may be spread by person-to-person contact or by contaminated food. This presentation will provide an overview of the role of viruses in gastroenteritis, with a particular emphasis on Norovirus. Emerging Diseases/Emerging Responses: The Changing Face of Public Health Microbiology Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases are among the leading causes of death worldwide. Changes in the nature of infectious diseases and disease agents, technological advances, and modifications in public health policy have resulted in new approaches to surveillance, diagnosis, and control measures. This presentation will provide an overview of the factors involved in emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases, the changing role of the public health laboratory, and specific examples of the public health response. Specific examples will vary according to the “topical disease du jour” but may include antimicrobial resistance, foodborne, vectorborne, or zoonotic diseases, vaccine preventable diseases, and/or pandemic influenza. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Joanne Bartkus Dr. Bartkus currently heads the Molecular Epidemiology Unit in the Public Health Laboratory at the Minnesota Department of Health. Her duties include supervision of a team responsible for development of molecular methods for infectious disease diagnostics, surveillance, and outbreak investigation. Most recently, she has been involved in training in molecular diagnostic methods for detection and characterization of avian influenza viruses, and in the past two years has taught workshops in Brazil, Uganda, and Thailand. Dr. Bartkus received her Ph.D. in Microbiology from Cornell University where she studied evolution of catabolic pathways in Eshcherichia coli. She conducted postdoctoral work on regulation of leucine biosynthesis in Salmonella in the Department of Biochemistry at Cornell. Dr. Bartkus’ involvement in microbial pathogenesis began at the United States Army Research





Institute for Infectious Diseases, where she demonstrated transcriptional regulation of anthrax toxin. She joined 3M Healthcare in 1990 where she worked on the microbiology and prevention of surgical site infection for eight years. While at 3M she became interested in the epidemiology and surveillance of emerging infectious diseases and from there moved to her current position at the Minnesota Department of Health. Dr. Bartkus is a member of the American Society for Microbiology and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), and is a member and APHL liaison to the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Joanne Bartkus Primary Division Y Public Health Secondary Division C Clinical Microbiology


Daniel R. Bond (term ends on 6/30/09) 140 Gortner Laboratory 1479 Gortner Avenue St. Paul, MN 55108

Phone: 612-624-8619 Fax: 612-625-1700 E-mail: [email protected] Speaker’s URL: http://www.bti.umn.edu/bond

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS Understanding Extracellular Electron Flow via Microbial Film Voltammetry Bacterial electron transfer to solid minerals is known to control rates of subsurface metal cycling, and more recently, is being harnessed for biotechnological applications such as microbial fuel cells. However, no standard methods are available to study electron transfer from whole organisms or intact biofilms. New tools for probing microbial growth at carbon and gold electrodes have been designed and used to dissect the electrochemistry of electron transfer via voltammetric protocols. These techniques reveal key rate-limiting steps, midpoint potentials, and strategies of wild-type and mutant metal-reducing bacteria during various stages of colonization and growth. Why Do Microbial Fuel Cells Work? The concept of the microbial fuel cell is a nearly century-old idea which has been revitalized by the finding that some bacteria will produce electricity directly at electrode surfaces. Why do certain bacteria have this ability? What limits their rates of respiration to surfaces? Have bacteria evolved multiple mechanisms allowing respiration to surfaces such as electrodes? While many designs for new fuel cells have been proposed, the fundamental physiology and ecology of the biofilm on fuel cell electrodes remains the limiting factor. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Daniel R. Bond Daniel Bond has studied the physiology of anaerobic bacteria involved in animal nutrition, water quality, biotechnology and bioremediation. His work with Derek Lovley led to the first observations that Geobacter and related metal-reducing bacteria could generate electricity. He joined the Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology Institute at the University of Minnesota in 2004, where his laboratory has developed new tools for monitoring electrical signals and power generation by bacteria, integrated models of biofilm environments, techniques for immobilization of electricity-producing cells on electrode surfaces, and methods for high-throughput discovery of genes involved in this unique bio-electrical metabolism. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Daniel R. Bond Primary Division Q Environmental & General Applied Microbiology Secondary Division K Microbial Physiology & Metabolism



http://www.bti.umn.edu/bond


Arturo Casadevall (term ends on 6/30/10) Albert Einstein College of Medicine 1300 Morris Park Avenue Bronx, NY 10461

Phone: 718-430-3665 E-mail: [email protected]

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS The Origin of Virulence in Pathogenic Microbes This is a big picture talk that addresses such questions as: “Are pathogenic microbes different?” and “Why are some pathogenic microbes virulent?” It develops the “damage-response framework” of microbial pathogenesis as a new approach to consider host-microbe interactions. The Weapon Potential of a Microbe Why are some microbes biological weapons when others are not? Can we draw a line between “dangerous” and “non-dangerous” microbes? New Concepts on Antibody-mediated Immunity This talk takes a historical view of antibody function and places it in the context of a renaissance of studies on antibody function which have revealed new mechanisms of action. The talk explains how antibodies are protective against intracellular pathogens, and takes a holistic view that attempts to integrate their action in the context of cell mediated immune mechanism. Cryptococcus neoformans – Ecology, Pathogenesis and Virulence This talk is focused on a single microbe – highlighting recent progress, including the discovery of an intracellular pathogenic life cycle, dormancy, possible relationship to asthma, etc. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Arturo Casadevall Arturo Casadevall is the Leo and Julia Forchheimer Professor of Microbiology & Immunology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. He is Chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and served as Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases from 2000-2006. Dr Casadevall received both his M.D. and Ph.D. (Biochemistry) degrees from New York University in New York, New York. Subsequently, he completed internship and residency in internal medicine at Bellevue Hospital in New York. Later he completed subspecialty training in Infectious Diseases at the Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Casadevall’s major research interests are in fungal pathogenesis and the mechanism of antibody action. In the area of Biodefense, he has an active research program to understand the mechanisms of antibody-mediated neutralization of Bacillus anthracis toxins. Dr. Casadevall has authored over 390 scientific papers. He has been elected to membership in the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the American Academy of Physicians, and the American Academy of Microbiology. He was elected a fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science and has received numerous honors including the Solomon A Berson Medical Alumni Achievement Award in Basic Science from the NYU School of Medicine, the Maxwell L. Littman Award (mycology award), the Rhoda Benham Award from the Medical Mycology Society of America, the William A. Hinton Award from the American Society for Microbiology for mentoring scientists from underrepresented groups, and the Kass Lecture of the





Infectious Disease Society of America. Dr. Casadevall is an editor of Infection and Immunity, and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Investigation and the Journal of Experimental Medicine. He has served on numerous NIH committees, including those that drafted the NIAID Strategic Plan and the Blue Ribbon Panel on Biodefense Research. He is a member of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity and co-chairs the NIAID Board of Scientific counselors. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Arturo Casadevall Primary Division F Medical Mycology Secondary Division E Immunology


Philip R. Cunningham (term ends on 6/30/10) Department of Biological Sciences Wayne State University Detroit, MI 48202

Phone: 313-577-5029 Fax: 313-577-5029 E-mail: [email protected] Speaker’s URL: http://bio.wayne.edu/profhtml/Cunningham/cunningham.htm

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS Smart Weapons in the Fight Against Bioterrorism and Antibiotic Resistance Drug resistance mechanisms have been identified for all of the antibiotics currently in use. A major concern is the possibility that weaponized strains of bacterial pathogens have been engineered so that the current arsenal of antimicrobial therapeutics will be ineffective. A new antibiotic discovery platform for the identification of new drug targets and new classes of antibiotics will be presented. Genetic Analysis of Ribosome Function Mutations in rRNA are often lethal because they affect the production of all cellular proteins. A number of approaches have been tried to circumvent this problem and allow genetic studies of rRNA. The Cunningham lab developed a genetic system that allows mutational analysis of rRNA in vivo without affecting cell viability. Recent findings on the use of this system to elucidate the role of ribosomal RNA in protein synthesis will be presented. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Philip R. Cunningham Dr. Philip R. Cunningham earned his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky and his Ph.D. in Microbiology from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, and was a post-doctoral fellow at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology in Nutley, NJ. He joined Wayne State University’s Department of Biological Sciences in Detroit, MI in 1991, where he is currently an associate professor. Dr. Cunningham’s research focuses on protein synthesis, ribosomes and the development of new antibiotics. He developed high-throughput genetic technology to study ribosomal RNA function and co-founded RiboNovix, Inc. in 2003. Dr. Cunningham is the recipient of the CLAS Distinguished Teaching Award and the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and was named a National Academies Education Fellow in the Life Sciences in 2004. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Philip R. Cunningham Primary Division H Genetics & Molecular Biology Secondary Division A Antimicrobial Chemotherapy



http://bio.wayne.edu/profhtml/Cunningham/cunningham.htm

http://bio.wayne.edu/profhtml/Cunningham/cunningham.htm


Alix G. Darden, Ph.D. (term ends on 6/30/09) Biology Department The Citadel 171 Moultrie Street Charleston, SC 29409

Phone: 843-953-7873 Fax: 843-953-7264 E-mail: [email protected] Speaker’s URL: http://www.citadel.edu/biology/Faculty/Darden.htm

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS The Intersection of Research and Teaching: Creating Conditions that Lead to Change in a Learner’s Brain Skilled teachers create conditions that favor learning and environments that nurture it. Brain research is beginning to provide explanations for these observations. Evidence will be provided to show how the research on learning can be applied to the development of effective classes for undergraduate (and graduate) students. Specifically, an undergraduate molecular genetics course which is taught based on the professor’s unique research will be discussed. Active Learning for Classes Large and Small: Research and Techniques This active learning presentation addresses issues related to active learning. Attendees will participate in techniques they can apply to their classes and will learn the research that supports use of those techniques. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning as Applied to Microbiology Education The scholarship of teaching and learning was described in the early 1990s and is currently a part of many schools’ evaluations of their faculty. The ASM Microbiology Education Division (W) has been providing programs, including the Scholars-in-Residence program (ASMSiR) and publication of the journal, Microbiology Education, to help microbiology educators grow in this area. This talk will address the parameters of the scholarship of teaching and learning, comparing it to the scholarship of discovery, and make a case for the importance of the scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Alix G. Darden Alix Darden, associate professor of Biology at The Citadel, has taught a variety of courses, including immunology, general microbiology, genetics, human genetics, and molecular biology, at the undergraduate level to both majors and non-majors. She was selected as a Carnegie Scholar for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in 2001-2002, during which time she studied how college students learn to think abstractly. She currently has an NSF grant to study opsin gene promoters in the salamander photoreceptor cells, using transgenic frogs. Undergraduate students are heavily involved in her research. She has published articles in both the science education and basic science literature. She is serving her fourth term on ASM’s Committee for Undergraduate Education and is very active at ASM in developing and organizing faculty development programs. Most recently, she is involved in developing and facilitating the ASM Scholars-in-Residence program which develops scholarship of teaching and learning skills in faculty. Her areas of expertise include faculty development, research in teaching and learning, and effective engagement of students in undergraduate research projects, as well as vertebrate opsin gene regulation.



http://www.citadel.edu/biology/Faculty/Darden.htm

http://www.citadel.edu/biology/Faculty/Darden.htm



ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Alix G. Darden Primary Division W Microbiology Education Secondary Division H Genetics & Molecular Biology


Mark Goulian (term ends on 6/30/10) Department of Biology University of Pennsylvania 433 South University Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19104-6018

Phone: 215-573-6991 E-mail: [email protected] Speaker’s URL: http://www.bio.upenn.edu/faculty/goulian/

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS Perturbing, Imaging, Modeling, and Evolving Regulatory Circuits in E. coli In this lecture I will give a general talk on our work exploring some of the biochemical circuits or pathways that are used by E. coli to sense and respond to the environment. As the title suggests, we develop mathematical models to extract qualitative predictions about the behavior of specific circuits and test these predictions using a variety of genetics and physiology experiments. Much of the work involves cell imaging and the analysis of the behavior of single cells. Signal Strength, Fidelity, and the Phosphorylation Cycle in Bacterial Two-component Signaling In this lecture I describe our work on a peculiar aspect of many bacterial two-component signaling systems in which the protein that mediates signal sensing functions as both a kinase and a phosphatase. The resulting cycle of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation leads to a number of interesting properties of these systems that we have explored through modeling and experiment in E. coli. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Mark Goulian I received my Ph.D. in Theoretical High Energy Physics in 1990. After several years of exploring different areas of physics, I landed at Rockefeller University as a fellow in the Center for Studies in Physics and Biology. At Rockefeller, I spent most of my time working on problems in membrane biophysics and cell biology, primarily in the laboratory of Sandy Simon. In the midst of this work, I became fascinated with cell signaling in bacteria. I therefore started learning bacterial genetics and exploring two-component signaling in E. coli in the background. After five years at Rockefeller, I came to the University of Pennsylvania as an Assistant Professor – initially in the Physics Department, although I subsequently switched my primary appointment to Biology. My lab has continued to focus on two-component signaling in E. coli. There are roughly thirty distinct systems in this bacterium, which are presumably involved in detecting distinct environmental signals. This has proven to be a fertile area for comparing and contrasting different regulatory circuits, with an eye towards understanding the underlying design principles of these systems. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Mark Goulian Primary Division H Genetics & Molecular Biology Secondary Division K Microbial Physiology & Metabolism



http://www.bio.upenn.edu/faculty/goulian/


Joseph Heitman, M.D., Ph.D. (term ends on 6/30/09) Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology 322 CARL Building, Research Drive DUMC Box 3546 Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC 27710

Phone: 919-684-2824 Fax: 919-684-5458 E-mail: [email protected] Speaker’s URL: http://mgm.duke.edu/microbial/mycology/heitman/

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS Sex in Fungi: Evolution and Virulence Sexual reproduction in fungi generates diversity, and yet many pathogenic fungi have cryptic sexual cycles or no known sexual cycle. Genome sequencing has revealed that many fungi thought to be asexual in fact contain all of the genes thought to be required for mating and meiosis, and also harbor the mating type locus. These findings force a re-evaluation of the occurrence and role that sex plays in fungal pathogens. How Model and Pathogenic Fungi Sense the Environment and the Host As eukaryotic microorganisms, fungi serve as valuable models to understand how organisms sense and respond to their environment. Recent studies have revealed in elegant molecular detail how fungi sense nutrients, including nitrogen and carbon sources, pheromones during mating, light, and carbon dioxide. Studies on these conserved signaling cascades often provide insight into how more complex multicellular organisms achieve similar discriminatory potential. Pigeons, Cryptococcus, and a Fungal Meningitis Outbreak The human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans is globally distributed in association with pigeon guano, and is now the leading cause of fungal meningitis. It is a common cause of infection in immunocompromised patients and can also cause disease in immunocompetent hosts. This organism has emerged as an exemplary model pathogenic fungus, with robust genomic and genetic and virulence models. A closely related sibling species, Cryptococcus gattii, is also causing an ongoing outbreak on Vancouver Island. Evolution of Gene Clusters: The Mating Type Locus Paradigm In contrast to operons that are prominent in the bacterial kingdom, most eukaryotic genes are not organized into any recognizable fashion. But prominent exceptions are fungal gene clusters that play roles in the production of secondary metabolites, in some metabolic cascades, and in defining mating type. Here recent studies on the evolution and function of the mating type locus will be used to highlight how gene clusters can form, with implications for the evolution of other types of gene clusters. Recombination is found to play a central role in reshaping the genome and enabling higher order regulation of gene expression and function in eukaryotes. Antifungal Drug Action and the Elucidation of Gene Targets in Fungi Classic studies defined the mechanisms of action of the immunosuppressive drugs cyclosporine A, FK506 and rapamycin using the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These studies revealed that a common set of drug targets, including cyclophilin, FKBP12, calcineurin and Tor, underlie the action of these drugs both in fungi and in cells of the mammalian immune system. These drugs are natural products with potent antimicrobial activity which can be employed to define fungal virulence determinants and possibly also as novel therapeutics.



http://mgm.duke.edu/microbial/mycology/heitman/

http://mgm.duke.edu/microbial/mycology/heitman/



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Joseph Heitman Joseph Heitman received M.D. and Ph.D. degrees at Cornell and Rockefeller University (DNA Repair/Restriction-Modification) and was an EMBO fellow at the Biocenter (yeast as a model of immunosuppressant action). He is a James B. Duke Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Duke University. His studies focus on how cells sense nutrients, microbe-host interactions, and sexual reproduction in microbial virulence using model and pathogenic fungi. Dr. Heitman was a Burroughs-Wellcome Scholar in Molecular Pathogenic Mycology and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute from 1992-2005, and received the ASBMB Amgen and IDSA Squibb Awards. He is as an MBL Mycology Course instructor, editor for Eukaryotic Cell, Fungal Genetics and Biology, and Current Genetics, member of the PLoS Biology, Current Biology, and Cell Host & Microbe editorial boards, and a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Association of American Physicians. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Joseph Heitman Primary Division F Medical Mycology Secondary Division H Genetics & Molecular Biology


Marian Johnson-Thompson (term ends on 6/30/09) NIEHS/NIH 111 Alexander Drive, NH-06 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

Phone: 919-541-4265 Fax: 919-541-2583 E-mail: [email protected] Speaker’s URL: www.niehs.nih.gov

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS Emerging Infectious Agents of Environmental Import Environmental influences, whether natural or man-made, significantly impact the emergence and re-emergence of infectious agents. Understanding factors involved in emergence can enable individuals and communities to mitigate harmful public health threats. Some emerging and re-emerging diseases that occur locally, nationally and globally will be discussed, and the audience will appreciate their role in addressing emergence and re-emergence. The Role of Microbiology Research and Training in Addressing Health Disparities The elimination of health disparities is a major public health issue. A variety of infectious diseases disproportionately impact underserved populations, and in order to maintain a viable public health system, these issues must be addressed. One way is to train more individuals from underserved communities to seek related careers that will allow them to return to their communities and efficiently address this concern. Highlighting this approach may help to encourage more underrepresented and other concerned groups to choose microbiology careers. Contributions of U.S. Born Blacks to Microbiology and to ASM Very little is known about the early contributions of U.S. born black microbiologists to the field of microbiology and to ASM. The audience will hear why this information has been lacking and will learn about the many contributions that were made by this small, but significant group of pioneers. The lecture will focus on various contributions made by black microbiologists, beginning with physician scientist William Hinton in the early part of the 20th century who made noteworthy contributions. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Marian Johnson-Thompson Dr. Johnson-Thompson identifies the environmental health research and training needs of underserved populations. Since leaving the bench where she initially studied SV40 DVA replication, followed by multidrug resistance in breast cancer cells, she has been serving as an environmental health sciences administrator. She is also Professor Emeritus of Biology and Environmental Sciences, UDC and Adjunct Professor at the SOPH, UNC-Chapel Hill. She received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Microbiology from Howard University and a Ph.D. in Molecular Virology from Georgetown University Medical School. As a member of several national and local committees and advisory boards that address her professional interests, Dr. Johnson-Thompson is frequently invited to address issues related to science equity, health disparities, and emerging infectious agents. Her memberships include the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Society for Cell Biology, the AAAS, and Sigma Xi. In ASM, she served on the Education Board and currently serves on the ASM Archives Committee and ASM’s Public and



http://www.niehs.nih.gov/



Scientific Affairs Board where she chairs the Committee on Microbiological Issues Impacting Minorities. Some of Dr. Johnson-Thompson’s awards include the 2001 Meyerhoff Mentor of the Year Award, Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology, Fellow, AAAS, the 2003 Thurgood Marshall Alumni Award from the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, the ASM’s 2004 Alice Evans Award and the 2006 Annual Distinguished Scholar Award from the UNC-Chapel Hill SPIRE Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Marian Johnson-Thompson Primary Division Q Environmental & General Applied Microbiology Secondary Division W Microbiology Education


Jay K. Kolls (term ends on 6/30/09) Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Suite 3765 3705 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Phone: 412-692-8429 Fax: 412-692-7636 E-mail: [email protected]

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS Th17 Cells and Mucosal Immunity (For specific information on this lecture, please contact Jay K. Kolls at [email protected].) Interleukin-17 Family Members and Lung Inflammation (For specific information on this lecture, please contact Jay K. Kolls at [email protected].) Host Defense and Vaccine Strategies Against Pneumocystis (For specific information on this lecture, please contact Jay K. Kolls at [email protected].) BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Jay K. Kolls Dr. Jay K. Kolls is the Neils K. Jerne Professor of Pediatrics and Immunology, and Division Chief of Pediatric Pulmonology at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He earned his Medical Degree at the University of Maryland and completed his residency training in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, LA. After that, he completed Fellowships in Adult and Pediatric Pulmonology at LSU and Tulane Health Sciences Center respectively. He performed his research fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Bruce Beutler at Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX. Dr. Kolls is a member of the American Association of Immunology, American Society for Microbiology, and the American Society of Clinical Investigation. Dr. Kolls has authored or co-authored more than 150 peer-reviewed articles. The major goal of Dr. Kolls’ research is to investigate mechanisms of mucosal host defenses in normal and immunocompromised hosts. Presently, his lab is investigating how IL-23 and IL-17 regulate host defense against extracellular pathogens. Additionally, he has been recently funded to study the effects of chronic alcohol use on the immune system. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Jay K. Kolls Primary Division E Immunology Secondary Division F Medical Mycology







Laura D. Kramer (term ends on 6/30/09) Arbovirus Laboratories Wadsworth Center New York Sate Department of Health Albany, NY 12201

Phone: 518-869-4524 Fax: 518-869-4530 E-mail: [email protected] Speaker’s URL: http://www.wadsworth.org/resnres/bios/kramer.htm

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS Dynamics of Virus-Vector-Vertebrate Interactions The focus of ongoing research is the complexity of the inter-relationships between the virus, the vector, and the vertebrate host. My laboratory is unraveling the fabric of interwoven factors that impact the intensity of virus transmission. These include, for example, mosquito and vertebrate competence, genetics, virus strain, population density of hosts, and degree of contact among them. The approach taken in these studies is informative for many zoonotic pathogens. West Nile Virus: A New Perspective on an Old Virus West Nile virus was first identified in 1937 when it was determined to be the cause of illness in a febrile woman in Uganda. Until the 1990s, the virus caused limited outbreaks in the world, but since then, West Nile virus has led to more severe disease worldwide, more frequently, particularly following introduction to the United States in 1999. The virus continues to defy prediction as it has demonstrated tremendous adaptability to new environments, novel modes of transmission, and other unexpected characteristics. Evolutionary Dynamics of Two Flaviviruses St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) and West Nile (WN) viruses are very closely related antigenically, genetically, and structurally, yet their epidemiological patterns in the western hemisphere have been very different in recent years. WN virus has been expanding both its host and geographic ranges, showing significant activity throughout the U.S. every year since its introduction in 1999. SLE virus, on the other hand, is subject to periodic outbreaks which remain relatively contained. Recent in vitro data from our laboratory has revealed potential differences in adaptation between SLE and WN viruses. Laboratory studies on the impact of passage in mosquito and avian hosts are shedding some light on the differences between these two viruses. The Mosquito and the Virus: An Unbalanced Relationship? It is often assumed that arthropod-borne viral infections do not harm their arthropod vectors. However, this may not be entirely correct. In addition, the mosquito may facilitate virus transmission to vertebrate hosts. Studies delving into the fitness consequences of infection of Culex mosquitoes with West Nile virus, and the benefit to the virus of infection by mosquito bite will be discussed. History of Women in Science with a Focus on Arbovirology Women have made great strides in achieving equality with men in the sciences, but there still is a gender gap. The changes that have taken place for women in the laboratory and classroom will be discussed, and profiles of women who were highly successful in one field, arbovirology, in spite of great odds against this, will be presented.



http://www.wadsworth.org/resnres/bios/kramer.htm

http://www.wadsworth.org/resnres/bios/kramer.htm



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Laura D. Kramer I am the Director of the Arbovirus Laboratories and of the Griffin Insectary, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, and an Associate Professor in the Departments of Biomedical Sciences, and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, in the School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany. My laboratory wears two interconnected hats, conducting surveillance for, and basic research on, medically important arboviruses. My research program consists of basic and applied field and laboratory studies examining the interaction of mosquito-borne arboviruses, arthropod vectors, and vertebrate hosts, and examining how this interaction impacts the intensity of transmission of the pathogen. Studies focus on alpha- and flaviviruses, examining intrinsic (genetic) and extrinsic (temperature, dose, time after infection) factors affecting vectorial capacity. We are currently working predominantly with the flavivirus, West Nile virus, which is an enveloped virus containing positive sense single-stranded RNA, but also study another flavivirus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, and an alphavirus, eastern equine encephalitis virus. Research projects include those addressing the molecular epidemiology of these viruses, mosquito population genetics, and impact of infection on mosquito fitness. Ongoing studies also address the impact of in vitro passage in mosquito and avian cells and in vivo in arthropod and avian hosts on viral fitness and evolution. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Laura D. Kramer Primary Division T RNA Viruses Secondary Division R Evolutionary & Genomic Microbiology


Eugene L. Madsen (term ends on 6/30/09) Department of Microbiology B57A Wing Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853

Phone: 607-255-2417 Fax: 607-255-3904 E-mail: [email protected] Speaker’s URL: http://author.cals.cornell.edu/cals/micro/research/labs/madsen-lab/index.cfm

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS Aerobic Naphthalene Biodegradation: Physiology, Toxicity, and Insights from the Genome of Polaromonas naphthalenivorans We are interested in discovering the “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” “how,” and “why” of microorganisms in real-world habitats. Several years ago we added stable isotopically-labeled (13C) naphthalene to contaminated surface sediments, and molecular biological procedures allowed us to follow the 13C atoms into the nucleic acids of the microorganisms responsible for naphthalene biodegradation. We also were able to isolate a bacterium, Polaromonas naphthalenivorans strain CJ2, that is representative of the microorganisms that actively metabolize naphthalene in the field. Thus, we now have the opportunity to explore many characteristics of strain CJ2 – with hopes of understanding why it is ecologically successful in its habitat. This seminar will provide a synopsis of how we have compared the physiology and biochemistry and genetics of stain CJ2 to other well characterized naphthalene-degrading bacteria. We found, surprisingly, that strain CJ2 can be inhibited by naphthalene and its metabolites and that the reason may be unusual arrangement and regulation of the naphthalene biodegradation genes. Molecular Microbial Ecology of a Shallow Contaminated Aquifer: Biogeochemistry and Stable Isotope Probing It is a challenge to understand the fate of organic environmental contaminants in field sites. For more than 10 years we have assembled geochemical, microbiological, biochemical, ecological and molecular biological evidence about the role of microorganisms in adapting to and metabolizing naphthalene in situ in a contaminated aquifer in S. Glens Falls NY. This seminar presents highlights of the work. Bioremediation Demystified: What Can Microbial Processes Accomplish and How Do We Know? Bioremediation is a term with many connotations. This seminar is designed to provide a clear overview of what bioremediation is, what it can accomplish, and how quickly. Broad concepts will be presented that are supported by the speaker’s direct experiences in working at field sites contaminated by chlorinated solvents and aromatic hydrocarbons. Field assays and physiological, geochemical, and molecular biological evidence for bioremediation will be emphasized.



http://author.cals.cornell.edu/cals/micro/research/labs/madsen-lab/index.cfm

http://author.cals.cornell.edu/cals/micro/research/labs/madsen-lab/index.cfm


Emergent Biogeochemical Processes Revealed by Dynamic Microbial Biomarkers in a Contaminated Aquifer Despite the crucial role of microbial processes in ecosystem maintenance, documenting their occurrence in complex open field sites is a challenge. Integration of diverse microbial processes that cause biogeochemical change (e.g., site chemistry, dynamics of community composition, key functional genes, related mRNA transcripts expressed in situ and associated metabolites) is rare. We present 16 years of chemical monitoring data tracking the response of a groundwater ecosystem to organic contamination (aromatic compounds) associated with coal-tar waste. As the concentrations of contaminants diminished in time, physiologically drastic alterations (e.g., oxygen depletion, production of sulfide and methane) in site geochemistry were caused by microbial populations using compounds of coal-tar waste as carbon sources and physiological electron donors. We analyzed small-subunit rRNA (from Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya) and other genes in the native microbial community which revealed that diverse, intricate food webs had developed in response to the contamination and were dynamic in time. The physiologies associated with community members and biomarkers (especially expressed mRNA transcripts for naphthalene dioxygenase, benzylsuccinate synthase, cytochrome c nitrite reductase and ammonia monooxygenase) for aerobic and anaerobic microbial transformations of methane, ammonia, nitrate, and aromatic contaminants show that an intricate web of microbially mediated oxidation-reduction processes had developed. The reduced byproducts of microbial metabolism (methane, sulfide, ammonia) appear to have played a hidden but major role in site biogeochemistry by serving as electron donors for otherwise unsupported groups of microbial populations. Resilience of this ecosystem to contamination can be attributed to a dynamic commingling of diverse aerobic and anaerobic biogeochemical processes. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Eugene L. Madsen Academic credentials: B.A. Chemistry (University of California at Santa Cruz); B.S. Soil Science (Oregon State University); M.S. and Ph.D. Microbiology, Ecology, Soil Science (Cornell University) My fundamental research interests are in documenting the "who," "what," "how," "where," "when," and "why" of microbiological processes in water, soil, sediments, and ground water. Microorganisms play a critical role in biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nutrients, and pollutant compounds in the biosphere. Yet, methodological limitations of environmental microbiology are severe. For instance, despite its relevance to society, proving that microbial populations are truly active in catalyzing biodegradation of organic pollutants in a given habitat is a difficult task. Learning the identity of microbes carrying out particular biogeochemical reactions is also a major scientific frontier. A synthesis of genetic, biochemical, physiological, analytical, and field-site research will successfully lead to progress in understanding how to measure, verify, and harness microbially-mediated processes that affect environmental quality. Research projects have had objectives that include characterizing soil and subsurface (ground water) microorganisms and their activities, devising criteria for documenting detoxification processes in contaminated sites, discovering factors that govern reductive dechlorination reactions of halogenated organic compounds, using molecular biological methods to assess horizontal gene transfer and other mechanisms of microbial adaptation to pollutant compounds, understanding geochemical and physiological characteristics that may prevent or foster microbial activity, using Stable Isotope Probing procedures to identify microbes responsible for particular




processes, and developing a rapport with the biogeochemistry of field sites so that realism is an integral part of conceptual advancements in environmental microbiology. Recent genome sequencing by the U.S.D.O.E. of Polaromonas naphthalenivorans (a bacterium active in situ in metabolizing naphthalene in polluted sediment) paves the way for studies aimed at identifying the genetic basis for ecological fitness. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Eugene L. Madsen Primary Division N Microbial Ecology Secondary Division Q Environmental & General Applied Microbiology


Lenore Pereira (term ends on 6/30/09) University of California San Francisco Department of Cell and Tissue Biology 513 Parnassus San Francisco, CA 94143-0640

Phone: 415-476-8248 Fax: 415-476-3983 E-mail: [email protected]

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS Human Cytomegalovirus Infection at the Maternal-Fetal Interface: Role of the Placenta in Virus Transmission and Intrauterine Growth Restriction These studies include a discussion of the routes of CMV transmission from mother to fetus and the role of IgG in enhancing or protecting against placental infection. How patterns of infection relate to developmentally regulated virion receptors on placental cells in the fetal and uterine compartments will be explained. Viral dysregulation of cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesion proteins, metalloproteinases and immune molecules in placental cells are described. Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection: Placental Pathology and Adaptation After Maternal Treatment with Hyperimmunegobulin Our unpublished studies of placentas from congenital CMV infection and molecular mechanisms of viral pathology leading to fetal growth restriction from placental insufficiency are discussed. Remarkable structural changes associated with placental adaptation to hypoxia following maternal treatment with CMV hyperimmuneglobulin are described. Models including the molecular processes associated with fibrotic damage and developmental compensation are included. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Lenore Pereira My research has focused on human herpes simplex virus (HSV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in specialized cell types described in over 100 publications and invited reviews. After postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago (1977), I conducted a research program at the California State Health Laboratories supported by NSF and NIH grants (1982). We generated the first murine monoclonal antibodies to HSV and CMV glycoproteins used as diagnostic reagents. At the University of California San Francisco, my group elucidated functional epitopes of glycoproteins enabling virion attachment (1985-1995). During the AIDS epidemic, CMV retinitis was a major cause of blindness in immunocompromised patients. We became interested in pathogenesis and were the first to model infection in polarized retinal pigment epithelial cells (1995-1998). We identified glycoproteins that promote virion penetration of apical membranes and cell-cell spread across basolateral surfaces. Having studied CMV replication in polarized cells, we conjectured that the placenta, a fetal-derived organ composed of differentiating epithelial cells that remodel uterine arteries, could play a central role in congenital infection that affects 3% of pregnancies in the United States annually. Our recent studies of CMV replication patterns and molecular changes in early-gestation placentas and the role of humoral immunity in protection were a breakthrough in understanding parameters affecting virus transmission and placental defects (2000-2006). Currently, we have focused on dysregulated cytokines and growth factors in placental damage and adaptation after maternal treatment with CMV hyperimmuneglobulin that protects against symptomatic fetal infection. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Lenore Pereira Primary Division S DNA Viruses




Michael W. Russell (term ends on 6/30/10) Department of Microbiology and Immunology University at Buffalo Farber 138 3435 Main Street Buffalo, NY 14214

Phone: 716-829-2790 Fax: 716-829-2748 E-mail: [email protected] Speaker’s URL: http://www.smbs.buffalo.edu/wcmpi/faculty/russell.html

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS Immunity Where It Matters Most – The Mucosal Frontier This lecture can cover a variety of topics ranging from the biological functions of IgA antibodies to the strategies for eliciting mucosal immune responses and vaccine development, illustrated by experimental work in Dr. Russell’s laboratory. A didactic lecture on mucosal immunity and the mucosal immune system (up to 2 hours) is also available, and may be suitable for inclusion in graduate-level immunology courses. Mucosal Vaccine Challenges: Down in the Mouth or Down Below! Since most human infections either directly affect or invade through the mucosal surfaces represented largely by the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, considerable effort is being made to develop mucosal vaccines that would protect against these diseases at the portal of entry. Several other human diseases afflicting mucosal surfaces cause considerable morbidity and present greater challenges for vaccine development. For example, dental caries is reckoned to be the world’s most common infectious disease, and periodontal disease afflicts 95% of adults over the age of 35 years. Vaccines could offer one approach to controlling these conditions. In addition, WHO data indicate that the worldwide incidence of curable sexually transmitted diseases is approximately 300 million new cases per year. Understanding the mechanisms of immune defense and response in the genital tract will be crucial for developing much needed vaccines to control these infections. This lecture can be tailored to focus on aspects that are of interest to particular audiences. IgA, the Most Abundant Yet Most Overlooked Immunoglobulin The production of IgA accounts for approximately 80% of all immunoglobulin production in the human body. Most of this is destined for exocrine secretions, but even in the circulation, the synthetic rate of IgA approaches that of IgG. The biological functions of secretory IgA (S-IgA) in protecting mucosal surfaces are fairly well understood, but the role of serum IgA remains somewhat enigmatic. This lecture will discuss what is known about the physiological role of the most heterogeneous of human Igs. Toxins and Tolls: Exploiting Enterotoxins as Adjuvants for Mucosal Vaccines In the quest for new and effective mucosal vaccines, the development of appropriate adjuvants is crucial. Among many approaches, exploitation of the remarkable immunostimulatory properties of the heat-labile enterotoxins produced by gram-negative enterobacteria has been one of the most intensively researched. New findings concerning the comparative effects of type II and type I enterotoxins on immune cells offer insight into their mode of action as adjuvants that may be amenable to vaccine development.



http://www.smbs.buffalo.edu/wcmpi/faculty/russell.html

http://www.smbs.buffalo.edu/wcmpi/faculty/russell.html



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Michael W. Russell In a career of more than 35 years, Dr. Russell has progressed from the mammary gland to the mouth and now the genital tract; Freudians can make of that what they will! Starting with a B.A. Hons (1966) from Cambridge University, he obtained his Ph.D. at Reading University (1973) for studies on phagocytic defense against bovine mastitis, and then performed postdoctoral research on vaccination against dental caries at Guy’s Hospital, London, where he discovered Streptococcus mutans proteins AgI/II and AgIII. He joined the Mucosal Immunology Group at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in 1979, and worked on aspects of IgA function. During a sabbatical year in Århus, Denmark (1987-8) he investigated the inhibition of complement by human IgA antibodies and the effects of bacterial IgA1 proteases, and collaborated with a group in Göteborg, Sweden to explore the concept of coupling antigens to the B subunit of cholera toxin to make effective mucosal vaccines. Back at UAB, he developed this idea with the construction of recombinant chimeric immunogens which induced salivary IgA antibodies and protected against dental caries. He then diversified into the genital tract with a project on immunity to gonorrhea. Studies on the immunomodulatory properties of type II heat-labile enterotoxins led to his relocation to the University at Buffalo in 2000, where he continues to investigate the use of enterotoxins as carriers and adjuvants for mucosal vaccines, and immunity to Neisseria gonorrhoeae. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Michael W. Russell Primary Division E Immunology Secondary Division B Microbial Pathogenesis


Michael J. Sadowsky (term ends on 6/30/10) University of Minnesota Department of Soil, Water, and Climate 439 Borlaug Hall 1991 Upper Buford Circle St. Paul, MN 55108

Phone: 612-624-2706 Fax: 612-625-2208 E-mail: [email protected] Speaker’s URL: http://www.ecolirep.umn.edu/

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS The Beach is Closed! – Sources and Sinks of Pathogens and Other Fecal Bacteria in the Environment Modern molecular tools are now being used to determine sources and sinks of fecal bacteria in the environment. Results from many studies have shown that fecal loading in the environment is due to both human and animal sources. Thus, fecal indicator bacteria may not be useful tools to determine health risks. Despite previous assertions, fecal coliform bacteria and many pathogens survive well in the environment, in many cases by forming associations with Eukaryotes and by becoming integrated members of microbial communities in soil and water. The pervasiveness of fecal bacteria in the environment requires that we re-evaluate how we deal with waste from human and animal sources and how we assign health risks associated with contact with these materials. New Surprises in Nitrogen-Fixing Plant-Microbe Symbioses – We Are Not Done Learning Yet! Leguminous plants (such as peas and soybeans) and rhizobial soil bacteria form nodules on legume roots, and occasionally on stems, that house nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Twenty years of research has indicated that nodule formation was exclusively initiated by host plant-induced transcriptional activation of bacterial nodulation genes, and the binding of bacterial lipochitooligosaccharide Nod factors to kinase-like receptors of the plant. However, we have recently discovered, via two genome sequencing projects, that photosynthetic Bradyrhizobium strains do not posses canonical nodulation genes and do not produce Nod factors. Instead, these bacteria form symbiotic associations with legumes by entry through small cracks in stems and roots and via hormonal signaling to the host plant. The Rapid Evolution of Bacterial Genes and Pathways for Biodegradation of Synthetic Organic Compound The s-triazine herbicides, such as atrazine, were synthesized and introduced into the environment about 50 years ago. While for over 30 years it was thought that s-triazine compounds were poorly biodegradable, with soil half-lives of atrazine in the range of 60 to 400 days, more recently, environmental half-lives have decreased dramatically; they are now typically measured at 1 to 50 days. Since the early 1990’s, our labs and many around the world have reported the isolation of pure bacterial cultures capable of growing on atrazine as sole N and C sources for growth. These observations are consistent with the idea that a new metabolic pathway for atrazine catabolism may have evolved and spread in recent evolutionary times. Moreover, we have shown that nearly identical, plasmid-encoded, bacterial atrazine catabolism genes are found worldwide in diverse bacterial genera, and genomic analyses have shown that many of these genes likely evolved in less than 50 years from existing genes required for catabolism of nitrogenous compounds required for microbial growth.



http://www.ecolirep.umn.edu/



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Michael J. Sadowsky Dr. Sadowsky has authored or coauthored more than 125 articles in scientific journals, and was elected fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in 1999. Dr. Sadowsky's research efforts are directed toward the identification and characterization of bacterial genes and metabolic pathways involved in the biodegradation of chemical pollutants, such as the herbicide atrazine. His laboratory has been using microarrays, combinatorial DNA methodologies, and genomics to investigate atrazine-degrading microorganisms in soil, the regulation of gene expression, the evolution of new atrazine-degrading genes, and the role that horizontal gene transfer plays in the dissemination of atrazine degradation genes in soil microbial communities. His laboratory is also using purified enzymes, as well as transgenic bacteria and plants, to clean-up atrazine-contaminated soils and water. In addition, his research efforts are directed toward the identification and examination of bacterial genes involved in the early periods of legume-microbe symbioses. He is specifically interested in studying genes in Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium genes that play a prominent role in host/microbe recognition and in the establishment of symbiotic, nitrogen-fixing nodules, and the survival of these bacteria in soils. Lastly, he is also actively involved in developing molecular tools to determine sources of fecal bacteria in the environment, and examining how ecological and anthropogenic factors influence sources and sinks of pathogenic and commensalistic bacteria in the environment. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Michael J. Sadowsky Primary Division Q Environmental & General Applied Microbiology Secondary Division N Microbial Ecology


Olaf Schneewind (term ends on 6/30/10) Department of Microbiology University of Chicago 920 East 58th Street Chicago, IL 60637

Phone: 773-834-9060 Fax: 773-834-8150 E-mail: [email protected] Speaker’s URL: http://microbiology.uchicago.edu/schneewind.htm

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS Assembly of the Envelope of Gram-positive Bacteria (For specific information on this lecture, please contact Olaf Schneewind at [email protected]) Vaccines to Prevent Staphylococcal Infections (For specific information on this lecture, please contact Olaf Schneewind at [email protected]) Development of Plague Vaccine (For specific information on this lecture, please contact Olaf Schneewind at [email protected]) Substrate Selection by Type III Machine of Yersiniae (For specific information on this lecture, please contact Olaf Schneewind at [email protected]) Pathogenesis of Anthrax Infections (For specific information on this lecture, please contact Olaf Schneewind at [email protected]) BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Olaf Schneewind A native of Germany, Dr. Schneewind received both his M.D. (1988) and his Ph.D. (1988) in Microbiology from the University of Cologne. He obtained subsequent post-doctoral training at Rockefeller University's Laboratory of Bacteriology and Immunology under the mentorship of Dr. Vincent Fischetti. In 1992, he received his first appointment as Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, where he was subsequently promoted to Associate Professor (1997) and Professor (2001). Dr. Schneewind then joined the Biological Sciences Division faculty at the University of Chicago in 2001. Dr. Schneewind's research program examines the mechanisms and strategies whereby pathogenic bacteria cause human diseases. His research has produced more than 75 peer-reviewed publications and several book chapters. Dr. Schneewind has also served as an editorial board member for Molecular Microbiology, Journal of Bacteriology, and Trends in Microbiology. Additionally, he serves as a consultant to many well-known pharmaceutical companies, lending his academic expertise to translational research efforts. Dr. Schneewind has received many honors and awards during the course of his distinguished career. In 1995, he received the Stein-Oppenheimer Research Award, and in 2000 he received the Shipley Award from Harvard Medical School. In 2003, Dr. Schneewind aided the successful application for a state-of-the-art Biosafety Level 3 facility, the Howard T. Ricketts Laboratory, to be constructed at Argonne National Laboratory. In that same year, he became Principal Investigator of the Great Lakes Regional Center of Excellence (GLRCE) for Biodefense, a



http://microbiology.uchicago.edu/schneewind.htm



program supporting a consortium of now 20 area institutions that is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) with more than $35 million over five years. Under Dr. Schneewind's leadership, the Great Lakes Regional Center will focus on developing vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics for such dread diseases as anthrax, botulism, tularemia, hemorrhagic fever viruses, and plague. He currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Damon Runyon Cancer Foundation as well as on several National Institutes of Health study sections. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Olaf Schneewind Primary Division B Microbial Pathogenesis Secondary Division H Genetics & Molecular Biology


Lynn L. Silver, Ph.D. (term ends on 6/30/09) 3403 Park Place Springfield, NJ 07081-3500

Phone: 973-218-1466 E-mail: [email protected]

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS Meeting the Challenges of Antibacterial Discovery Since the golden age of antibacterial antibiotic discovery, the rate of discovery and development of novel antibacterials has decreased, even though genomics and high throughput screening have been applied to the search. In this seminar, a brief history of antibacterial discovery will delineate the rate-limiting steps of the process, and the need for new approaches to address these obstacles will be discussed. Rethinking Antibacterial Targets The standardly-used monotherapeutic antibacterial agents have a limited number of targets. One strategy for the discovery and development of agents to overcome the problem of increasing resistance to antibacterials is exploitation of novel targets, since inhibitors of such targets should not be subject to existing resistance mechanisms. However, over the past fifteen years or so, very little progress has been made in this endeavor. The multi-targeting characteristics of the successful antibacterials and implications for discovery of inhibitors of novel targets will be discussed. Phenotypic Screening for Novel Antibacterials The search for novel antibacterial agents may be approached by biochemical target-based screens or whole cell screening. Whole cell screens for antibacterial agents can be divided into empirical (kill the bug) and phenotypic methods, i.e., methods which detect inhibitors of single targets or pathways by monitoring their effects on specific reporter strains of bacteria. Such screens and their use in discovery of novel antibacterials will be discussed. Natural Product Screening for Antibacterial Agents Natural products (NP) from micro-organisms have been a fruitful source of antibacterial agents. The seminar includes a brief survey of NP antibacterials and an overview of the challenges of coordinating efforts in screening, dereplication and isolation of novel antibiotics. The Antibacterial Pipeline: Nonexistent or Merely Sparse? Although there is a need for new antibacterials to address the increase of bacterial resistance to older drugs, the output of new drugs has been very low. The status of compounds in late pre-clinical and clinical development will be discussed with an emphasis on novel agents. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Lynn L. Silver Dr. Silver received her doctorate in Molecular Biology and Microbiology from Tufts University in 1975, and did postdoctoral work at the Université de Genève and at NIH. In 1982, she joined Merck Research Laboratories (Rahway, NJ), where she worked for 21 years conducting research and supervising groups involved in discovery efforts for new antibacterials in both natural products and chemical collections, supporting chemical synthetic projects on improved antibacterials, and evaluating pre-clinical antibacterial drug candidates. Her expertise includes screen design and execution, microbiological evaluation of hits and leads, and studies of





mechanism of action and resistance. After taking early retirement from Merck in 2003, she established an independent consultancy (LL Silver Consulting, LLC) in the area of antibacterial discovery. She has been working with biotechnology companies, applying her experience in pharmaceutical and academic research to the problems and projects of antibacterial discovery. Dr. Silver is a member of the Faculty of 1000 and the editorial board of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. She has chaired and spoken at numerous meetings in the field and, throughout her career, has authored many research papers and reviews in the field of bacterial genetics, physiology, and biochemistry, as well as discovery and analysis of antibacterial agents. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Lynn L. Silver Primary Division A Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Secondary Division H Genetics & Molecular Biology


J. Walton Tomford, M.D. (term ends on 6/30/09) Cleveland Clinic Foundation 9500 Euclid Avenue, S-32 Cleveland, OH 44195

Office Phone: 216-444-2764 Voice Mail: 216-444-2765 E-mail: [email protected]

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS History of Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases (For specific information on this lecture, please contact J. Walton Tomford at [email protected]) Update on Epidemiology, Diagnosis and Treatment of M. tuberculosis Disease (For specific information on this lecture, please contact J. Walton Tomford at [email protected]) Update on Epidemiology, Diagnosis and Treatment of Granulomatous Diseases (For specific information on this lecture, please contact J. Walton Tomford at [email protected]) Case Presentations in Mycobacterial, Nocardial and Fungal Diseases (For specific information on this lecture, please contact J. Walton Tomford at [email protected]) BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – J. Walton Tomford Dr. J. Walton Tomford is an Infectious Disease Specialist at the Cleveland Clinic Section of Infectious Diseases. He is well known in his field, especially in areas of granulomatous diseases, and most specifically mycobacterial diseases. Dr. Tomford received his Medical Degree at Johns Hopkins Medical School with a residency at Johns Hopkins and University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio. He did his Infectious Disease fellowship at University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to joining the Professional Staff at the Cleveland Clinic in 1989, he was on staff at Metropolitan General Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio and the Cuyahoga County Tuberculosis Clinic. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – J. Walton Tomford Primary Division C Clinical Microbiology








Hua Helen Wang (term ends on 6/30/10) The Ohio State University 110 Parker Food Science and Technology Building 2015 Fyffe Court Columbus, OH 43210

Phone: 614-292-0579 Fax: 614-292-0218 E-mail: [email protected] Speaker’s URLs: http://www.osumicrobiology.org/faculty/hwang.htm http://fst.osu.edu/Wang.htm

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS The Impact of Foodborne Commensal Bacteria on Antibiotic Resistance (AR) Transmission The rapid emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogens threatens public health. However, limiting the use of antibiotics in clinics and food animal production only reduced the prevalence of resistance in certain bacteria to a certain level, which is insufficient to turn around the tide of AR. The magnitude of the AR gene pool in retail, restaurant and homemade foods, as well as the involvement of common foodborne commensal bacteria, including “healthy” microbes, in the circulation and potential enrichment of AR in natural environment, the food chain and the hosts will be exemplified. The impact of proper food processing and other potential strategic breakthroughs on combating the AR challenge will be discussed. Foodborne Microbes: Shaping the Host Ecosystems The microflora associated with the host digestive track play an important role in the overall health of humans and animals. Key molecular mechanisms involved in microbial biofilm and ecosystem development, microbial population shift associated with food processing and intake, and the contribution of the foodborne microflora on the development and modification of host oral and gut ecosystems will be covered. The overall impact of the foodborne microbes in the dynamics of microbial circulation within the environment (water, soil, etc.), the food chain, and the hosts will be discussed. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Hua Helen Wang Dr. Wang received her doctoral training in genetics and molecular biology of lactic acid bacteria from the University of Minnesota and post-doctoral training from NIH/NICHD. Her research group illustrated the first “honeycomb” biofilm structure using Listeria monocytogenes as the model organism, the importance of horizontal gene transmission in microbial ecosystem development in Gram-positive bacteria, illustrated by Lactococcus lactis, and the significance of foodborne commensal bacteria in the facilitated dissemination, persistence and enrichment of antibiotic resistance in both the natural environment and the hosts. She served as the co-organizer and co-editor of the books Biofilms in the Food Environment by Blackwell Publishing Inc., and Foodborne Microbes: Shaping the Host Ecosystems by ASM Press. She was a member of the external advisory board for NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training for Advanced Life Support (ALS NSCORT: Trip to Mars) representing food science and microbiology, and she currently serves as Chair-elect of the Biotechnology Division, Institute of Food Technologists. ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Hua Helen Wang Primary Division P Food Microbiology

Secondary Division B Microbial Pathogenesis Lecturer Contact Info and Topic Descriptions.doc 5/20/2008


http://www.osumicrobiology.org/faculty/hwang.htm

http://fst.osu.edu/Wang.htm


Joanne M. Willey (term ends on 6/30/10) Department of Biology Hofstra University Hempstead, NY 11549

Phone: 516-463-6542 Fax: 516-463-5112 E-mail: [email protected] Speaker’s URL: http://people.hofstra.edu/Joanne_M_Willey/index.html

LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS When is an Antibiotic Not an Antibiotic? The industrially important filamentous bacteria streptomycetes secrete peptides that function as biosurfactants. These molecules coat the surface of the developing hyphae, enabling aerial filaments to break the surface tension at the colony-air interface and grow vertically. Curiously, one class of these molecules features the defining structural elements of the lantibiotics, a group of posttranslationally modified peptide antibiotics of emerging importance. Intercellular Communication Amongst Soil Bacteria It has long been held that sporulation in the streptomycetes is the result of nutrient deprivation. However, recent isolation of a variety of soil isolates shows that sporulation can be accelerated by growth of Streptomyces coelicolor in close proximity to a number of other, unrelated gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. We have explored the gamma-proteobacterium Lysobacter enzymogenes, which secretes a signal that stimulates morphological differentiation and antibiotic production in S. coelicolor. Microbiology Education: So Much Cool Stuff to Teach in So Little Time! Recent pedagogical approaches to teaching microbiology and integrating microbiology research into the classroom will be discussed, with a focus on content coverage vs. depth: are they mutually exclusive? This presentation will combine group discussion with active learning exercises. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Joanne M. Willey Dr. Willey joined the faculty at Hofstra University in 1993, and is currently Professor of Microbiology. She earned a B.A. in Biology at the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography (specializing in Marine Microbiology) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Joint Program in Oceanography in the lab of Dr. John Waterbury. She was a postdoctoral fellow in Richard Losick’s lab at Harvard University from 1988-1992. Dr. Willey’s research interests focus on the filamentous soil bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor. The streptomycetes have a complex, fungal-like life cycle and produce most of the antibiotics currently used in human and veterinary medicine. Her lab explores the processes and molecules that govern this differentiation process. This includes biosurfactants produced by the microbe and the capacity of the bacteria to communicate with one another via extracellular signaling molecules. Her lab has received funds from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, American Society for Microbiology (ASM), and several pharmaceutical companies. Most recently, she and her colleagues have published papers



http://people.hofstra.edu/Joanne_M_Willey/index.html

http://people.hofstra.edu/Joanne_M_Willey/index.html



in Molecular Microbiology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, and the Journal of Bacteriology. Dr. Willey has also been on the editorial board of the ASM journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology since 2000. Dr. Willey has taught microbiology for 15 years. She teaches at three different levels: to allied health students, to biology majors, and at the graduate level. She is the lead author of two microbiology textbooks, Prescott, Harley and Klein’s Microbiology, 7th ed. (2007) and Prescott’s Principles of Microbiology (2008); both texts are published by McGraw-Hill Higher Education, Inc. She is also the recipient of several RUI-NSF grants (Research Undergraduate Institution-National Science Foundation). ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Joanne M. Willey Primary Division I General Microbiology Secondary Division W Microbiology Education

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