FEMS Affiliates Letter July 2013

July 2013

A F F I L I AT E S L E T T E R The official newsletter for FEMS Affiliates

And the FEMS-Lwoff Award 2013 goes to...

Also in this issue: Publications Page Virtual Issues Society Page Society for Applied Microbiology FEMS Congress 2015 Grants Corner - FEMS Meeting Attendance Grants - FEMS Grantee Publications Manager receives award

the utilization of new substrates, thus allowing the evolution of novel capacities for the breakdown of environmental pollutants. Further studies concentrated on the mechanisms how bacteria can fight toxic levels of solvents through efflux pumps and membrane lipid modifications. He also discovered bacteria able to degrade TNT and applied these and other organisms in The FEMS-Lwoff Award is awarded to a the decontamination of TNT-polluted person, or group of persons, preferably soils. working and residing in Europe, for outstanding service to microbiology in In all these studies, Dr. Ramos combined Europe. It consists of a prize lecture unconventional concepts with the presented at a FEMS Congress, a medal application of highly refined molecular methods for a basic understanding of and an honorarium. processes as well as their application in Professor Ramos has developed genetic the solution of practical problems in the tools to elucidate the evolutionary environment. This work is reflected in space in which catabolic enzymes and his prize lecture ‘Mechanism of Solvent their regulators can be adapted to Tolerance in Gram Negative Bacteria’ Professor Juan Luis Ramos has been presented with the FEMS-Lwoff Award in recognition of his groundbreaking discoveries in the field of Environmental Microbiology. He received the medal from FEMS President Bernard Schink on the final day of the 5th FEMS Congress held in Leipzig, Germany 21-25 July 2013.

Deadlines Microbiology TidBits

Professor Juan Luis Ramos celebrates receiving the FEMS-Lwoff Award given

by FEMS President Bernard Schink.

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Virtual Issues

FEMS Congress 2013 FEMS Publications has compiled Virtual issues to complement Symposia topics sponsored by each of our five journals. The selected papers highlight recent developments in the respective fields. Read the short introductions for each Virtual Issue, written by the Chief Editors, and follow the links to freely access the articles.

A Proteomic View at Pathogenicity Pathogens and Disease

Microbial pathogens interact and respond to their eukaryotic hosts in many different ways that can be comprehensively visualized using ‘omic methodologies. Proteomics, the large scale study of the complete complement of proteins of an organism (or a subcellular fraction thereof) have recently evolved to highly sensitive mass-spectrometry-based analyses that are ideal to not only identify the proteins but also to dissect structure-function relationships that are critical for virulence. The articles in this thematic issue highlight this evolution with examples of proteomic analyses in viruses, bacteria and fungi. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)2049-632X/ homepage/a_proteomics_view_at_pathogenicity.htm

Regulation of Gene Uptake/ CRISPR FEMS Microbiology Reviews

Gene uptake and horizontal gene transfer in bacteria create genetic diversity. Genome plasticity and profiling of genome expression are key for quick adaptation to new environmental conditions. In recent years, the study of regulatory RNAs in the control of prokaryotic genomes has become a topic of intense investigation and unveiled several new and important concepts.

The bacterial adaptive immunity system CRISPR-CAS is one such example of a novel and fascinating system. It is involved not only in controlling invasion of foreign DNA but more generally in the control of endogenous gene expression. This topic is covered in the session “Regulation of Gene Uptake/CRISPR” at the FEMS Congress in Leipzig. At this occasion FEMS Microbiology Reviews has compiled in a virtual issue a series of 13 reviews published in our journal over the last five years, which nicely covers the field. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1574-6976/ homepage/regulation_of_gene_uptake_crispr.htm

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Yeast and Food Microbiology FEMS Yeast Research

For generations yeast has been used for production of food and alcoholic beverages. Despite this long usage there is, however, still much interest in how we can further improve production of food and beverages through studies of yeast physiology at the mechanistic level In order to illustrate many of these exciting developments we have assembled a virtual issue of papers published in FEMS Yeast Research on this topic. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1567-1364/homepage/ yeast___food_microbiology.htm

Systems and Synthetic Biology FEMS Microbiology Letters

Synthetic biology, the development of cells or their components that do not occur naturally to solve specific problems, depends heavily on the application of genomic and systems biology data to solve specific problems for Society. FEMS Microbiology Letters is pleased to publish papers describing how microorganisms can deliver these benefits, ranging from synthetic enzymes to novel antimicrobial agents and synthetically constructed metabolic pathways for application in healthcare, industrial and environmental microbiology. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1574-6968/homepage/ systems_and_synthetic_biology.htm

Microbial Systems Ecology FEMS Microbiology Ecology

Microorganisms play crucial roles in ecosystem functioning and a major goal in microbial ecology is linking specific microbial populations to environmental processes, such as those in biogeochemical cycling. Some of the key challenges are in assessing the links between microbial diversity, the interactions among complex communities and trophic levels, and their relevance to ecosystem functions. Complementary approaches, including cultivation-independent molecular techniques, physiological characterization of cultivated microorganisms and conceptual theoretical approaches, are providing the essential understanding of these links and biological interactions. This thematic issue highlights some recent papers that have appeared in FEMS Microbiology Ecology to coincide with the sponsored session on Microbial Systems Ecology. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1574-6941/homepage/ microbial_systems_ecology.htm

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Founded in 1931 as the ‘Society for Agricultural Bacteriologists’, the SfAM adopted its present name in 1997. It is the oldest microbiological society in the United Kingdom and has current membership of over 2000. Around two thirds of members are currently resident in the UK with the remaining third spread equally between Europe and the rest of the world.

SfAM envisages a future where applied microbiology research and development remains strong in the UK and beyond, and the applications of microbiology contribute significantly to all global challenges facing humanity including infectious diseases; the changing environment; sustainability of energy, food, water, and land resources; and economic growth.

SfAM achieves this by being the voice of microbiology and advancing, for the benefit of the public, the science of microbiology in its application to the environment, human and animal health, agriculture and food, and industry.

SfAM President, Martin Adams, is Emeritus Professor of Food Microbiology at the University of Surrey where his research interests include the physiology of foodborne pathogens, lactic acid bacteria and fermented foods, and natural antimicrobials.

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Working in partnership with sister organisations and microbiological bodies, SfAM ensures that microbiology and microbiologists contribute to evidence based policy making within the UK, in Europe, and worldwide.

SfAM builds on a strong history of microbiology in the UK and moves forward in step with the next generation of microbiologists.

There are various types of membership available and benefits can include the opportunity to apply for SfAM grants and funds; eligibility to win SfAM awards; access to five peer-reviewed microbiology journals; a topical quarterly magazine; reduced rates at conferences; and more. See http://www.sfam.org. uk/en/membership/index.cfm The easiest way to join SfAM is by online application here: http://www.sfam.org.uk/en/membership/joinonline-form.cfm

SfAM Chief Executive Officer, Phil Wheat, began his career in the Medical Microbiology laboratories of a major university teaching hospital. He joined SfAM in 2005 following 10 years directing commercial microbiology laboratories.

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CALL for APPLICATIONS FEMS Meeting Attendance Grants 1 September is the deadline for the Meeting Attendance Grants. These are grants awarded to young European Scientists wishing to attend microbiology meetings that are not supported by a FEMS Meeting Grant.

Grant description

Application checklist

Meeting Attendance Grants may support attendance at meetings worldwide but preference will be given for meetings within the European area.

FEMS Meeting Attendance Grants regulations apply to each application for the FEMS Meeting Attendance Grants. The requirements consist of, but are not limited to, the following: • You are a member of a FEMS Society.

• You are not above 36 years of age at the closing date of the meeting.

• You are an active microbiologist.

• You include an abstract for which you are the presenting author.

• The meeting that you are attending is not awarded a FEMS Meeting Grant.

• You have read the regulations for your application and you fulfill all requirements.

• You have read the application form.

• You have completely filled in the application form.

• The following should be submitted along with your application form: • Your curriculum vitae including a list of publications.

• One letter of recommendation.

• The abstract including a letter confirming its acceptance by the meeting organizers.

• A passport photograph of yourself.

The maximum amount of a FEMS Meeting Attendance Grant is € 600- while the minimum is € 250-.

We are calling on young scientists, who wish to apply for a Meeting Attendance Grant, to first familiarize themselves with the regulations governing FEMS Meeting Attendance Grants.

Complete applications should be received by FEMS Central Office by: • 1 September 2013, for attending meetings that open between 1 October 2013 and 30 April 2014.

• 1 April 2014, for attending meetings that open between 1 May and 30 September 2014.

The regulations and application forms are available electronically. Please read them carefully and check the list at the right before contacting the FEMS Office.

Send the complete application to grants@femsmicrobiology.org before the deadline of 1 September 2013.

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FEMS Grantee

FEMS Awardee Sebastian Dintner next to his poster on communication between sensor kinase en ABC-transporter in antimicrobial peptide detoxification modules of Firmicutes.

Dear FEMS, I am writing to express my gratitude for having been awarded the FEMS Meeting Attendance Grant to support my attendance at the meeting: 7th International Conference on Gram-Positive Microorganisms from 2013 June 23 to June 27 in Montecatini Terme, Italy.

I had a great time there and immensely enjoyed the meeting. The conference was an engaging and professionally valuable opportunity to present and discuss my own data and results to experts in the field.

Sebastian Dintner

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Publications Manager receives award Professor Jim Prosser, FEMS Publications Manager, is photographed after an investiture ceremony at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh during which he was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. The award was announced in the 2013 Queen’s New Year Honours and was made in recognition of services to environmental science.

Jim Prosser, FEMS Publications Manager, after his investiture ceremony at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh held on 2 July 2013.

Jim, originally from Liverpool, completed a degree in Microbiology at Queen Elizabeth College, University of London, before moving to the University of Liverpool for his PhD and NERC Postdoctoral Fellowship. He was then appointed to a Lectureship in Microbiology at the University of Aberdeen, where he now holds a Personal Chair in Microbiology.

Jim is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Francis Clark Distinguished Lecturer in Soil Biology 2007 and a Director of NCIMB Ltd., a microbiological services spin-out company from the University of Aberdeen.

He was appointed FEMS Publications Manager in 2011, following periods as Editor and Chief Editor of FEMS Microbiology Ecology.

Jim’s research focuses on the diversity and ecosystem function of microbial communities and on the use of molecular techniques to characterise natural communities of microorganisms in soil and aquatic environments. This research has uncovered novel microbial groups involved in biogeochemical cycling processes, in particular nitrification, which plays a central in the global nitrogen cycle.

Following the award ceremony, Professor Prosser said: “I am delighted and flattered by this honour, which recognises not just my own research activities, but those of the technicians, students, postdocs and collaborators who have worked with me during many exciting years carrying out research in microbial ecology. Their support and friendship have been invaluable and I would not be receiving this OBE without their collaboration.”

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DEADLINES 1 September 2013 1 April 2014 FEMS Meeting Attendance Grants 1 December 2013 FEMS - ASM Mäkelä - Cassell Grant 1 December 2013 15 June 2014 FEMS Research Fellowships 15 December 2013 1 June 2014 FEMS National & Regional Congresses Grants 1 March 2014 FEMS Meeting Grants (for meetings to be held in 2015)

FEMS-Sponsored Meetings, Summer 2013 29 August - 3 September 2013 26th International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology, Frankfurt/M, Germany.

7 - 11 September 2013 14th International Conference on Pseudomonas, Lausanne, Switzerland.

8 - 13 September 2013 Symposium on Aquatic Microbial Ecology, SAME13, Stresa, Italy.

8 - 13 September 2013 Thermophiles 2013, Regensburg, Germany.

22 - 25 September 2013 1st European Conference on Natural Products: Research and Applications, Frankfurt/M, Germany.

The FEMS Affiliates Letter is a production of the Federation of European Microbiological Societies www.fems-microbiology.org

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MICROBIOLOGY TIDBITS Myth busted: Komodo dragon bacteria It has long been believed that Komodo dragon bites were fatal due to toxic bacteria in the reptiles’ mouth. However, ground-breaking research by The University of Queensland’s Associate Professor Bryan Fry and colleagues in the United States revealed that the mouths of Komodo dragons are surprisingly ordinary. According to Professor Fry an attacked water buffalo gets infected when it stands with gaping wounds in warm stagnant water.

Source: University of Queensland

Tree fungus lets current flow Biofuel cells use enzymes instead of precious metals as catalysts to generate electricity. These enzymes can be obtained at low cost from renewable raw materials, but their lifetime is too short for many technical applications. Freiburg scientists have solved this problem by ensuring that a tree fungus, Trametes versicolor, continuously resupplies the biocatalyst laccase into a solution surrounding the cathode.

Source: Albert-Ludniversität Freiburg

Gut microbes for life A team from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WUSTL) used a newly developed lowerror sequencing technique to study the long-term stability of human gut microbiota at the strain level.

The microbiota of healthy people was extraordinarily stable. Once microbes are established in the gut early in life, presumably due to contact from close family members, most strains are unwavering in their presence, staying in the gut for decades or longer.

Source: The Scientist

S-labelled yeast as metabolic tracer in mice Researchers from the University of Oviedo (Spain) have labelled sulfur in brewer’s yeast with a stable non-radioactive method so that when feeding it to laboratory rats the course taken by the element can be tracked and the amino acids and proteins analysed at the point of incorporation.

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Source: Science Daily

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