Research Community Gathers at Microbiology Conference

By Dirk Hoffman

The center comprises research scientists and their students who share a common interest in understanding the molecular mechanisms of infectious diseases and host defenses against them. It is housed within the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

The May 17 conference showcased plenary speakers in the fields of mycology, bacteriology, parasitology and virology. Outstanding graduate students were also recognized during the conference in the Jacobs School building.

The event attracted 120 registrants and included researchers who traveled from McMaster University in Toronto, St. Bonaventure University and the University of Rochester.

This year’s conference co-organizers Elsa Bou Ghanem, PhD, and Spyridon Stavrou, PhD, both assistant professors of microbiology and immunology, said the conference “fosters an environment where people from different universities in the area gather to share their science, discuss their work, get feedback and possibly meet new scientists they can collaborate with.”

“It also provides trainees a setting where they can present their work, get feedback and gain important experience in science communication,” Bou Ghanem said. “It allows everyone attending the meeting to hear about the latest developments in scientific research around Buffalo.”

Stavrou said he was very pleased with “the fantastic quality of high-caliber speakers we had attending the meeting.”

Keynote speakers included Isabelle Coppens, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University; Benhur Lee, MD, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Manuela Raffatellu, MD, of the University of California San Diego; and Mihalis S. Lionakis, MD, Sc.D., of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“What stood out to me was the enthusiasm and appreciation of our invited speakers, who are highly regarded across the country, when they witnessed our thriving Buffalo scientific community,” Stavrou said.

The conference featured 48 abstracts and because the meeting spanned all aspects of microbiology, it served as a great educational experience for the Buffalo scientific community, Bou Ghanem said.

“By bringing well-known faculty from across the country, it allows the Buffalo scientific community to be exposed to the latest developments in the field from around the country and provides a fantastic opportunity for our trainees to interact with prominent scientists who can provide them with feedback on their work and also provide a great opportunity for networking,” she said.

Two postdoctoral associates were invited to speak at the conference:

Joseph T. Smith, PhD, who works in the lab of Laurie K. Read, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology, presented “Developmental Dynamics of Cytochrome mRNA Abundance and Editing in Trypanosoma brucei.”

Carlos G. Baptista, PhD, who works in the lab of Ira J. Blader, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology, presented “A Nuclear Toxoplasma F-Box Protein l2 Regulates the Parasite Centrosome and Apicoplast Biogenesis.”

Four students, who were all finalists for the Erwin Neter Award, presented by the Western New York American Society for Microbiology, were invited to present talks:

Emily Ivey, who works in Stavrou’s lab, presented “90K Restricts SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Targeting the Spike Glycoprotein.”

Other student presenters were Dayron M. Leyva Rodriguez from the Department of Oral Biology in UB’s School of Dental Medicine, and An Phan and Megan Ulbrich, both from the University of Rochester.

The conference’s scientific review committee selected the four finalists based on the evaluation of their submitted abstracts. After each finalist gave a 12-minute talk, the committee selected Ivey and Ulbrich as co-winners. They received a cash prize and will have the opportunity to present their work at the WNY ASM annual meeting.

Brandon Waxman, a trainee in the Jacobs School’s doctoral program in microbiology and immunology, won the Eugene Gorzynski Travel Award.

The Gorzynski Travel Award supports a PhD or MD/PhD student who is traveling to a national or international meeting to present a research paper or poster.