Project Details
Description
Protein toxins and effectors are primary virulence factors of many major bacterial pathogens. They cause diseases by targeting and disrupting key cellular functions. Historically, research on toxins/effectors has been focused on only a few major toxins, which has achieved tremendous successes in establishing the framework of their mechanisms and in eradicating many devastating infectious diseases. Building on these earlier successes, the field has gone through a great resurgence and expansion in the past 20 years, transforming from a narrow focus on a few human diseases to much broader areas of biology, centering on understanding “protein-based” fight-and-defense communications between co-evolving organisms. For instance, recent advances in microbial genomics and discovery-based screening approaches have led to a dramatic increase in the number of toxins and effector systems being studied. New research has also revealed that microbes secrete and inject toxins and effectors not only to target eukaryotic cells during pathogenesis, but also to engage in interbacterial competition. Technological advances in high-resolution microscopy, structural biology, cryo-electron microscopy, proteomics, and CRISPR have rapidly advanced our understanding of toxins/effectors action, as well as facilitated development of novel toxin-based therapeutic proteins for treating many human diseases including neurological disorders and cancers. Despite the growth of both the depth and breadth of the field, there is currently no meeting in North America centered on toxins/effectors that can bring people together from diverse fields. To address this gap, we are launching a reconfigured and reimagined “in person-virtual” hybrid conference, “Lakeside Conference on Protein Toxins and Effectors” (#LakesidePTE) to be held October 3-6, 2021 at the Abbey Resort in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, USA, leveraging the participation and enthusiastic feedback received during our inaugural meeting in Oc
Status | Finished |
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Effective start/end date | 6/1/22 → 5/31/23 |
Funding
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (1R13AI154685-01A1)
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