Friday, November 8, 2024 – 7:30 am to 7:30 pm
Saturday, November 9, 2024 – 8:00 am to 12:00 pm
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
Overview
The Joint Branch Meeting aims to facilitate cross-regional communication and collaboration among members of the Kentucky-Tennessee branch and the South-Central branch (Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas) of the American Society for Microbiology. This event will feature outstanding lectures, opportunities for networking and collaboration, and a forum for students, postdocs, and early career scientists to present their research.
Don’t miss this chance to be part of a vibrant scientific community dedicated to making a difference in the world through microbiology. Join us at this pivotal meeting to connect with fellow microbiologists, share groundbreaking research, and collaborate on advancing the microbial sciences.
The event is free for ASM regional branch members. If you are not a current member, we encourage you to join ASM to take advantage of this opportunity.
Join your branch!
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Organizers
KY-TN Branch
- Jason Rosch, PhD
Member, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Host-Microbe Interactions - Elaine Frawley, PhD
Associate Professor of Biology
Rhodes College - Qian Shen, PhD
Assistant Professor of Biology
Rhodes College
South Central Branch
- Justin Thornton
- Jason Rosch, PhD
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Agenda
Thursday, November 7 5:00-7:30 pm Please join us at Ghost River Brewing, 341 Beale St. in Memphis, for food, drinks, music, and networking! Please bring your smile and appetite. The dress is casual. Come see old friends and meet new ones. Friday, November 8 Hotel Shuttles will pick up at will begin running at 7:30 am, with the last shuttle leaving promptly at 8:30 am. Shuttles will pick up at the Doubletree Hotel on Union Ave. If driving/rideshare to campus please allow at least 30 minutes to pass through security. 8:00-9:00 am Registration and light breakfast
Marlo Thomas Center lobby9:00-9:05 am Welcome and Opening Remarks
Jason Rosch, PhD. and Victor Torres, PhD. St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Marlo Thomas Center auditorium9:05-9:40 am The challenges of antibacterial drug discovery, development and commercialization: a fine balancing act of contradiction in terms
Jennifer Leeds, PhD, ASM Distinguished Lecturer
Marlo Thomas Center auditorium9:40-10:05 am Keynote 1
Metals & Mucus: Insights into Group B Strep Vaginal Colonization
Lindsey Burcham, PhD. University of Tennessee
Marlo Thomas Center auditorium10:05-10:30 am Keynote 2
Molecular Espionage: Discovering Microbial Secrets Using cryo-EM
Carrie Shafer, PhD. University of Kentucky
Marlo Thomas Center auditorium10:30-10:45 am Break 10:45-11:30 am Career Panel for Trainees
Ryan Doster, University of Louisville (MD/PhD with unique career path)
Jennifer Leeds, Novartis (industry)
Michael Sheffield Senior Earned Media Relations Specialist, Media Relations Strategic Communications, Education and Outreach (SCEO)
April Armes, Oak Ridge National Labs
Marlo Thomas Center auditorium10:30-11:30 am Business meeting for branches
CR - ARC - M110311:30 am-12:00 pm Boxed lunch pickup/break 12:00-1:00 pm Danny Thomas Lecture
Diving Deeper: How Helicobacter Pylori’s Hideout in the Gastric Glands Controls Pathogenesis and Persistence
Dr. Manuel Amieva, Stanford1:00-1:15 pm Break Breakout Session 1 Time Bacteriology – MTC main auditorium Microbial Communities – MTC board room Eukaryotic pathogens – MTC lecture hall 1:15-1:35 pm Polyunsaturated fatty acid sensitivity is modulated through the electron transport chain in Staphylococcus aureus
William Beavers, Louisiana State UniversityDispersal and dormancy in microbial communities
Nathan Wisnoski, Mississippi State UniversityUnlocking the fungicidal activity of triazoles against Candida auris
Jeff Rybak, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital1:35-1:55 pm Ribosome heterogeneity and gene expression in a bacterial pathogen
Kathyrn Ramsey, University of LouisvilleQuorum Quenching Alters Microbial Community Dynamics
April Armes, Oak Ridge National Laboratories,Guanylate binding proteins modulate the host immune response to confer protection during cutaneous leishmaniasis
Lucy Fry, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences1:55-2:15 pm CdaR, a hypothetical regulator of the cyclic di-AMP-dependent signaling pathway, is required for Borrelia turicatae infectivity and resistance to environmental stress
Brandon Hogland, University of Arkansas for Medical SciencesSpatial distribution of microbial enzyme activity in intermittent stream systems
Andrielle Larissa Kemajou Tchamba, University of MississippiRecent co-evolution of two pandemic plant diseases in a multi-hybrid swarm
Mostafa Rahnama, Tennesse Tech University2:15-2:35 pm Engineering a biological nexus to improve production of recombinant glycoconjugates
Matthew Jorgenson, UAMSEffect of carbohydrates on Streptococcus agalactiae growth and biofilm formation
Christopher Farrell, University of LouisvilleElevated carbon dioxide enhances the growth and reduces antifungal susceptibility of Histoplasma yeasts
Kelsey Steinmetz, Rhodes College2:35-3:00 pm Break Breakout Session 2 Time Immunology – MTC board room Virology – MTC lecture hall Bacteriology – MTC-main auditorium 3:00-3:20 pm The Restriction Role of RIPK3 in Herpes Simplex Encephalitis
Hongyan Guo, LSUBroadly neutralizing anti-alphavirus antibodies provide robust protection against Eastern Equine Encephalitis in a nonhuman primate model of aerosol exposure
Brandon Beddingfield, Tulane UniversityAntibiotic Alternative Strategy to Win the Battle against Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Infections
Yosra Helmy, University Kentucky/Maxwell Gluck Equine Research Center3:25-3:45 pm Eosinophils Augment the Mucosal Immune Response to Bordetella Infection and Immunization
Monica Gestal, LSU Health ScienceHost Inflammatory Mechanisms Underlying Reovirus Myocarditis
Lindsey Hazeslip, UAMSUnderstanding the evolution of antibiotic resistance using bacterial single-cell transcriptomics
Peijun Ma, St jude Children’s Research Hospital3:45-4:05 pm Manipulation of human macrophage p38 signaling by Coxiella burnetiid
Kathleen Pierce, University of Arkansas for Medical SciencesActive Vitamin D Reduces SARS-CoV-2 Viral Entry Through Increasing Degradation of ACE2
Denny Gao, University of LouisvilleRole of DedA Protein and IspB Gene in Isoprenoid Biosynthesis Pathway for Resistance to Last-Resort Antibiotics
Pradip Panta, Southeastern Louisisana University4:05-4:25 pm PERK supports Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth and mitochondrial metabolism in macrophages
Grant Dawson, UAMSChallenge and rechallenge with Low-Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses reveals Heterosubtypic Immunity and RNA transcriptome differences in infected Mallards
Walter Harrington, St Jude Children’s Research HospitalThe Yersinia pestis translational GTPase BipA regulates mediators of interbacterial competition
Madeleine Scott, UAMS4:25-4:45 pm At the heart of Q fever: Coxiella burnetii growth in primary human cardiac cells
Marena Guzman, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences4:30-5:00 pm Break/poster setup 5:00-7:00 pm Poster Session and dinner buffet (Inspiration 4 lobby) Saturday, November 9 Shuttles will begin running at 7:30 am with the last shuttle leaving promptly at 8:30 am. Shuttles will pick up at the Doubletree Hotel on Union Ave. If driving/rideshare to campus please allow at least 30 minutes to pass through security in the morning Concurrent Session 3 8:30-8:45 am ASM COMS
Monica Gestal, PhD, LSU
Presentation on interdisciplinary science collaboration on behalf of ASM COMS8:45-9:05 am Cracking the Code: Unlocking Filovirus Receptor Binding with AI and High-Throughput Assays
Rohit K Jangra, PhD, MVSc, BVSc & AH (≍DVM)
Assistant Professor of Microbiology & Immunology, LSU Health Shreveport19:15-11:15 am Poster Session 2, light breakfast 11:25 am-12:25 pm Randall Lecture
Membrane Integrity and Transcriptional Regulators: Key Players in the Pathogenicity of Listeria monocytogenes
Dr. Hossam Abdelhamed, Assistant Professor, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Mississippi State University.
MTC Auditorium12:25-12:35 pm Awards and closing
Jason Rosch, PhD
MTC Auditorium -
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Memphis Downtown
185 Union Avenue Memphis, Tennessee 38103
901-528-1800Special Rate: $189.00 + Tax
Dates: 11/7 - 11/10
Caption by Hyatt Beale Street Memphis
245 S. Front Street Memphis, Tennessee 38103
901-613-5656Special Rate: $299 + Tax
Dates: 11/7 - 11/10 -
Welcome Reception
Thursday, November 7th, at 5pm, join us at Ghost River Brewing, at 341 Beale St, Memphis, TN 38103, for food, drinks, music, and networking! Please bring your smile and appetite. The dress is casual. Come see old friends and meet new ones.
Shuttles
Shuttles will be provided to transport attendees to and from St Jude Children's Research Hospital Friday, November 8th and Saturday, November 9th and will begin running at 7:30 am, with the last shuttle leaving promptly at 8:30 am. Shuttles will pick up at the Doubletree Hotel on Union Ave.
Registration
The registration desk will be located at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the I4 Advanced Research building. Registration hours are Friday, Nov 8th, 2024 at 7:15 am- 5 pm CST. Pick up your badge and relevant conference materials at the registration desk.
Hotel Reservations
If you have not already done so, please make your hotel reservations as soon as possible at the best available rate.
Weather
The forecasted highs are in the 60's and the lows are in the 40's. It is also rain season here in Memphis. It would not be a bad idea to bring an umbrella or rain jacket.
Attire
The attire for this event is business casual. Please bring comfortable shoes as the distance between buildings could result in more walking than expected. As sessions will be in our research center you may want to bring a light jacket or sweater.
Posters
Poster sessions will be on Friday evening and Saturday morning. Please take down your posters following the sessions. Posters should not exceed 48x48 inches to fit on the poster boards. Mounting materials will be provided.
Meals
A light breakfast will be served on Friday morning and during the poster session on Saturday. Boxed lunches will be provided on Friday prior to the keynote lecture. Memphis BBQ will be served at the Friday poster session along with a selection of beverages. For those that indicated dietary restrictions, corresponding meals are being provided.
