91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ

Fundamentals That Drive the Future

The 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ Mechanism Discovery Meeting unites researchers across disciplines to uncover the molecular mechanisms that drive microbial life and interactions. Bridging the Microbial Biology & Physiology (MBP) and Host-Microbe Pathogenesis (HMP) tracks, this meeting explores the fundamental processes underlying microbial function, adaptation and impact across diverse systems.

With a focus spanning metabolism, structural biology, microbial communities, host responses and computational modeling, the meeting fosters cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration. Attendees gain an integrated perspective on how mechanistic insights fuel innovation in pathogenesis, biotechnology, microbiome science and microbial ecology.

Early abstract submission now open!

Key Focus Areas

• Systems Approaches for Discovery: uncover emergent principles of microbial life by integrating structural biology, multi-omics and high-throughput technologies with computational modeling.
• Cell Growth, Division and Physiology: explore the molecular basis of microbial growth, metabolism, cell division and morphology under diverse environmental and genetic contexts.
• Spatial and Dynamic Cellular Organization: investigate how microbes coordinate internal organization, molecular localization and temporal dynamics to drive key cellular processes.
• Collective Behaviors of Microbes From Molecules to Populations: unravel how individual microbial behaviors give rise to collective phenomena, such as quorum sensing, biofilms, motility and population-level organization.
• Intra and Interspecies Interactions: decipher the molecular and ecological mechanisms driving microbial cooperation, competition and communication within and across species.
• Mechanisms That Shape Host-Microbe Relationships: probe microbial strategies for colonization, persistence and immune modulation, with a focus on host-pathogen and host-commensal dynamics.
• Cell Signaling, Regulation and the Central Dogma: decode how microbes process signals and regulate expression, including transcription, translation and post-translational modifications in diverse environments.
• Phage and Predator Stress: understand microbial defense strategies and adaptations to biotic stressors, including bacteriophage infection, microbial predatory and host-imposed stress.

 

Uncovering the Molecular Foundations of Microbial Life

From molecular structures and metabolic networks to host-microbe dynamics and computational modeling, these featured sessions reveal the mechanistic insights driving innovation across pathogenesis, biotechnology and microbial ecology.

• Conflict, Collusion & Compromise: Complex Host Cell Signaling Driven by Virulence Factor Cocktails.
• Genome and Microbiome Editing: The Promise of Natural and Engineered CRISPR-Cas Editing Tools.
• Holding Tight: The Importance of Bacterial Adhesion.
• Commensals in Context: Drivers of Host-Microbe Crosstalk.
• Pests Within Pests: Vector-borne Pathogens' Transmission and Colonization of Host Cells.
• Combatting Antibiotic Resistance: Target Acquired and Disarmed.
• It’s a Big, Big Phage World: Ecology, Evolution and Genomics of Nature’s Ultimate Nomads.
• Inside Out: From the Cytoplasm to the Wall, and Beyond.
• Ecological Rules of Engagement: Microbiome Interactions in Infectious Disease. 

Engage with scientists who are decoding the molecular language of microbes—and uncover how these discoveries are shaping the next generation of microbial science.

Seema Mattoo, Ph.D.

Purdue University
West Lafayette, Ind.