Sixth International Wolbachia Conference: An interactive, interdisciplinary conference addressing the frontiers of bacterial symbiosis in invertebrates,Monterey,CA June 9-14,2010

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

Intellectual merit. Wolbachia are bacteria that live within cells of invertebrates, are transmitted from mother to offspring, and share a variety of relationships with their arthropod and nematode hosts. As a "reproductive manipulator," Wolbachia interferes with host reproduction by methods that enhance its transmission. Other Wolbachia are mutualists or pathogens that are targets for the control of insect-vectored human disease. These symbionts fundamentally change the ecology and evolutionary trajectory of their hosts. Here the investigator will use project funds to support the travel and participation of students and postdoctoral associates at the Sixth International Wolbachia Conference, to be held at Asilomar Conference Center, Monterey, CA, June 9-14, 2010. The conference is moderate in size (75-125), international, and multidisciplinary, including genomicists, cell biologists, ecologists, evolutionary biologists and systematists. At Wolbachia conferences, ideas are exchanged, collaborations are initiated or maintained, students find postdoctoral opportunities, and postdoctoral associates establish the professional network they need to attain a permanent position. Broader impacts. Although the biennial conference has been held five times already, none have been held within the continental United States. This conference will attract American students and postdoctoral associates for whom previous meetings have been inaccessible. Students and postdoctoral associates, including women and underrepresented groups, will be recruited to attend the meeting via flyers at meetings, listservs and word of mouth. Further, the conference will include dissemination of research results and educational impacts beyond the scientific community. Summer students in a minority access program for undergraduates (MARC) will attend a day of talks, and interact with conference participants. Further, with the travel funds provided by this project, a teacher with experience implementing a high school science curriculum module featuring Wolbachia will be invited to speak and participate in the meeting. Dissemination of the meeting results to other scientists will be enhanced by the publication of presentation abstracts in an open-access online journal.