2023 Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference

Conference Schedule Overview

• Day 1 | Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, 4:00 p.m. - 8:25 p.m.
• Day 2 | Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, 7:30 a.m. - 6:15 p.m.
• Day 3 | Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Day 1: Friday, Oct. 20, 2023 

4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.	Registration - Thorne Atrium
4:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.	Welcome Reception - Thorne Atrium

 

6:30 p.m. – 7:55 p.m.	OPENING SESSION | Thorne Auditorium
6:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.	Welcoming Remarks
6:45 p.m. – 7:20 p.m.	Mark Mandel, PhD (University of Wisconsin-Madison): Specificity and signaling during beneficial colonization
7:20 p.m. – 7:55 p.m.	JD Sauer, PhD (University of Wisconsin-Madison): Life on the inside: adaptations of a cytosolic pathogen

 

7:55 p.m. – 8:25 p.m.	SESSION 1 | Thorne Auditorium Moderator: Lauren Palmer, PhD, University of Illinois Chicago
7:55 p.m. – 8:10 p.m.	Kelly Bachta, MD, PhD (Northwestern University): Of bottlenecks and bile: Pseudomonas aeruginosa bloodstream infection dynamics
8:10 p.m. – 8:25 p.m.	Stephanie Shames, PhD (Michigan State University): Role of metaeffectors in Legionella pneumophila virulence

 

Day 2: Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023 

7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.	Continental Breakfast - Thorne Atrium
	Registration - Thorne Atrium
	***** Odd number Poster set up (Lurie-Simpson Querrey Atriums)*****

 

9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.	SESSION 2 | Thorne Auditorium Moderator: Jonathan Allen, PhD, Loyola University Chicago
9:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.	Evan Pardue (Washington University in St Louis): Dual Membrane-spanning Anti-Sigma Factors Regulate Vesiculation in Gut Bacteroidota.
9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.	Sam Light, PhD (University of Chicago): Defining versatile microbial metabolisms that contextualize the gut ecosystem
9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.	Natalia Korotkova, PhD (University of Kentucky): Cell surface glycoproteins in pathogenic streptococci: biosynthesis and function
9:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.	Fernanda Novais, PhD (Ohio State University): T cells and hypoxia in cutaneous leishmaniasis
10:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.	Joshua Thomson, PhD (University of Detroit Mercy): Streptococcus mutans bacteriophage defense mechanisms: is phage therapy a cavity-prevention option?

 

10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.	Coffee break
	Odd number Poster Session 1 (Lurie-Simpson Querrey Atriums)
	***** Odd number poster removal *****

 

11:45 a.m. – 12:35 p.m.	SESSION 3 | Thorne Auditorium Moderator: Sampriti Mukherrjee, PhD, The University of Chicago
11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.	Tanmaya Rasal (Indiana University): Quorum sensing inhibitors bind to Vibrio vulnificus SmcR and promote its degradation
12:00 p.m. - 12:15 p.m.	Michele LeRoux, PhD (Washington University in St. Louis): A role for toxin-antitoxin systems in determining bacterial-phage specificity
12:15 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.	Xindan Wang, DPhil (Indiana University): Organization of a multipartite bacterial genome.

 

12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.	"BOXED LUNCH - Thorne Atrium
	***** Even number Poster set up (Lurie-Simpson Querrey Atriums)*****

 

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Professional Development Panel: Careers Beyond the Bench | Lurie - Baldwin Auditorium Moderators: Nicole Innis, PhD, Alberto Lopez, Marine Lebrun, Anna Liponska, PhD) Panelists: Rashida Abdul-Ganiyu, PhD, R&D Scientist, Abbott Biowearables Natasha Griffin, PhD, BACI Team Lead, FDA Kelsey Hodge-Hanson, PhD, Associate Scientific Director, Twist Medical LLC Megan Nas, MPH, PhD, Senior Consultant, Vizient Inc.

 

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.	SESSION 4 | Thorne Auditorium Moderator: Ana Flores-Mireles, PhD, University of Notre Dame
2:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.	Tshegofatso Ngwaga (Kansas State University): Effector-mediated subversion of proteasome activator (PA)28αβ enhances host defense against Legionella pneumophila under inflammatory and oxidative stress conditions
2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.	Chelsey Spriggs, PhD (University of Michigan): The cell biology of oncogenic viral entry
3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.	Michael Gebhardt, PhD (University of Iowa): RNA interactome studies uncover novel post-transcriptional regulatory networks in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
3:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.	Juhi Bagaitkar, PhD (Nationwide Children’s): The manipulation of efferocytic pathways – a novel virulence strategy employed by Porphyromonas gingivalis

 

3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.	Coffee break
	Even number Poster Session 2 - Lurie and Simpson Querrey Atriums

 

5:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.	SESSION 5 | Thorne Auditorium Moderator: Kelly Bachta, MD, PhD, Northwestern University
5:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.	Alfa Herrera (Northwestern University): The MCF Toxin of the Extracellular Pathogen Vibrio vulnificus Targets Host Rab GTPases for Degradation Based on Their Structural Composition
5:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.	Ryan Doster, MD, PhD (University of Louisville): Impact of excess glucose on Group B Streptococcus-vaginal epithelial cell interactions, consequences for vaginal colonization in diabetic mothers
5:30 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.	Clarissa Durie, PhD (University of Missouri): Structure & Function of the Legionella pneumophila Dot/Icm Type IV Secretion System
5:45 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.	Gina Lewin, PhD (Case Western Reserve University): Microbial interactions and the oral microbiome
6:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.	Jan Claesen, PhD (Cleveland Clinic): Role of aryl polyenes in Escherichia coli pathogenesis

 

Day 3: Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023

7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Continental Breakfast - Thorne Atrium

 

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.	SESSION 6 | Thorne Auditorium Moderator: Jan-Ulrk Dahl, PhD, Illinois State University
9:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.	Amanda Brady (University of Louisville): The Yersinia pestis Type 3 secretion system triggers LTB4 synthesis by neutrophils in an inflammasome-independent manner
9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.	Joe Sanfilippo, PhD (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign): Shear rate sensitizes bacterial pathogens to H2O2 stress
9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.	Abby Kroken, PhD (Loyola University Chicago): An intracellular lifestyle of P. aeruginosa enabled by suppression of caspase-4
9:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.	Kevin Lang, PhD (University of Minnesota): Maintaining genome integrity during host-pathogen interactions

 

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.	KEYNOTE ADDRESS | Thorne Auditorium Eric Skaar, PhD, MPH (Vanderbilt University): The battle for metal at the host-pathogen interface Introduction: Hank Seifert, PhD, Northwestern University
11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.	Closing Remarks, Announcement of next MMPC
	Poster removal: odd number posters should be removed after Poster Session 1. All posters should be collected by Saturday evening. Posters which have not been collected will be disposed of after the meeting.
	Feedback Questionnaire: Check your inbox for an exit survey when the meeting ends. Please take time to complete it.

Registration: Open May 1 - Aug. 31, 2023

Early Registration (on or before Aug. 31)

Registration fees increase by $50 after Aug. 31. 

• Undergraduate Student: $100
• Graduate Student/Predoctoral Trainee: $150
• Postdoc/Clinical Fellow/Staff Scientist: $175
• Faculty: $250
• Industry/Government: $350
• Invited Speakers/Sponsor: Waived - please contact MMPC2023@northwestern.edu to register. 

Payment

Accepted credit cards include Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

Please make all checks out to:

Northwestern University
Basic Science Administration
Attn: Elsie Owen or Alice Camacho, MMPC2023
303 East Chicago Avenue
Ward Building, 8-296
Chicago, Illinois 60611

Cancellations

All cancellations must be made in writing to MMPC2023@northwestern.edu by Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in order to receive a partial refund. A $50 processing and handling fee will be assessed for all cancellations made by the deadline. Cancellations after Sept. 15, 2023 will not receive a refund. 

By registering, you agree to follow our conference Code of Conduct.

The Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference is dedicated to the open sharing of scientific ideas. Thus, we support a respectful environment for all participants in this conference. We are committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin or other protected characteristics. We expect all attendees to help us ensure a safe and positive conference experience in which participants can discover, examine critically and transmit knowledge that will improve the quality of life for all.

All participants are expected to treat others with respect and consideration and alert conference organization or venue security of any dangerous situations or anyone in distress. Please respect others with social media postings. Refrain from photographing, recording or videotaping during oral presentations or during poster sessions. Please do not post images with data or people without express permission. Please do not post data from posters without express permission. Please do not post data from oral presentations if the presenter has asked that the materials not be shared on social media. Violators may be asked to leave the session.

We will not tolerate any form of harassment or bullying. Harassment is defined as unwanted and unwelcome attention or other conduct that creates an environment where a reasonable person would feel unwelcome, intimidated, excluded or abused. Harassment based on gender, race, religion, national origin, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, disability and any other personal characteristic is strictly prohibited. Inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces, and presentations is considered a violation of the meeting Code of Conduct and will not be tolerated.

If a participant experiences or witnesses harassment, the participant should contact Conference Organizers (Hank Seifert and Frances Yap) as soon as possible or contact security if they feel unsafe. Event security and local police may be contacted if violators pose an imminent threat to others or are disrupting the event. Individuals may also report incidences via the Northwestern University Office of Equity to report outside of the Microbial Pathogenesis community.

All event participants also are expected to follow conference and venue rules, along with all applicable laws and policies for the event (e.g., public health policies/recommendations). Violation of this code of conduct may result in the participant being asked to leave the conference, without warning or refund; and/or being barred from attending future conferences.

This policy applies to all conference attendees, speakers, exhibitors and guests. 

Abstract submissions are now closed

The author indicated as the presenter will receive an email confirming the receipt of the abstract. Please notify your co-authors that the confirmation was received.

You will need the following information to begin your submission:

• Contact information for the presenting author and the principal investigator
• Names and affiliations for all authors

Abstract Guidelines

• Abstracts must be received by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Monday, July 31, 2023 (consideration for Oral Presentation), or Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023 (consideration for Poster Presentation only)
• Maximum length of 350 words
• One abstract is allowed per registration
• Submissions will print exactly as submitted 
• All abstracts must be submitted and presented in English with a quality of spelling and grammar suitable for publication
• Proposals constituting sales pitches for products or services will not be considered

Review Procedures

• All submissions are reviewed by the Conference Organizing Committee
• Notifications on oral presentations will be made by mid-September 2023
• Notifications will be made by email to the presenting author
• Any oral presentations not chosen for an oral presentation will receive a poster presentation

All program and logistical questions should be directed to conference organizers at MMPC2023@northwestern.edu.

Special Issue of Journal of Bacteriology

There will be a special issue of the American Society for Microbiology Journal of Bacteriology that will highlight work presented at the MMPC 2023. For more information, see a message from the handling editor:

Dear MMPC attendees,

To confirmed speakers and poster presenters at the 2023 Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference, I am writing, in consultation with the meeting co-chairs Hank Seifert and Frances Yap, to let you know that I am serving as the editor for a special series in Journal of Bacteriology focusing on this meeting.

I am proposing a submission deadline of Jan. 31, 2024. Papers would go through the normal submission and review process (access submission site). My average days‐to‐first decision (i.e., when you submit until when I send the first decision letter) is 15 days. So, I would make sure submissions would move along quickly.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Sincerely,

Editor, Journal of Bacteriology
Patricia A. Champion, PhD
Director for Postdoctoral Studies, College of Science
Professor, Biological Sciences
University of Notre Dame
217 Galvin Life Sciences Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556

Conference Site

The conference will be held on our downtown Chicago Campus in the Thorne Auditorium in the Arthur Rubloff Building (375 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60611), located on the southwest corner of E. Chicago Ave. and N. Lake Shore Dr.

Parking

Parking coupons can be picked up at the registration counter by the individual who made the purchase or received complimentary parking on the first day of the conference, and coupons are used upon exiting the parking structure by scanning the QR code on the coupon. While parking coupons are good for up to 24 hours on Friday through Sunday, please enter the parking garages after 3:00 p.m. on Friday to ensure parking space availability.

Each parking set has three coupons. Blue coupons should be used on Friday, and White coupons are good for Saturday and Sunday. Vehicles must exit every 24 hours on weekends; stacking/combining of coupons (attempting to use two at a time) is not allowed. If you stay at the Hyatt Centric and decide to park at the Northwestern garage, you will need to leave the garage and re-enter about every 23 hours. Parking is on a first come, first served basis. Only two parking garages accept discounted parking coupons: Huron-Superior garage (222 E. Huron St.) and Erie-Ontario garage (321 E. Erie St.).

Alternatively, parking can be reserved via SpotHero, iParkit, Millennium Garages, Parking.com or hotel valet parking.

Internet Access

Locate WiFi networks on your device and choose "Guest-Northwestern" in the list of available networks and accept the University’s acceptable use policy. Access is granted for a 7-day period. Guests may re-register as needed. Visitors from eduroam-enabled institutions should use the University’s eduroam network. 

>>Solstice Wireless Display Sharing IP address: 165.124.70.39<<

Quick Links

• Northwestern University Chicago Campus Map
• Chicago Campus Parking Garage Map and Information  
• Guest Wireless Access at Northwestern

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Lodging 

Hotels

Discounted blocks at Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile (633 N. St Clair St., Chicago, IL 60611) are now sold out. If you have a current booking at the discounted rate and need additional assistance, please contact the hotel at 877-803-7534.

For your convenience, we have compiled alternate hotel options (not affiliated with MMPC) within walking distance from the conference site. Click on the individual hotel name to see rates and amenities: 

• Doubletree Hotel by Hilton, 300 E. Ohio St.
• The Chicago Hotel Collection, 166 E. Superior St.
• Quarters, Two locations: 75 E. Wacker Dr. and 111 W. Adams St.
• Omni Hotel, 676 N. Michigan Ave.
• Peninsula Hotel, 108 E. Superior St.
• Warwick Allerton Hotel, 701 N. Michigan Ave.
• Courtyard by Marriott Chicago Downtown, 165 E. Ontario St.
• Hotel Saint Clair, 162 E. Ontario St.
• Aloft Chicago Mag Mile, 242 E. Ontario St.
• Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, 216 E. Ontario St. 

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Travel to Chicago

By Plane

Chicago is home to two international airports – O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Midway International Airport (MDW). Both O’Hare and Midway are within easy reach of downtown Chicago, lying 16 miles and 11 miles away from the city respectively.

Transportation to/from O’Hare and Midway

• The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Blue Line 'L' Train, which runs 24/7, connects directly to O’Hare. The CTA Orange Line 'L' Train connects directly to Midway. See maps and fares.
• Taxi, Lyft and Uber pick-up points are available at both airports. Alternatively, you can e-hail and e-pay with CHICABS-approved apps ARRO and CURB. Credit cards are accepted in all taxis. For on-demand ride-sharing, download your free Lyft and/or Uber app. Simply enter your current location and destination, review fare options and request your ride.
• GO Airport Express provides shared ride services to all downtown/suburban hotels.
• Numerous car rental companies have facilities at both O’Hare and Midway airports.

Flight Resources

• Access parking, flight status, amenities and terminal maps for both O’Hare and Midway airports at flychicago.com.
• Get average domestic and international flight times to Chicago.
• Get Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security regulation information.
• Find airlines that fly into Chicago.

By Train 

Union Station, the city’s commuter rail service, serves both Amtrak and Metra. Additionally, the Ogilvie Transportation Center serves the three commuter rail lines of Metra’s Union Pacific District, which approach the terminal elevated above street level. There are also two Metra stations in the Loop: Millennium Station on the Metra Electric District line and Lasalle Street Station on the Rock Island District Line.

Amtrak

With 21,000 miles of routes across the United States and Canada, Amtrak offers more than 300 high-speed trains to more than 500 destinations daily. Find Amtrak routes and fares.

Metra 

The high-speed Metra commuter rail train is a fast and easy way to connect outlying suburbs to downtown Chicago. Find fares and route maps.

South Shore Line

South Shore Line serves Chicago through Northern Indiana to the South Bend Airport. Call (219) 874-4221 ext. 245 for group rates. Find South Shore Line routes and fares.

By Car

Chicago is accessible via several major interstates and highways: I-90 (Kennedy Expressway), I-94 (Dan Ryan Expressway), I-55 (Stevenson Expressway), I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway) and I-294 (Tri-State Tollway).

View an interactive parking map of downtown Chicago to search for public parking lots and garages by address and points of interest.

Want to pay for parking in advance? Find the perfect Chicago parking spot by comparing price, location, and amenities. You can reserve your spot now with Parking.com, iParkit, Millennium Garages or SpotHero.

Find average drive times to Chicago. And find traffic and road conditions from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

By Bus

Total Charter Bus Chicago

If you’re headed to Chicago from a Midwestern metropolis like Detroit, Indianapolis or St. Louis, a private charter bus is an option. Charter buses include free WiFi, reclining seats, panoramic windows and plenty of legroom. Find a private charter bus.

Greyhound 

Greyhound has five Chicagoland locations, including two 24-hour stations and 20 express routes to major U.S. cities. Find Greyhound stations.

Megabus.com

Megabus is a budget-friendly, city-to-city service. Find Megabus stations and rates.

Your support for MMPC 2023 is greatly appreciated.

Sponsorship and donations can be made via credit card or check.

Accepted credit cards include Visa, MasterCard and American Express. To sponsor or submit a donation, please click here. 

Please make all checks out to:

Northwestern University
Basic Science Administration
Attn: Elsie Owen or Alice Camacho, MMPC2023
303 East Chicago Avenue
Ward Building, 8-296
Chicago, Illinois 60611

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Download the PDF | Visit the New England BioLabs site to learn more about the postdoctoral fellowships.

 

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Research Associate (Postdoc) – Bacterial Genetics, Systems Biology, Synthetic Biology

Location – University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
Expected start date – as soon as available
Application deadline – no worries, just turn in your application!

Job Description

Postdoctoral research positions are available in Jason Peters’s lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Pharmacy to study antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (e.g., Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter) using CRISPR-based functional genomics.

We seek a motivated candidate to work with us on our newly funded ARPA-H collaborative grant to combat antibiotic resistance (https://arpa-h.gov/news/darts/). We seek to identify gene/pathways involved in antibiotic resistance as well as novel physiological weaknesses that can be exploited in future therapies.

The candidate will be responsible for constructing and phenotyping genome-scale CRISPRi libraries in Gram-negative pathogens—including clinical isolates, quantifying CRISPR screen results using Next Generation Sequencing (e.g., Illumina sequencing), bioinformatic analysis to identify and characterize screen hits, and follow up experiments to validate hit genes in terms of their contributions to viability/antibiotic resistance.

To learn more and find instructions on how to apply, download the full job description.

Download the Cerillo PDF | Visit the Cerillo site to learn more or email info@cerillo.bio for more information.

 

Download the Cayman Chemical PDF 

 

Download the SeqCoast Genomics PDF | Visit the SeqCoast Genomics site to learn more or email admin@seqcoast.com for more information.

 

Download the seqWell PDF | Visit the seqWell site to learn more.

 

Download the GenScript PDF | Visit GenScript site to learn more. 

Contact Us

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Department of Microbiology-Immunology
Attn: MMPC 2023 (Hank Seifert or Frances Yap)
320 E Superior St
Searle Building 3-402
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 503-3793; (312) 503-9788
MMPC2023@northwestern.edu

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. CST. Follow us on Twitter at @MMPConference and on LinkedIn.

Organizing Committee

• Co-chair, Hank Seifert, PhD, Professor, Northwestern University
• Co-chair, M.-N. Frances Yap, PhD, Associate Professor, Northwestern University
• Member, Jonathan Allen, PhD, Assistant Professor, Loyola University Chicago
• Member, Kelly Bachta, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Northwestern University
• Member, Jan-Ulrk Dahl, PhD, Assistant Professor, Illinois State University
• Member, Ana Flores-Mireles, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Norte Dame
• Member, Sampriti Mukherrjee, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Chicago
• Member, Lauren Palmer, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois Chicago
• Member, Karla Satchell, PhD, Professor, Northwestern University

Career Panel Organizing Committee

• Nicole Inniss, PhD, Postdoc (Satchell Lab), Northwestern University
• Anna Liponska, PhD, Postdoc (Yap Lab), Northwestern University
• Marine Lebrun, Graduate Student (Hauser Lab), Northwestern University
• Alberto Lopez, Graduate Student (Cianciotto Lab), Northwestern University

Administrative Support

Basic Science Administration, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

• Matt Temkin, Executive Department Administrator
• Alice Camacho, Associate Director for Financial Administration
• Colleen De Luca, Associate Director of Professional Affairs
• Wesley Gryziak, Program Assistant
• Kelly Hamm-Oscar, Research Administrator
• Yesenia Navarro, Communications Specialist
• Elsie Owen, Financial Assistant