Sunday, June 26, 6:40 PM - 07:40 PM

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of Pseudomonas infecting phages as a source for new antibacterial design strategies and biotechnological applications

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Rob Lavigne, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

Billions of years of co-evolution between bacteria and their viruses (phages), has led to the emergence of intricate and diverse molecular mechanisms by which lytic phages modulate the bacterial metabolism for propagation. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its phages, this molecular diversity is reflected in the genome-based taxonomic clades of phages, which encode a large number of unknown, phage-specific open reading frames, sometimes termed the ‘Viral Dark Matter’.

Our lab focuses on the elucidation of phage-infected Pseudomonas cells from systems biology and molecular perspectives to better understand phage biology and to develop new antibacterial design strategies and biotechnological applications. This lecture provides an overview on the different phage hijacking mechanisms and what they can also teach us about the metabolism of Pseudomonas.

Wednesday, June 29, 4:00 - 5:00 PM

The crisis in antibiotic resistance and in bacterial virulence: Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a model system.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Roger C. Levesque, Université Laval

Sponsored by: Canadian Science Publishing

Biography: Roger C. Levesque is professor of Microbiology at Université Laval. He obtained a B.Sc. in Biology at the Univ. of Moncton, M.Sc. in microbiology at the Univ. de Montréal and PhD in microbiology at Univ. Laval. His postdoctoral was at Harvard with George Jacoby in bacterial genetics, at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories in genetics, genomics and mutagenesis with Michael Smith (Nobel 1993) at UBC. He is the founder of the Institut de biologie intégrative et des systèmes (IBIS) at Univ. Laval, and was director 2009-2016. He is the scientific director of the FRQS Respiratory Health Network. He was awarded several FRSQ scholarships and Scholar of Exceptional Merit. He received the Robbie Award from CF Canada, the Univ. of Moncton Senior Science Award, an investigator award from the ASM, and was president of the Canadian Society for Microbiologists. He was co-founding member with 6 scientists of the Canadian Bacterial Diseases Network CBDN. His research is systems biology of virulence, antibiotic resistance and genome evolution.

Monday, June 27, 5:30-6:30

Thriving in trash: microbial community interactions in municipal landfills.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Laura Hug, University of Waterloo

Sponsored by Thermo Fisher

Biography: Dr. Laura Hug is an Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair in Environmental Microbiology at the University of Waterloo. Her research examines the diversity and function of microbial communities in contaminated sites using a combination of ‘omics approaches and enrichment culturing. Current research in her group is characterizing the microbial communities colonizing municipal landfills, with foci on methane cycling, bioplastics degradation, and community interactions. Dr. Hug obtained her B.Sc. from the University of Guelph, her M.Sc. from Dalhousie University, her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, and conducted a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of California Berkeley. Dr. Hug’s work has been featured in major news outlets including the New York Times, the Atlantic, Discover Magazine, and on Public Radio International’s “The World”.

Tuesday, June 28, 5:30-6:30

Attenuation of DNA Cruciform Structures by a Conserved Regulator Directs Virulence Gene Expression in Pandemic Vibrio

Keynote Speaker: Mr. Landon J. Getz, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Biography: Landon J. Getz (He/Him) completed his undergraduate degree at Dalhousie University in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, before beginning graduate work in the same department under the supervision of Dr. Nikhil Thomas. Landon's PhD thesis is focused on the axis between the environmental survival and the pathogenesis of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a human pathogen that colonizes oysters and enters the human food chain through their consumption. Landon has received numerous awards and scholarships throughout his academic career, most notably the Vanier Canadian Graduate Scholarship in 2019. Landon has published eight peer-reviewed journal articles, and authored several commentaries found in popular media outlets including the CBC, The National Post, and TheConversation Canada. A member of the Chief Science Advisor's Youth Council, Landon also has a keen interest in exploring the social and political dimensions of science and shaping the future of science policy in Canada

Celebrating the life and legacy of Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) on his 200th birthday!

Wednesday June 29, 10:30 - 11:00 AM

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Edward Topp, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Wednesday June 29, 3:30 - 4:00

Presented by: Dr. Susan Koval, Western University

On February 18th, 2022 the international microbiology community lost a valued and dedicated member. CSM will be celebrating his life and career achievements.

Please use the following link to read about Dr. Murray's life, prepared by Dr. Susan Koval:

https://www.csm-scm.org/english/wn_news_csm_det.asp?id=274

Career Development Workshop:

Sunday, June 26, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST

Co-Chairs: Drs. Denice Bay, University of Manitoba & Edel Pérez López, Laval University

“Sharing your data with the world: tips on writing scientific manuscripts”

Invited Speaker: Dr. George diCenzo, Queens University, Kingston

Description: “Pics or it didn’t happen.” Likewise in science, there's an adage or philosophy that if "experiments are not published, the experiments didn’t happen”. The scientific community can’t benefit from all your hard work performing experiments unless the results are added to the scientific record. However, writing a manuscript summarizes years of work can be a daunting task, and we are all too familiar with the challenge of staring at a blank page. In this seminar, we will discuss some strategies for starting and finishing scientific papers, and approaches for organizing your thoughts prior to putting words on the page.

Sunday, June 26, 9:05 AM - 10:15 AM

“Strategies beyond the bench: using technology for reproducible research, collaboration, and social networking”

Invited Speaker: Dr. Aleeza Gerstein, University of Manitoba, MB

Description: As microbiologists, we often spend so much time thinking about our experiments and collecting data, that we forget to optimize what we do with that data once we have it. In this seminar, we will discuss some ideas and specific technologies (e.g., Google doc, GitHub, Dropbox, Evernote, Slack) for how to make technology work for you to improve your productivity and research success. Attendees should walk away knowing how to avoid ever again sending emails with filenames like “Mansuscript_FINAL_FINAL_FINALFORREAL_2.doc”

Sunday June 26th, 12:30 PM - 4:15 PM EST

Keynote: This year we are excited to have Dr. John Dawson as our keynote facilitator!

Interested in improving microbiology education? Wondering how can we best spend our efforts in teaching microbiology so students have the best learning experience? The Canadian Society of Microbiologists has a long history supporting both undergraduate and graduate students; we’re pleased to continue this tradition with a pre-conference workshop to take place on

MicroFOME: A CSM favorite where delightful vignettes of teaching excellence will be shared, and you will no doubt walk away inspired! Whether you’re a TA, sessional or tenured full professor, if you’re an instructor with an innovation to share, we want to hear from you. Faculty members, sessional instructors, post-docs, and graduate students are all welcome at this workshop. Join us for the discussion!

Sunday June 26, 4:30-6:00 PM EST

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Maydianne CB Andrade, PhD, FRCGS

Abstract:
Assessment of professional achievement is a fundamental component of careers in academia and elsewhere, where it affects success in graduate school, hiring, compensation, resource availability, promotion, and opportunities for further progress. I share data on representation and inclusion in the sciences, and discuss research showing the effects of bias on the assessment of competence and achievements of people from marginalized groups. I review current understanding of these issues and the underlying concepts, and use scenarios to spur discussion on how we can recognize, reduce, and offset these effects. I end by suggesting personal actions that can create more inclusive departments that benefit from the innovative and relational advantages of diversity.
Slides with hyperlinked resources will be shared after the talk.

Biography:
Maydianne Andrade is a Professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) who was named a Canada Research Chair in Integrative Behavioural Ecology. With a PhD in Neurobiology and Behavior from Cornell University, Professor Andrade’s award winning research examines how environmental and social factors affect trait expression and reproductive behaviours in nature, using black widow spiders and their relatives as models. Since 2016, she has also engaged as a peer-to-peer knowledge translator on equity and inclusion, starting discussions about bias in the academy using a data-informed approach. Her deep understanding of the interaction of policy and practice to effect change arises from experience as a Vice Dean overseeing faculty affairs from recruitment through to retirement, and as acting Dean for UTSC’s 16 academic departments. Professor Andrade is the founder and co-Chair of the Toronto Initiative for Diversity and Excellence, and a co-founder and inaugural President of the Canadian Black Scientists Network. More information about Dr. Andrade can be found here, Equity Education | Maydianne Andrade.