AFFILIATES LETTER

MARCH 2019

Introducing: Dr John Morrissey as Editor-in-Chief

of FEMS Yeast ResearchWe are excited to announce that Dr John Morrissey is the new Editor-in-Chief of FEMS Yeast Research. John is a Principle Investigator and Senior Lecturer at the Department of Microbiology, University College Cork (UCC), Ireland.

He originally completed his undergraduate studies at UCC, before moving to the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany to carry out research for his PhD. John’s post-doctoral research career involved stints at the University of California, Berkeley, USA (1995-1997) and the John Innes Research Centre, Norwich, UK (1998-2000).

In 2000, he took up research and teaching positions at UCC and since 2003 has led his own research group of postgraduate and post-doctoral scientists working in the broad areas of microbial ecology and yeast biotechnology. We interviewed John to gain an insight into his research career and his new role with FEMS Yeast Research:

‘’It is important … that the [yeast research] community maintains breadth and does not become narrow in its focus, nor compartmentalised in its activities. Compartmentalisation could be geographical or conceptual, by which I mean that there is the potential for a gap to emerge between fundamental research on the one part and technology-driven applications on the other. This should be resisted as the strength of the [yeast reserach] field has always been the connection between the everyday uses of yeast(s) for society, and research

right at the cutting edge of new knowledge generation.’’

- Dr John Morrissey

John is already up and running in new his role, so make sure to send us all your best yeast reserach papers!

ALSO IN THIS ISSUEPUBLICATIONS / GRANTS CORNER / OPPORTUNITIES / DEADLINES

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER

Delftechpark 37A, 2628 XJ Delft, The NetherlandsT: +31 15 302 0050 | E: fems@fems-microbiology.org

Table of Contents

• Page 2: Join our social media team; 2019 Grants Survey; FEMS Microbiology Ecology Poster Prize Winners...

• Page 3: FEMS2019 Updates; FEMS-ESCMID Award; Call for Papers: Polar & Alpine Microbiology; We are seeking two new Directors...

• Pages 4-5: Curated articles published in each of the FEMS Journals...

• Page 6: Grants Corner

• Page 7: Opportunities

• Page 8: Deadlines; Events; and Extras...

Read the full interview > Submit your yeast research >

MARCH 2019

FEMS2019 Congress Updates

Engage Your Audience 2019 13.00-14.30, 10 July 2019, in the “Alsh” room

Looking to try out your microbiology public awareness campaign among peers? Then don’t hesitate, the application deadline for ‘Engage your audience’ is coming up soon!

Apply before 29 March and maybe you’ll be one of the FEMS2019 Round Robin presenters! Get ready to show your science communication skills and activities in a supportive, constructive environment.

The selected presenters will individually or as a team:

• demonstrate their event or activity in 5 minutes• present in 8 rounds to different small groups of

peers receive feedback from these groups

FEMS2019 Congress Updates

Engage Your Audience 2019 13.00-14.30, 10 July 2019, in the “Alsh” room

Looking to try out your microbiology public awareness campaign among peers? Then don’t hesitate, the application deadline for ‘Engage your audience’ is coming up soon!

Apply before 29 March and maybe you’ll be one of the FEMS2019 Round Robin presenters! Get ready to show your science communication skills and activities in a supportive, constructive environment.

The selected presenters will individually or as a team:

• demonstrate their event or activity in 5 minutes• present in 8 rounds to different small groups of

peers receive feedback from these groups

See the website for application details >

FEMS Microbiology Letters is looking for a new Journal Social Media Editor (JSME)

We are looking for a new volunteer JSME to process the latest research published in FEMS Microbiology Letters and produce widely communicated social media posts for our audience on Twitter and Facebook (and potentially Instagram).

You will get the chance to develop social media and science communications skills. No experience is necessary (although can be desirable), there is plenty of time to learn and develop while volunteering with us. You will work closely by email with the Journal Editor, the other JSMEs, and the communications and publications staff in the FEMS office. Apply by: 22 April 2019

Community Grants Survey 2019

Every year FEMS gives out hundreds of grants to researchers across the world to travel, to organise their own events, and for reserach and training.

But we need the opinions of the microbiology communtity in order to develop our grants programme to best meet your needs! So please take 5 minutes to fill in our Community Grants

Survey for 2019

Click this link to access the survey >

Read more about Alyce’s research >

FEMS Microbiology Ecology: Poster Prize Winners - Polar &

Alpine MicrobiologyFEMS Microbiology Ecology awarded presentation prizes at the Polar and Alpine Microbiology Conference, which took place in Hamilton, NZ from 4-8 February 2019.

Congratulations to Alyce Hancock, awarded the Poster Prize for her poster on ocean acidification and its consequences for the Antarctic food web:

“Our findings suggest that by 2100 under a “business as usual scenario”, ocean acidification could change the microbial community structure and interactions, thereby altering the ecosystem services these communities provide. The flow-on effects of such changes could have significant consequences for the Antarctic food web and elemental cycling if anthropogenic CO2 release continues unabated.’’

Alyce Hancock, 4th Year PhD Student, Antarctic Gateway Partnership and Antarctic Climate &

Ecosystems CRC, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Australia

Click this link for more details >

Call for papers: Polar & Alpine Microbiology

FEMS Microbiology Ecology invites submissions to a special issue on Polar and Alpine Microbiology which will focus on various aspects of the exciting research being carried out globally in polar and alpine ecosystems and continue the series of Thematic Issues from 2016 and 2018.

The thematic issue is prepared in connection with the Polar & Alpine Microbiology Conference which took place on 4–8 February 2019 at the University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.

Editors: Craig Cary, University of WaikatoMax Häggblom, Rutgers University

Submission Deadline: 30 April 2019

FEMS is seeking two new Directors

We are seeking two new members of our Board

FEMS is steered and overseen by a Board of Directors, each contributing their skills and experience to ensure the organization works efficiently and is ready to meet future challenges:

Secretary General:Responsible for overseeing FEMS governance including the running of general meetings and elections according to the Articles of Association and overseeing the application, reporting and termination of membership.

Director (Business & Policy):A new role to help connect microbiology research across academia and industry and to work to ensure scientific input into relevant policy making.

Application Deadline: 30 April 2019

Click this for details on how to apply >

FEMS-ESCMID Award winner announced!

We are delighted to announce that Camille Kolenda from the University Hospital of Lyon, Bacteriology Laboratory, France has been awarded the 2019 FEMS-ESCMID Award for her research proposal: “Molecular diagnosis of bone and joint

infections directly from synovial fluid or tissue samples by metagenomic sequencing’’.

The FEMS-ESCMID Award is a joint initiative with the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID). Each organization selects an outstanding candidate every year from their research grantees. The selected candidate receives an additional €1000 from the other organization to support their research.

4 MARCH 2019

Pathogens and DiseaseReview

Focused dengue vaccine development: outwitting nature’s design

The four DENV serotypes are mosquito-borne pathogens that belong to the Flavivirus genus and present a major global health burden, being endemic in >120 countries, causing 390 million reported infections yearly. This review addresses shortcomings of recombinant envelope protein (E)-based antigens and discusses potential enhancements to E-based subunit antigen immunogenicity and vaccine efficacy.

Authors: Kudlacek and Metz

PUBLICATIONSFEMS Microbiology ReviewsReview

Talk to your gut: the oral-gut microbiome axis and its immunomodulatory role in the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis

This review highlights recently gained insights in the roles of microbes in the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis and immunomodulatory processes, including biofilm formation, neutrophil function, and emerging microbiome-based therapeutic approaches.

Authors: du Teil Espina, Gabarrini, Harmsen, Westra, van Winkelhoof, Maarten van Dijl

FEMS Microbiology EcologyResearch Article

Human skin microbiota is a rich source of bacteriocin-producing staphylococci that kill human pathogens

The demand for novel antimicrobial therapies due to the threat posed by antimicrobial resistance has resulted in a growing interest in the protective role of our skin bacteria and the importance of competition among bacteria on the skin. A survey of the cultivable bacteria on human skin was undertaken to identify the capacity of the skin microbiota to produce bacteriocins with activity against skin pathogens.

Authors: O’Sullivan, Rea, OÇonnor, Hill, and Ross

FEMS Yeast ResearchMiniReview

Yeast 2.0—connecting the dots in the construction of the world’s first functional synthetic eukaryotic genome

Historians of the future may well describe 2018 as the year that the world’s first functional synthetic eukaryotic genome became a reality. This article presents a shared vision of constructing a synthetic eukaryotic genome in a safe model organism by using novel concepts and advanced technologies.

Authors: Pretorius and Boeke

FEMS Microbiology LettersMiniReview

Biofilm-based photobioreactors: their design and improving productivity through efficient supply of dissolved inorganic carbon

The mini-review summarizes the designs of existing biofilm-based photobioreactors (PBRs) and reviews previous studies on dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) dynamics in various biofilms. Strategies to enhance DIC availability for the immobilized cells in biofilm-based PBRs are also discussed.

Authors: Li, Strous, and Melkonian

DOI: doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuy035 >

DOI: doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiy241 >DOI: doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnx218 >

DOI: doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftz003 >

Virtual Special Issue: Women in STEM

International Women’s Day (8th March)To highlight the amazing contribution women are making to microbiological research around the world, the FEMS Journals have brought together profiles and articles written by just a few of the female researchers leading the way in various fields across microbiological studies.

#BalanceforBetter

DOI: doi.org/10.1093/femsyr/foy032 >

Click here to access this Special Issue >

6 MARCH 2019

GRANTS CORNER OPPORTUNITIESFEMS Research and Training Grants - Grantee StatementsIrene Pèrez, PhD Student, Group of Mycobacterial Genetics,

Faculty of Medicine, University of Zaragoza, Spain

Member Society: Spanish Society for Microbiology (SEM)

Host supervisor and host lab: Prof. Roland Brosch, Head of the Integrated Mycobacterial Pathogenomics Unit, Institute

Pasteur, Paris, France

Period in host lab:16 September to 19 December 2018

‘‘I am a PhD student in the Group of Mycobacterial Genetics at the University of Zaragoza. The PhD project consists on the research of new vaccines against tuberculosis and the molecular characterization.

Thanks to the Research and Training Grant, I did a 3 months internship at the Institute Pasteur of Paris, at the Integrated Mycobacterial Pathogenomics Group.

The grant allowed me to expand my knowledge in tuberculosis research and learn new techniques that will complement my professional training. We performed a new molecular characterization of the new vaccine candidates and we studied the interaction of the bacteria with the host. The grant gave me the opportunity to collaborate with one of the leading groups in tuberculosis research that has a deep experience in genetics and evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.

I highly encourage young researchers to apply for this grant and benefit from the exchange with other international groups that will enrich their personal and professional career.”

Discover the FEMS Grants >

Find out more about this event >

Event of the month

Annual 2019 Conference of the Microbiology

Society8 - 11 April 2019

Belfast, UK

The Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2019 takes place between Monday 8 April - Thursday 11 April and will be held at the ICC Belfast (formerly

Belfast Waterfront), UK.

The Society’s Annual Conference attracts over 1,400 attendees for the UK’s largest annual gathering of microbiologists. The Annual Conference is designed to cover the breadth of microbiology research and its comprehensive scientific programme has over 30 sessions taking place over four days in a range of

formats.

Post on our Opportunities Board!

Do you want to promote your event, job, funding or interesting projects on our website to the wider microbiology

community?

You can do this on our Opportunities Board!Here you can find FEMS-sponsored events and funding, as well as many other exciting jobs, events, courses, resources and funding

opportunities from the microbiology community.

Opportunities Board >

Job of the monthPhD in the field of acidophiles: Netherlands

Final application date: 01.04.2019Institution: Wageningen University & Research

Location: Wageningen, NetherlandsContact: Dr. Irene Sánchez-Andrea

The Laboratory of Microbiology at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) are looking for an enthusiastic and independent PhD candidate with interest in microbiology, specifically on the application of omics approaches (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics) to study the microbial physiology of acidophilic anaerobes. The candidate should have a good background on microbiology, strong motivation, good communication skills and ability for teamwork and cooperation.

Read an essential collection of papers showcasing high-quality content from across the five FEMS

Journals, which together provide an overview of current research trends in microbiology:

Antimicrobial ResistanceEnvironmental Microbiology

Pathogenicity & VirulenceBiotechnology & Synthetic Biology

MicrobiomesFood Microbiology

Six Key Topics in Microbiology 2019

Read this special collection >

8

How we use Instagram to communicate microbiology to the public >

One Health: Ebola - Bats, Bushmeat, and Viral Transmission >

The ingenious new tricks to beat disease >

EXTRAS

Social media is a powerful tool for science communication. Instagram’s image-focused model is no exception, say Hunter Hines and Sally Warring.

‘‘We’ve found that predicting what will go ‘viral’ is nearly impossible (the tardigrade or ‘water bear’, however, is an invariably popular subject)’’

Source: Nature

This post is guest written by our volunteer Tomasz Benedyk who writes as part of Polygeia, a student-run think tank that encompasses a large multi-disciplinary group of students in Cambridge, Oxford and London who are engaging in public policy, skilled in policy writing, and passionate about global health.

Source: FEMS

According to the World Health Organization, so-called Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) affect more than one billion people and cost developing economies billions of dollars every year. Fortunately, new medical technology has vast potential to control infection, contain outbreak, even deliver life-saving supplies to remote regions affected by these diseases. From antimicrobial paint to powdered vaccines to drone-delivered organs, these innovations are fast becoming a clinical reality.

Source: BBC future

DEADLINES EVENTS

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

1 June 2019 FEMS Meeting Organizer Grants >

27.03.2019, USA | 6th Cold Spring Harbor Conference on RNA & Oligonucleotide Therapeutics >

28.03.2019, Japan | Future Algae and Fungi Technology Conference >

Post your Events with us >

01.04.2019, USA | Biodetection & Biosensors Summit 2019 >

02.04.2019, USA | 14th Annual Genomice of Energy & Environment Meeting >

1 July 2019Research and Training Grants >

23.04.2019, USA | 10th Ubiquitin, Autophagy & Disease >

24.04.2019, Greece | PRR10 Conference, A Comparative View on Host Physiology >

08.04.2019, UK | Annual Conference 2019 of the Microbiology Society >

09.04.2019, USA | 7th Cellular Dynamics & Models >