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 Getting the big picture from small sources
May 2012
SHARING OPTIONS:
112th General Meeting
June 16 - 19, 2012
Moscone Center, San Francisco SAN FRANCISCO—Much as with last year’s annual
general meeting of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), the 2012 ASM
General Meeting (asm2012) will offer a very familiar environment to returning
attendees, while also offering subtle refinements.
“We always get feedback from those who attend to
get an idea of how changes we make work for them and to see what other changes
we might want to try out,” notes Dr. David Hooper of Massachusetts General
Hospital’s Division of Infectious Diseases and the current ASM president, who
notes that there are a number of things at this 112th meeting that
will be somewhat different compared to years past.
One of those changes will be a broader range of
scientific disciplines covered, he says, noting, “there are many areas of
science that, while they may not be microbiology specifically, either influence
microbiology, are touched upon by microbiological knowledge or use
microbiological tools.” Furthermore, he says, the mornings will tend to focus
on topics that are more cross-disciplinary, while afternoons will tend to offer
lectures on more specialist fare.
Also, the ASM decided to change the handling of
divisional and award lectures this year.
Hooper notes that there is no specific unifying
theme for asm2012, given that microbiology is such a diverse and broad area of
science, but Margaret McFall-Ngai of the University of Wisconsin–Madison School
of Medicine and Public Health, who is chair of the Program Committee for asm2012,
does see underlying trends that mark many of the presentations and other
offerings.
A trend that is particularly prominent at this
meeting, she says, is how new technologies are “not only changing how we do microbiology, but also how we view microbiology. For instance,
culture-independent techniques such as those based on 16S RNA sequencing
enabled us to answer the question, ‘Who is there?’—what microbes are present—but
now technologies are moving forward to the individual role each microbe plays
as part of the whole. That’s the focus of another session titled ‘Who’s
Doing What in Microbial Communities.’”
All of this technology is driving the field
forward from the human genome to the human microbiome, understanding how the
rich diversity of bacteria and other microorganisms within the human body
affect our health and may even affect behavior, McFall-Ngai says.
“A number of plenary and symposium sessions focus
on issues surrounding the microbiome, including how the gut microbiome can help
drive patient care and racial and ethnic differences in the microbiome,” she
explains. “And it’s not just humans. Other sessions focus on how microbial
colonization can affect behavior in animals and how it can drive evolution in
both plants and animals.”
“These new technologies are also being employed in
the public health arena,” McFall-Ngai adds. “One session in our diagnostic
microbiology and epidemiology program focuses on how next-generation sequencing
was employed for quick results in the cholera outbreak in Haiti and the E.
coli outbreak in Germany last year. Still other sessions will focus on
how these new technologies are changing clinical microbiology, moving away from
culture-based tests and rapidly identifying new emerging diseases.”
As for other highlights, McFall-Ngai is excited
about the opening keynote session that is showcasing how advances in basic
science can be applied to biomedical problems. ASM Lecturer Dr. James Collins
will focus on the emerging field of synthetic biology and the use of microbes
to design therapeutics. Also in the opening session, Dr. Dianne Newman and Dr.
Scott O’Neill will focus on the application of the principles of environmental
biology to the study of microbial disease.
“Another session we are very excited about is a
forward-looking plenary organized by our new Junior Advisory Group entitled
‘Microbiology in 2022: The Single-Cell Point of View.’ The session examines how
recent technological advances have revolutionized our ability to examine
microbes and the essential mechanisms driving diversity, activity and
interactions among individual cells within populations and communities,”
McFall-Ngai says. “We’re pleased to be able to involve the younger members of
our society in programming sessions for the meeting and take advantage of the
fresh viewpoints they can offer.”
ASM takes
part in global TB lab initiative
VEYRIER-DU-LAC, France—In mid-April, the American
Society for Microbiology (ASM) participated in the Stop TB Partnership’s 4th
Global Laboratory Initiative (GLI) held in France. The GLI is a network of
international partners dedicated to accelerating and expanding access to
quality-assured laboratory services in response to the diagnostic challenges of
tuberculosis (TB), notably HIV-associated and drug-resistant TB. According the
ASM, “the GLI provides a focus for TB within the framework of a multifaceted
yet integrated approach to laboratory capacity strengthening.”
ASM busy
with policy work
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Early 2012 has seen a flurry of
U.S. policy work reach fruition or gain momentum, as the American Society for
Microbiology (ASM) looked out for the needs of microbiology from its
headquarters in the nation’s capital. Most notably, perhaps, the ASM
submitted recommendations in March to Congress supporting increased research
and public health program funding for fiscal year 2013 appropriations for the
federal agencies that support public health programs, biomedical efforts,
agriculture and environmental research.
Among the highlights were ASM urging lawmakers to
increase funding for the National Institutes of Health above the
administration’s proposed flat level funding of $30.7 billion to no less than
$32 billion; ASM voicing concern over the proposed budget for the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, which faces a $664 million (11.6 percent)
decrease from fiscal year 2012, and asking Congress to reverse the recent trend
of cuts to the CDC budget and core infectious disease programs; and ASM stressing
that the proposed net budget increase for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
of only $11.5 million would not be adequate to sustain the FDA’s critical role
in public health.
asm2012:
What it’s for and whom it serves
Objectives
Upon
completion of asm2012, attendees should be able to:
asm2012 is designed to meet the needs of
professionals in the field of microbiology, particularly clinical
microbiologists, pathologists, researchers, pharmacists, physicians and other
healthcare professionals. Current trends will be covered regarding:
Opening session lectures “Biology by Design: The Emergence of Synthetic Biology” James Collins of the Center for BioDynamics, Boston “From Iron Oxides to Infections: Linking Geo- and Medical Microbiology” Dianne Newman of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. In addition, ASM—in an effort to increase the participation of underrepresented minority (URM) groups in microbiology related fields—offered American General Meeting Minority Travel Grants to help defray expenses associated with travel to asm2012. Postdoctoral scholars, faculty from URM groups and faculty from minority serving institutions and community colleges who have demonstrated their interest in mentoring URM trainees in the microbiological sciences were eligible to receive as much as $2,000. One of those is the Heatley-Payne Exchange Program for Early Career Scientists, which is funded jointly by ASM and the United Kingdom’s Society for General Microbiology. This grant allows for the exchange of one member from each society to present an abstract at the annual general meeting of the other society and to spend one to three weeks at a nearby research laboratory. Continuing education at asm2012 SAN FRANCISCO—If you’re looking for continuing education (CE) credits for attending asm2012, be advised that ASM will only offer P.A.C.E. (Professional Acknowledgment for Continuing Education) credits, in which a disclosure is not required nor will be collected. ASM is accredited by the California Department of
Health Services to offer continuing education for California clinical laboratory
scientists, so all sessions designated for P.A.C.E. CE credit also qualify for
California CE credit toward clinical laboratory scientist license renewal.
ASM onsite career service makes return appearance SAN FRANCISCO—ASM will once again feature its online job board and onsite placement service, ASM Career Connections, at asm2012. Employers and candidates can post positions and resumes, identify others attending the meeting and communicate by email to arrange face-to-face interviews onsite. Computers will be available to access the service at the ASM Career Connections booth in the Exhibit Hall. ASM’s Career service is free for job seekers who are members of ASM. Employers who are ASM members receive a discount on their postings. For more information, such as how to register in advance to get a head start on job hunting, email placement@asmusa.org. SAN FRANCISCO—If you are bringing children along with you to asm2012, be advised that ASM is not providing child-care services at the convention center this year. The organization does offer a few suggestions for child-care services that you can look into to get you started, though none of them are officially endorsed by ASM. ABC Bay Area Childcare Agency American Childcare Services www.americanchildcare.com Bay Area 2nd Mom www.2ndmom.com Also, ASM notes that children are not permitted entry into session rooms and no one under the age of 18 is permitted on the exhibit hall floor during setup or dismantling hours. During scheduled show hours, exceptions are made when parents or guardians complete and sign a minor release form. This form is available in the general meeting information booth and in the ASM headquarters office. Strollers are not allowed in the exhibit hall and may be checked at the coat and baggage check. For more about the asm2012 (award lectures and division lectures) as well as photos of things to do and places to visit in San Francisco, click here.
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