University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Professor of Microbial Chemotherapy in the Medical School, University of Edinburgh. His research interests are mechanisms of antibiotic action and antibiotic resistance in hospital and community patients, mostly focussing on antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Amyes Mini-Biography

1970                    BSc in Biochemistry from University College London

1971                    MSc in Virology from the University of Reading

1974                    PhD in Microbiology from the University of London

1974 – 1977       Junior Lecturer at the University of London

1977 – 1988       Lecturer in Microbiology in the Medical School, University of Edinburgh.

1988 – 1992       Reader

1992 – present   Professor of Microbial Chemotherapy in the Medical School, University of Edinburgh.

1997 – 2001      Head of Medical Microbiology department, Medical School, University of Edinburgh.

1985                    Winner of the annual Young Scientist prize of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

1988                    Winner of the annual C.L. Oakley Lectureship of the Pathological Society

1988                    DSc in Microbiology from the University of London

1995                    Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists

1999                    Visiting Professor of the University of Concepcion in Chile.

2004                    Honorary degree of Doctor honoris causa from the Semmelweis Medical University, Budapest

2007                    Honorary Member of the Hungarian Society for Microbiology

He has obtained 56 research grants, published more than 490 original papers and refereed conference communications, supervised 44 PhD students, all of whom have successfully obtained their doctorates.

Research interests – Mechanisms of antibiotic action and antibiotic resistance in hospital and community patients, mostly focussing on antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Ramón y Cajal Universty Hospital, Madrid, Spain

Doctor in Medicine, Ramón y Cajal Research Professor in Bacterial Evolution at the Biomedical Research Foundation and Department of Microbiology of the Ramón y Cajal Universty Hospital, member of CIBERESP and associated scientist at the Astrobiology Center (CSIC) in Madrid. His interests are focused mostly on the biochemistry, genetics, population biology, ecology, and evolution of antimicrobial resistance and virulence in bacterial organisms.

Doctor in Medicine, Ramón y Cajal Research Professor in Bacterial Evolution at the Biomedical Research Foundation and Department of Microbiology of the Ramón y Cajal Universty Hospital. Member of CIBERESP and Associated Scientist at the Astrobiology Center (CSIC) in Madrid. His interests are focused mostly on the biochemistry, genetics, population biology, ecology, and evolution of antimicrobial resistance and virulence in bacterial organisms. He is author of more than 360 papers quoted in PubMed, and listed among ISI-highly cited scientists in Microbiology.

University of Zagreb, Croatia

Professor in the School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Head of the Institute for Neuroinfections and Intensive Care Unit and Chair of the Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb. His research interests are meningitis, sepsis, nosocomial infections and antimicrobial chemotherapy.

Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia

Associate Professor and Head of Department of Microbiology and Virology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava. Her research focuses on molecular microbiology of Candida sp. and epidemiology of antibiotic resistance in enterobacteria.

Professional Curriculum vitae

Personal details:
Surname: Bujdáková
First name: Helena
Nationality: Slovak
Address: Comenius University, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Virology, Mlynska dolina B-2, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia
Tel./Fax: 00421 2 60296436, 00421 2 65429064
e/mail: bujdakova@fns.uniba.sk, www.kmv.sk

Education and examination record:

1979-1983    Grammar and high school, Čadca

1983-1988    Comenius University Bratislava, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Virology, (Ms.D. in Microbiology)

1988-1993  Postgraduate study

1994           PhD. in Microbiology

2001           Habilitation for the degree of Associate Professor

Awards, prizes, projects and member of Organizations:

1995 award from the Federation of European Microbiological Societies spent in 2 month’s stay at Institute of Hygiene, University of Innsbruck, Austria

1997-1998  international cooperation with the Institute of Hygiene, University of Innsbruck,

Austria, Action-Austria-Slovakia, 1 year project with 3 study stays in Innsbruck

1998 award from The European Societies of Chemotherapy for the participation at 2^nd European Congress of Chemotherapy in Hamburg, 1998

1998 award for the young scientists from the The European Societies of Chemotherapy - study stay in Innsbruck, Austria

1998 leading teacher of the course “Mycology” for the students of specialization Microbiology and Virology, Fac. of Nat. Sci., Comenius Univ., Bratislava

1999  distinction as excellent young scientist conceded by the Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia

1999-2000  International project with the Institute of Hygiene, University of Innsbruck, Austria, Action-Austria-Slovakia, 1 month study stay inInnsbruck

2000 Fulbright fellowship for 4-month research/teaching stay at Ohio State Univ., USA

2001 Short study stay (1 month) – invitation of the Institute of Hygiene, University of Innsbruck, Austria

2003 JSPS fellowship for 2-month’s stay atResearchCenterfor Pathogenic Fungi and Microbial Toxicoses at Chiba University,Japan

2004-2005  International project with University of Vienna, Austria, Action-Austria-Slovakia

2005-2009  Partner of EU project within Marie Curie Research Training Networks

2007-2010  member of the committee of the Czechoslovak Society for Microbiology

2010 vice-president of the Czechoslovak Society for Microbiology

Courses:

English language

1986-1990 4 years, Language school, Bratislava

1998 Certificate of Completion of English as a second language, Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services English as a Second Language Program, Ithaca, New York, USA

Employment record:

since 1989-present time: Comenius University, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Virology,

since September 2010: the head of the department

The most important publications (last 10 years):

• Brtková A, Revallová M, Bujdáková H. Detection of tetracycline and macrolide resistance determinants in enterococci of animal and environmental origin using multiplex PCR. Folia Microbiol. 2011, [Epub ahead of print]
• Kucharíková S, Tournu H, Lagrou K, Van Dijck P, Bujdáková H. Detailed comparison of Candida albicans and Candida glabrata biofilms under different conditions and its susceptibility to caspofungin and anidulafungin. J Med Microbiol. 2011, [Epub ahead of print]
• Borecká S., Pinjon E., Sullivan D.J., Kuchler K., Blaško J., Kulková N., Bujdáková H. Cdr2p contributes to fluconazole resistance in Candida dubliniensis clinical isolates. Can. J. Microbiol. 57, 2011, 416-426.
• Bujdáková H., Paulovicová E., Paulovicová L., Simová Z. Participation of the Candida albicans surface antigen in adhesion, the first phase of biofilm development.FEMS Immunol. Med. Microbiol. 59, 2010, 485-492.
• Ricicová M, Kucharíková S, Tournu H, Hendrix J, Bujdáková H, Van Eldere J, Lagrou K, Van Dijck P.  Candida albicans biofilm formation in a new in vivo rat model. Microbiology. 156, 2010, 909-919.
• Kolecka, A., Krauke, Y., Bujdakova, H., Sychrova, H. Subinhibitory concentrations of fluconazole increase the intracellular sodium content in both fluconazole-resistant and -sensitive Candida albicans strains. Can. J. Microbiol., 55, 2009, 605-610.
• Bujdák, J., Jurečeková, J., Bujdáková, H., Lang, K., Šeršeň, F. Clay mineral particles as efficient carriers of methylene blue used for antimicrobial treatment. Environ. Sc. Tech. 43, 2009, 6202-6207.
• Borecká-Melkusová S., Moran G.P., Sullivan D.J., Kucharíková S., Chorvát J.r. D, Bujdáková H. The expression of genes involved in the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway in Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis biofilms exposed to fluconazole. Mycoses, 52, 2009, 118-28.
• Paulovicová E, Bystrický S, Machová E, Bujdáková H. Immune responsiveness of a novel peptidoglycan conjugate prepared from surface Candida immunogens: mannan and CR3-related protein. FEMS Immunol. Med. Microbiol. 53, 2008, 421-428.
• Bujdáková H, Paulovičová E, Borecká-Melkusová S, Gašperík J, Kucharíková S, Kolecka A,  Lell C, Jensen DB, Würzner R, Chorvát D Jr, Pichová I. Antibody response to the 45 kDa Candida albicans antigen in animal model and potential role of this antigen in adherence. J. Med. Microbiol. 57, 2008, 1466-72.
• Coleman DC, Moran G, Pinjon E, Diogo D, Bougnoux ME, Borecká-Melkusova S, Bujdákova H, Murphy P, d’Enfert C, Sullivan DJ. Multilocus sequence typing reveals that the population structure of Candida dubliniensis is significantly less divergent than that of Candida albicans. J. Clin. Microbiol. 46, 652-664, 2008
• Škopková-Žarnayová M., Siebor E., PÉchinot A., Duez J.-M., Bujdáková H., LabiA R., Neuwirth C.: Survey of Enterobacteriaceae producing extended-spectrum b-lactamases in a SlovakHospital: dominance of SHV-2a and characterization of TEM-132. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 49, 3066-3069, 2005
• Melkusová S., Lisalová M., Pavlík P., Bujdáková H: The first clinical isolates of Candida dubliniensis inSlovakia. Mycopathol., 159, 369-371, 2005
• Škopková-Žarnayová M., Siebor E., Rovná D., Bujdáková H., Neuwirth C.: Outer membrane protein profiles of clonally related Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates that differ in cefoxitin resistance. FEMS Microbiol. Lett., 243,197-203, 2005
• MELKUSOVÁ S., BUJDÁKOVÁ H., Volleková A., Myoken Y., Mikami Y.: The efficiency of benzothiazole APB, echinocandin micafungin, and amphotericin B in fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis.Die Pharmazie, 59, 573-574, 2004
• BUJDÁKOVÁ H.,   MELKUSOVÁ S. SOJI I., MOKRÁŠ M., MIKAMI Y.: Discrimination between Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis isolated from HIV-positive patients by using commercial method in comparison with PCR assay. Folia Microbiol., 49, 484-490, 2004
• BUJDÁKOVÁ H., FILIPOVÁ M., LÍŠKOVÁ A., DRAHOVSKÁ H.: Molecular characterization of hospital vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis isolated inSlovakia. J. Antimicrob. Chemother., 53, 405-406, 2004
• BUJDÁKOVÁ H., KRUPOVÁ I., FILIPOVÁ M., DRAHOVSKÁ H., SEMAN M.,BENCZOVÁ S., BAGOVÁ M., KETTNER M.: The occurrence and transferability of the resistance determinats in 50 amikacin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. Inter. J. Antimicrob. Agents, 22, 632-633, 2003

University of Nottingham, UK

Professor of Molecular Microbiology, School of Molecular Medical Sciences, University of Nottingham. His interest is quorum sensing cell-cell signaling, with emphasis on mechanisms or transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation and novel antimicrobial targets in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as the impact of quorum sensing in the cystic fibrosis lung.

TALK TITLE: Silencing of quorum sensing: an alternative antibacterial approach.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Miguel Cámara completed his Fundamental Biology BSc (Hons) Degree at the Complutense University in Madrid (Spain) in 1988. He moved to the University of Leicester where he completed a Biotechnology Diploma in 1989 followed by his PhD in 1992. After two postdoctal periods in the UK he was appointed as Lecturer in the School of Pharmacy at Nottingham University in 1996, to Senior Lecturer in 2002. In 2004 he moved to the School of Molecular Medical Sciences where he was promoted to Reader in 2005 and to full Professor in Molecular Microbiology in 2009.

Since his appointment at Nottingham University he has supervised more than 35 PhD thesis mainly in the area of quorum sensing cell-cell signaling. His work has an emphasis on Pseudomonas aeruginosa where he is studying mechanisms or transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation as well as the impact of quorum sensing in the cystic fibrosis lung. In the last few years he has also been working on the identification of novel antimicrobial targets in this opportunistic human pathogen. His research also spans into the role of quorum sensing in other human pathogens as well as bacteria with both marine and agricultural importance. His research is funded by the European Union, BBSRC, EPSRC, NERC, The Wellcome Tust, The Royal Society and industry.

Brief CV

Current Post: Professor of Molecular Microbiology, School of Molecular Medical Sciences, University of Nottingham

EDUCATION

1983-1988           BSc Mol. Biology–Univ. Complutense- Madrid (Spain)

1987-1988           Diploma in Med Virology – Univ. Complutense- Madrid (Spain)

1988-1989           Diploma in Biotechnolgy – University of Leicester –UK

1989-1992           PhD Microbiology – University of Leicester – UK

APPOINTMENTS HELD:

PUBLICATIONS

• Cámara, M.,  Mitchell, T.J., Andrew, P.W. and Boulnois, G.J. (1991) Streptococcus pneumoniae produces at least two distinct enzymes with neuraminidase activity: Cloning of a second neuraminidase gene in Escherichia coli.. Infection and Immunity 59:2856-2858.
• Boulnois, G.J., Mitchell, T.J., Saunders, K., Owen, R., Canvin, J., Shepherd, A., Cámara, M., Wilson, R., Feldman, C., Steinfort, C., Bashford, L., Pasternak, C., and Andrew, P.W. (1991) Analysis of some putative virulence factors of Streptococcus pneumoniae. In Genetics and Molecular Biology of Streptococci, Lactococci and Enterococci. G.M. Dunny, P.P. Cleary and L.L. McKay Eds. American Society for Microbiology.  pp 83-87.
• Martin, B., Humbert, O., Cámara, M. Guenzi, E., Walker, J., Mitchell, T., Andrew, P., Prudhomme, M., Alloing, G., Hakenbeck, R., Morrison, D.A., Boulnois, G.J., and Claverys, J.-P. (1992) A highly conserved repeated DNA element located in the chromosome of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Nucleic Acids Research 20:3479-3483.
• Cámara, M., Andrew, P.W., Boulnois, G.J., and Mitchell, T.J. (1994) A neuraminidase from Streptococcus pneumoniae has the features of a surface protein. Infection and Immunity. 62:3688-3695.
• Throup, J.P., Cámara, M. , Briggs, G.S., Winson, M.K., Chhabra, S.R., Bycroft, B.W., Williams, P. and Stewart, G.S.A.B. (1995)Characterization of the yenI/yenR  locus from Yersinia enterocolitica  mediating the synthesis of two N-acyl homoserine lactone signal molecules. Molecular Microbiology 17:345-356.
• Winson, M.K., Cámara, M., Latifi, A., Foglino, M., Chhabra, S.R., Daykin, M., Bally, M., Chapon, V., Salmond, G.P.C., Bycroft, B.W., Lazdunski, A., Stewart, G.S.A.B. and Williams, P. (1995) Multiple N-acyl-L-homoserine lactone signal molecules regulate production of virulence determinants and secondary metabolites in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92:9427-9431.
• Williams, P., Stewart, G.S.A.B., Cámara, M., Winson, M.K., Chhabra, S.R., Salmond, G.P.C. and Bycroft, B.W. (1996) Signal transduction through quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In, Pseudomonas, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. S. Silver, D. Haas and T. Nakazawa Eds. American Society for Microbiology. pp 195-206.
• Milton, D.L., Hardman, A., Cámara, M., Chhabra, S.R., Bycroft, B.W., Stewart, G.S.A.B. and Williams, P. (1997)Quorum Sensing in Vibrio anguillarum:: characterization of the vanI/vanR locus and identification of the autoinducer N-(3-oxodecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone. Journal of Bacteriology. 179:3004-3012.
• McClean, K.H.,Winson, M.K., Fish, L., Taylor, A., Chhabra, S.R., Cámara, M., Daykin, M., Lamb, J.H., Swift, S., Bycroft, B.W., Stewart, G.S.A.B. and Williams, P. (1997) Quorum sensing and Chromobacterium violaceum : exploitation of violacein  production and inhibition for the detection of N-acyl homoserine lactones. Microbiology 143:3703-3711.
• Cámara, M., Daykin, M. and Chhabra, S.R. (1998)Detection, purification and synthesis of N-acyl homoserine lactone quorum sensing molecules. Methods in Microb. Bacterial Pathogenesis. 27:319-330.
• Jiang,Y., Cámara, M., Chhabra, S.R., Hardie, K.H., Bycroft, B.W., Lazdunski, A., Salmond, G.P., Stewart, G.S.A.B. and Williams, P. (1998)In vitro biosynthesis of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing signal molecule N-butanoyl-L-homoserine lactone. Molecular Microbiology 28:193-203
• Lawrence, R.N., Dunn, W.R., Bycroft, B., Cámara, M., Chhabra, S.R., Williams, P. and Wilson, V.G. (1999). The Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum-sensing signal molecule, N-(3oxododecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone, inhibits porcine arterial smooth muscle contraction. British Journal of Pharmacology 128:845-848
• Williams, P. Cámara, M., Hardman, A., Swift, S., Milton, D., Hope, .J.,Winzer, K., Middleton, B., Pritchard., D.I., and Bycroft, B.W. (2000) Quorum sensing and the population dependent control of virulence. Philosopical Trans Roy Soc London B. 355:667-680.
• Winzer, K., Falconer, C., Garber, N., Stewart, G.S.A.B., Cámara, M., Bycroft, B.W., and Williams, P.(2000). The lectins PA-I and PA-II of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 are controlled by quorum sensing. Journal Bacteriology. 182:6401-6411.
• Dexter, S.J., Pearson, R.G., Davies, M.C., Cámara, M. and Shakesheff, K.M. (2001) A comparison of the adhesion of mammalian cells and Staphylococcus epidermidis on fibronectin-modified polymer surfaces. Journal  Biomedical Materials Research 56: 222-227
• Milton, D.L., Hope, V.J., Kirke, D., Hardman, A., Cámara, M and Williams, P. (2001)The LuxM homologue, VanM, from Vibrio anguillarum directs the synthesis of N-(3-hydroxyhexanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone and N-hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone. Journal of Bacteriology 183: 3537-3547
• Gotschlich, A., Huber, B., Geisenberger, O., Tögl, A., Steidle, A., Riedel, K., Hill, P., Tümmler, B., Vandamme, P., Middleton, B., Cámara, M., Williams, P., Hardman, A. and Eberl, L. (2001) Synthesis of multiple N-Acyl-homoserine lactones is wide-spread among the members of the Burkholderia cepacia complex. Systematics and Applied Microbiology 24:1-14.
• Pritchard, D., Hooi, D., E. Watson, S. Chow, G.Telford, B. Bycroft, S. R. Chhabra, C. Harty, M. Cámara, S. Diggle and P. Williams. (2003) Bacterial quorum sensing signalling molecules as immune modulators. In ‘Bacterial Evasion of Host Immune Responses’ Eds. B. Henderson and P. C. F. Oyston, Cambridge University Press pp 201-221.
• Middleton, B., Rodgers, H.C., Cámara, M., Knox, A.J., Williams, P. and Hardman A. (2001) Direct Detection of N-Acylhomoserine Lactones in Cystic Fibrosis Sputum. FEMS Microbiology Letters 207:1-7
• Pessi, G., Williams, F., Hindle, Z., Heurlier, K., Holden, M.T.G, Cámara, M., Haas, D. and Williams, P. (2001)The global post-transcriptional regulator RsmA modulates production of virulence determinants and N-acylhomoserine lactones in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Journal of Bacteriology 183:6676-6683
• Croxatto, A., Chalker V.J., Lauritz,J., Jass, J., Hardman,A., Williams, P., Cámara, M. and Milton^, D.L. (2002). VanT, a Homologue of Vibrio harveyi LuxR, Regulates Metalloprotease Production, Pigment Production, and Biofilm Formation in Vibrio anguillarum. Journal of Bacteriology 184:1617-1629
• Burgess, N., Kirke, D., Williams, P., Meyer, N., Curtis, M.A.,. and Cámara, M. (2002) LuxS-       dependent quorum sensing in Porphyromonas gingivalis modulates protease and haemagglutinin activities but is not essential for virulence. Microbiology  148:763-772
• Diggle, S.P. Winzer, K., Lazdunski, A.,Williams, P. and Cámara, M.* (2002) Advancing the quorum in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: MvaT and the regulation of N-acylhomoserine lactone production and virulence gene expression. Journal Bacteriology 184:2576-2586
• Yates, E.A., Phillip, B., Buckley, C., Atkinson, S., Chhabra, S.R., Sockett, R.E., Goldner, M.,Dessaux, Y., Cámara, M., Smith, H., Williams, P.(2002) N-acylhomoserine lactones undergo lactonolysis in a pH, temperature and acyl chain length dependent manner during growth of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Infection and Immunity 70:5635-5646.
• Joint, I., Tait, K., Callow, M.E., Callow, J.A., Milton, D., Williams, P.and  Cámara, M. (2002) Marine algal zoospores exploit quorum sensing signal molecules from bacterial biofilms. Science 298:1207.
• Cámara M, Williams, P.and Hardman, A. (2002) Controlling infection by tuning in and turning down the volume of bacterial “small-talk”. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 2:667-676.
• Cámara M*, Williams, P., Hardman, A. and Milton, D. (2002) Quorum sensing in Vibrio cholerae. Nature Genetics 32:217-18
• Dexter, S.J., Cámara, M., Davies, M. and Shakesheff, K.M.(2003). Development of a bioluminescent ATP assay to quantify mammalian and bacterial cell number from a mixed popblation. Biomaterials 24:27-34.
• Ward, C., Cámara, M., Forrest, I., Rutherford, B., Pritchard, G., Daykin, M., Hardman, A., de Soyza, A., Fisher, A.J., Williams, P., Corris, P.A. (2003) Preliminary findings of quorum sensing signal molecules in clinically stable lung allograft recipients. Thorax 58: 444-446.
• Diggle, S.P., Winzer, K., Chhabra, S.R., Worrall, K.E., Cámara, M.and Williams, P. (2003) The Pseudomonas aeruginosa quinolone signal molecule overcomes the cell density-dependency of the quorum sensing hierarchy, regulates rhl-dependent genes at the onset of stationary phase and can be produced in the absence of LasR. Molecular Microbiol 50:29-43.
• Heeb, S., Heurlier, K., Valverde, C., Cámara, M., Haas, D, and Williams, P. Post-transcriptional regulation in Pseudomonas spp. via the Gac/Rsm regulatory network. The Pseudomonads Vol II Chapter 8 ;Kluwer Academic Plenum Publishers-New York     Vol. 2 pp. 239-255
• Cámara, M*. Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. In, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology by Blackwell Science. (2004)
• Heurlier, K., Williams, F., Heeb, S., Dormond, C., Pessi, G., Cámara, M., Williams, P., Haas, D. (2004) Positive control of swarming and lipase production by the post-transcriptional RsmA/RsmZ system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1.Journal of Bacteriology 186:2936-2945.
• Chhabra, S.R., Phillip, B., Eberl, L., Givskov, M., Williams, P., and Cámara, M. (2004) Extracellular communication in bacteria. Current Topics in Chemistry Pheromones and other Sociochemicals (Ed. S. Schulz) Springer Verlag. Vol 2 pp.279-
• Vallet, I., Diggle, S.P., Stacey, R.E., Cámara, M., Ventre, I., Lory, S., Lazdunski, A.,  Williams, P. and Filloux (2004) A. Biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: the fimbrial cup gene clusters are controlled by the transcriptional regulator MvaT. Journal of Bacteriology 186: 2880-2890
• Croxatto, A., Pride, J., Hardman, A., Williams, P., Cámara, M., and Milton, D.L. (2004) A Distinctive Dual Channel Quorum Sensing System Operates in  Vibrio anguillarum. Molecular Microbiology. 52:1677-1689.
• Atkinson, S., Sockett, R.E., Cámara, M., and Williams P (2004) N-Acylhomoserine lactone-mediated quorum sensing in Yersinia. In Molecular and Cellular Biology of Yersinia“ edited by E. Carniel and J. Hinnebusch. Horizon Scientific Press. Chapter 5 pp 75-90.
• Westfall, L.W., Luna, A.M., San Francisco, H., Diggle, S.P., Worrall, K., Williams, P., Cámara, M. and Hamood, A.N. (2004). The Pseudomonas aeruginosa global regulator MvaT specifically binds to the ptxS upstream region and enhances ptxS expression. Microbiology. 150: 3797-3806.
• Tait, K., Joint, I., Daykin, M., Milton, D.L., Williams, P. and Cámara, M. (2005) Disruption of quorum sensing in seawater abolishes attraction of  zoospores of the green alga, Ulva to bacterial biofilms. Environ. Microbiol. 7: 229–240

• Aendekerk, S., Diggle, S.P., Song, Z., Høiby, N., Cornelis, P., Williams, P. and Cámara, M*. (2005). The MexGHI-OpmD multidrug efflux pump controls growth, antibiotic susceptibility and virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa via 4-quinolone-dependent cell-to-cell communication Microbiology  151, 1113–1125.
• Terrazas, G., Krasnogor, N., Gheorghe, M., Bernardini, F., Diggle, S. and Cámara M. (2005). An environment aware P-system model of quorum sensing. Lecture Notes in Computer Science 3526: 479-485 2005.
• Uroz, S, S.R., Chhabra, Cámara M., Williams P., Ogerand, P. and Dessaux, Y.(2005) N-Acylhomoserine lactone quorum-sensing molecules are modified and degraded by Rhodococcus erythropolis W2 by both amidolytic and novel oxidoreductase activities. Microbiology. 151:3313–3322.
• Krasnogor, N., Gheorghe, M., Terrazas, G., Diggle, S., Williams, P. & Cámara, M. (2005) An appealing computational mechanism drawn from bacterial quorum sensing. Bulletin of the European Association for Theoretical Computer Science. 83: 135-148.
• Diggle, S.P., Cornelis, P., Williams, P. and Cámara, M. (2006) 4-Quinolone signalling in Pseudomonas aeruginosa : Old molecules, new perspectives. International Journal of Medical Microbiology. 296:83-91.
• Sio, C. F., Otten, L. G., Cool, R. H., Diggle, S. P., Braun, P. G., Bos, R., Daykin, M., Cámara, M., Williams, P. & Quax, W. (2006) Quorum quenching by an N-acyl homoserine lactone acylase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. Infection & Immunity. 74: 1673-1682.
• Atkinson S., Chang C-Y. 1 R., Sockett E., Cámara, M. and Paul Williams (2006) Quorum Sensing in Yersinia enterocolitica Controls Swimming and Swarming Motility. Journal of Bacteriology 188:1451–1461.
• Qazi S., Middleton B., Muharram S.H., Cockayne A., Hill P., O’Shea P., Chhabra S.R., Cámara M, Williams P (2006). N-acylhomoserine lactones antagonize virulence gene expression and quorum sensing in Staphylococcus aureus. Infection & Immunity 74:910-919.
• Heeb S., Kuehne S.A., Bycroft M., Crivii S., Allen M.D., Haas D., Cámara M., Williams P (2006) Functional analysis of the post-transcriptional regulator RsmA reveals a novel RNA-binding site. Journal of Molecular Biology 355: 1026-1036.
•  Diggle, S. P., Stacey, R. E., Dodd, C., Cámara, M., Williams, P. and Winzer. K. (2006) The galactophilic lectin, LecA, contributes to biofilm development in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Environmental Microbiology. 8:1095-1104.
• Ryan R. P., Fouhy, Y., Lucey, J. F., Crossman, L.C., Spiro, S., He,  Y-W., Zhang, L-H, Heeb, S., Cámara, M., Williams, P. and Dow, J.M. (2006). Cell-cell signaling in Xanthomonas campestris involves an HD-GYP domain protein that functions in cyclic di-GMP turnover. PNAS 103 :6712-6717.
• A dual biosensor for 2-alkyl-4-quinolone quorum-sensing signal molecules. (2007) Fletcher MP, Diggle SP, Crusz SA, Chhabra SR, Cámara M, Williams P. Environ Microbiol. 9:2683-93.
• Diggle, S.P., Lumjiaktase, P., Dipilato, F., Winzer, K.,  Kunakorn, M., Barrett, D., Chhabra, S.R., Cámara, M.,  Williams, P. (2006) Functional genetic analysis reveals a novel 2-alkyl-4(1H)-quinolone signaling pathway in the human pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei and related bacteria. Chemistry & Biology 13:701-10.
• Lumjiaktase, P., Diggle, S.P., Loprasert, S., Tungpradabkul, S., Daykin, M., Cámara, M., Williams, P., Kunakorn, M. (2006) Quorum sensing regulates dpsA and the oxide stress in Burkholderia pseudomallei. Microbiology 152:3651-3659.
• Ortori, C.A, Atkinson, S., Chhabra, S.R., Cámara, M., Williams, P., Barrett, D.A. (2006) Comprehensive profiling of N-acylhomoserine lactones produced by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis using liquid chromatography coupled to hybrid quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry. Anal Bioanal Chem 387:497-511
• Uroz S, Oger P, Chhabra SR, Cámara, M., Williams P, Dessaux Y. (2006) N-acyl homoserine lactones are degraded via an amidolytic activity in Comamonas sp. strain D1. Arch Microbiol. 187:249-256
• Cámara, M. (2007). Quorum sensing: a cell-cell signaling mechanism used to coordinate behavioral changes in bacterial populations.  Lecture Notes in Computer Sciences 4361:42-48
• Diggle, S.P., Matthijs, S., Wright, V.J., Fletcher, M.P., Chhabra, S.R., Lamont, I.L.; Kong, X., Hider, R.C., Cornelis, P.,  Cámara, M. and Williams, P (2007) The Pseudomonas aeruginosa 4-Quinolone Signal Molecules HHQ and PQS Play Multi-functional Roles in Quorum Sensing and Iron Entrapment. Chem. & Biol 14:87-96.
• Williams, P. Winzer, K., Chan, W.C., Cámara, M. (2007) Look who’s talking: communication and quorum sensing in the bacterial world  Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 362:1119-34.
• Fletcher, MP, Diggle, SP, Cámara, M, Williams, P. (2007) Biosensor-based assays for PQS, HHQ and related 2-alkyl-4-quinolone quorum sensing signal molecules. Nat Protoc. 2:1254-1262.
• Diggle, SP, Crusz, S and Cámara, M (2007). Quorum sensing. Current Biology 17:R907-10.
• Gheorghe, M., Krasnogor, N., Cámara, M. (2008). P systems applications to systems biology. Biosystems 91:435-580.
• Diggle, S.P., Heeb, S., Dubern, J.F., Fletcher, M.P., Crusz, S.A., Williams, P., Cámara, M. (2008) Quorum sensing in Pseudomonas. In Pseudomonas: Model Organism, Pathogen, Cell Factory. Edited by Bernard H.A. Rehm. Wiley-VCH Publishers. Pag 167-194.
• Romero, M., Diggle, S.P., Heeb, S., Cámara, M., and Otero, A. (2008) Quorum quenching activity in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120: identification of AiiC, a novel AHL-acylase. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 280:73-80.
• Boontham, P, Robins, AR, Chandran, P, Pritchard, D, Cámara, M, William, P, Chuthapisith, S, McKechnie, A, Rowlands, BJ and Eremin, O. (2008) Significant immunomodulatory effects of Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum-sensing signal molecules: possible link in human sepsis. Clinical Science 115:343-351.
• Barriuso J, Ramos Solano B, Fray RG, Cámara M, Hartmann A andGutiérrez Mañero FJ.  (2008) Transgenic tomato plants alter quorum sensing in plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria Plant Biotechnology Journal 6:442-52.
• Atkinson S, Chang CY, Patrick HL, Buckley CM, Wang Y, Sockett RE, Cámara M, Williams P. (2008) Functional interplay between the Yersinia pseudotuberculosis YpsRI and YtbRI quorum sensing systems modulates swimming motility by controlling expression of flhDC and fliA. Mol. Microbiol 69:137-51.
• Tarighi, S., Qing, W, Cámara, M.,  Williams, P., Fletcher, M., Kajander, T.  Cornelis, P. (2008)The PA4204 gene encodes a periplasmic gluconolactonase (PPPGL) which is important for fitness of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microbiology 154:2979-90.
• F. Romero-Campero, H.Cao, M. Cámara, and N. Krasnogor. Structure and parameter estimation for cell systems biology models. In Maarten Keijzer et.al, editor, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO-2008), pages 331-338. ACM Publisher, 2008.
• Johansson EM., Crusz SA., Kolomiets E., Buts L., Kadam RU., Cacciarini M., Bartels KM., Diggle SP., Cámara M., Williams P., Loris R., Nativi C., Rosenau F., Jaeger KE., Darbre T. and Reymond JL. (2008) Inhibition and dispersion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms by glycopeptide dendrimers targeting the fucose-specific lectin LecB.Chem Biol. 15:1249-57.
• Tait, K., Williamson, H., Atkinson, S., Williams., P. Cámara M and Joint, I. (2009). Turnover of quorum sensing signal molecules modulates cross-kingdom signalling. Env Micro. 11: 1792-1802.
• Romero-Campero, F.J., Twycross, J., Cámara, M., Bennett, M., Gheorghe, M., Krasnogor, N (2009) Modular assembly of cell systems biology models using P systems. Int Journal of Foundat Comp Sci. 20:427-442.
• Williams, P. and Cámara, M (2009) Quorum sensing and environmental adaptation in Pseudomonasaeruginosa: a tale of regulatory networks and multifunctionalsignal molecules. Current Opinion in Microbiol 12:1-10.
• Pustelny, C., Albers^, A., Büldt-Karentzopoulos^, K., Parschat^, K.,Chhabra^, S.R., Cámara,M., Williams^, M and Fetzner, S. (2009)Dioxygenase-mediated quenching of quinolone-dependent quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Chemistry and Biology 16, 1259–1267.
• Smyth, A.R., Cifelli, P.M., Ortori, C. A., Righetti K., Lewis S.; Erskine, P; Holland, E.D., Givskov, M., Williams, P., Cámara, M., Barrett, D.A., Knox, A. (2010) Garlic as an inhibitor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorumsensing in cystic fibrosis – a randomised controlled trial. Pediatric Pulmology 45:356-62
•  Cao, H., Romero-Campero, F.J, Heeb, S., Cámara, M. and Krasnogor, N. (2010) Evolving cell models for systems and synthetic biology. Syst. Synth. Biol. 4:55-84
• Koch, G., Nadal Jimenez, P., Muntendam, R., Chen, Y., Papaioannou, E., Heeb, S., Cámara, M., Williams, P. , Cool, RH.,  and Quax, W.J.The acylase PvdQ has a conserved function amongst fluorescent Pseudomonas spp.(2010) Env Micro Reports. 2:433-439.
• Romero, M., Avendaño-Herrera. R., Magariños. B., Cámara. M. and Otero, A. (2010) Acylhomoserine lactone production and degradation by the fish pathogen Tenacibaculum maritimum, a member of the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides (CFB) group.FEMS Microbiol. 304:131-9
• Rampioni, G., Pustelny, C., Fletcher, MP, Wright, VJ., Bruce, M., Rumbaugh, KP., Heeb, S., Cámara, M.,  and Williams, P. (2010). Transcriptomic analysis reveals a global alkyl-quinolone-independent regulatory role for PqsE in facilitating the environmental adaptation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to plant and animal hosts. Env. Micro  12:1659-73
• Liu, X.,  Jia, J, Atkinson, S., Cámara, M. Gao, K.,   Li, H., and Cao, J. (2010) Biocontrol potential of an endophytic Serratia sp. G3 and its mode of action.  World J Microbiol Biotechnol  26:1465–1471
• Fletcher MP, Heeb S, Chhabra SR, Diggle SP, Williams P and Cámara M (2010) 2-Alkyl-4(1H)-quinolone signalling in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In: Filloux JLRaA (eds). Pseudomonas. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands pp. 29-57.
• Heeb, S., M. Fletcher P., Chhabra, S. R., Diggle, S. P., Williams P.and Cámara M.(2011) Quinolones: from antibiotics to autoinducers. FEMS Microbiol Rev. 35:247-74
• Ortori C.A., Dubern J-F., Chhabra S.R., Cámara, M., Hardie, K., Williams, P. and Barrett DA. (2011). Simultaneous quantitative profiling of N-acyl-L-homoserinelactone and 2-alkyl-4(1H)-quinolone families of quorum-sensing signaling molecules using LC-MS/MS. Anal Bioanal. Chem. 399:839-850.
• Atkinson, S., Goldstone RJ., Joshua, GWP., Chang, C-Y., Patrick, HL, Cámara, M, Wren, BW and Williams, P. (2011) Biofilm development on Caenorhabditis elegans by Yersinia is facilitated by quorum sensing-dependent repression of type III secretion. PLoS Pathogens 7(1): e1001250. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1001250.
• Diggle SP., Fletcher MP., Cámara M., Williams P. (2011).  Detection of 2-alkyl-4-quinolones using biosensors. Methods Mol Biol. 692:21-30.
• Liu X.,  Jia J, Popat,  R. , Ortori, C.A., Li, J.,  Diggle, S.P., Gao, K., and Cámara M. (2011) Characterisation of two quorum sensing systems in the endophytic Serratia plymuthica strain G3: differential control of motility and biofilm formation according to life-style. BMC Microbiology 11:26
• Chan K-G , Atkinson, S. , Mathee, K. , Sam, CK , Chhabra, S.R. , Cámara, M. , Koh, C-L  and Williams, P.(2011). Characterization of N-Acylhomoserine Lactone-Degrading Bacteria Associated with the Zingiber officinale (ginger) rhizosphere: Co-existence of Quorum Quenching and Quorum Sensing in Acinetobacter and Burkholderia. BMC Microbiology 11:51
• Fernández-Piñar, R., Cámara, M., Soriano, MI, Dubern, JF, Heeb, S., Ramos, JL., and Espinosa-Urgel, M.(2011)  PpoR, an orphan LuxR-family protein of Pseudomonas putida KT2440, modulates competitive fitness and surface motility independently of N acylhomoserine lactones. Env Micro Reports  3: 79–85.
• Kadam R.U.,Bergmann, M. Hurley, M. Garg, D., Cacciarini, M., Swiderska, M. A., Nativi, C., Sattler, M.,  Smyth, A.R., Williams, P., Cámara, M., Stocker, A., Darbre, T.,  and Reymond, J.L. (2011) A Glycopeptide dendrimer inhibitor of the galactose specific lectin LecA and of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Angewandte Chemie (In press)

Technical University Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark

Associate Professor in the Infection Microbiology Group, Department of Systems Biology at Technical University Denmark. His research interests are the evolution of complex antibiotic resistance mechanisms and the development of alternative therapies against multidrug resistant bacteria, with a special focus on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and antimicrobial peptides.

Anders Folkesson received his PhD in Celluar Microbiology from Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden in 2002. He did a postdoc at Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, Solna, Sweden. After moving to Denmark in 2003, he joined the Center for Biomedical Microbiology (CBM), Biocentrum at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and his research focused on the dynamics of antibiotic resistance and tolerance in microbial biofilms. AF became an Associate Professor in 2009 at the Infection Microbiology Group, Department of Systems Biology at DTU. The current research interests of AF are the evolution of complex antibiotic resistance mechanisms and the development of alternative therapies against multidrug resistant bacteria, with a special focus on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and antimicrobial peptides.

Complutense University, Madrid, Spain

Professor at the Complutense University in Madrid. His research interests focus on the role and function of small plasmids in antimicrobial resistance, the bacterial SOS-response and the 16S rRNA methyltranferases in pathogenic bacteria.

Prof. Bruno Gonzalez-Zorn is Professor at the Complutense University in Madrid. He gained his DVM in 1996 and his european PhD in 2001. After his Postdoc at the Pasteur Institute in Paris he received a Ramón y Cajal tenure-track contract from the Spanisk Ministry of Science to return to Spain. Currently he leads a young group of twelve researchers working on antimicrobial resistance in Madrid. His research interests focus on the role and function of small plasmids in antimicrobial resistance, the bacterial SOS-response and the 16S rRNA methyltranferases in pathogenic bacteria. In 2011 he was awarded the bianual Jaime Ferran Award from the Spanish Society for Microbiology.

University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Associate Professor at the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen. His research interests are evolution, population structure and epidemiology of multidrug-resistant bacteria of clinical relevance, zoonotic transmission of antimicrobial resistance by exposure to animals and in vivo effects of antibiotics on selection of multidrug-resistant bacteria, as well as development of alternative veterinary drugs and strategies for control of bacterial infections.

Education

Msc in Veterinary Medicine (DVM), University of Pisa,Italy, Sep 1994

PhD in Veterinary Microbiology, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark, Feb 2000

Other Professional Qualifications

De-facto diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Publich Health (ECVPH) – November 2005

Current Employment

Associate Professor, Faculty of Life Sciences, University ofCopenhagen (Jan 2007 – current)

Leader of a research group in the area of antibiotic resistance and antimicrobial development, responsible for the Department diagnostic laboratory, lecturer and responsible for various PhD and MSc course modules

Main Research Interests

• Antimicrobial resistance. Evolution, population structure and epidemiology of multidrug-resistant bacteria of clinical relevance such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus. aureus (MRSA), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP), Escherichia coli producing extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and multidrug-resistant enterococci. Zoonotic transmission of antimicrobial resistance by exposure to animals and in vivo effects of antibiotics on selection of multidrug-resistant bacteria.
• Alternative drugs and strategies for control of bacterial infection. Development of alternative veterinary drugs and strategies for control of bacterial infections. Optimization of dosage regimens for older antibiotics and testing of farm disinfection protocols.

Publications

A total of 169 publications since 1998, including 67 articles in international peer-reviewed journals (19 as the first author and 31 as the last author), 3 book chapters, 30 oral and 32 poster presentations at international conferences, 14 articles in national journals, 20 oral presentations in national conferences and workshops, 2 electronic reports and 1 PhD thesis. First editor of a book published by Blackwell-Wiley. His work has been cited in 1122 scientific articles according to Web of Science Cited Reference Searching (10^th November 2011, date last accessed).

Fund raising

Over 7 million euro raised since 2005, including 5.5 million over the last 3 years.

Teaching

Responsible for module B of the PhD course on Bacterial Typing and Antimicrobial Resistance. Lecturer and responsible for clinical microbiology modules within 4 MSc courses for veterinary students (Diff. Advanced Small Animal Clinics, Diff. Equine Clinics, Diff. Biomedicine and Veterinary Paraclinics. Supervisor of 13 PhD projects, 25 MSc projects, 7 BSc projects and 2 ECVPH residencies.

John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK – The EMBO Lecture

Emeritus Fellow at the John Innes Centre and Emeritus Professor of Genetics at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. His research interests are the genetics and molecular biology of the model actinomycete S. coelicolor. Professor Hopwood will deliver the EMBO Lecture entitled “Streptomyces genomics: new routes to antibiotic discovery”.

SIR DAVID (ALAN) HOPWOOD, FRS ‑ Curriculum Vitae

DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH:  19 August 1933, at Kinver, Staffordshire, England

ACADEMIC RECORD AND APPOINTMENTS

June 1954 B.A. (Natural Sciences: First Class Honours) UniversityofCambridge

May 1956-May 1958 John Stothert Bye-Fellow, Magdalene College, Cambridge

January 1957-October 1961 University Demonstrator (Assistant Lecturer) in Botany, University of Cambridge

May 1958-September 1961 Research Fellow,St John’sCollege,Cambridge

December 1958 Ph.D.: “Genetic recombination in Streptomyces coelicolor”

April-September 1960, April-July 1961 Guest Investigator, Istituto Superiore di Sanità,Rome,Italy

October 1961-June 1968 Lecturer in Genetics, University ofGlasgow

February-July 1967, April-May 1969, October 1971 Visiting Lecturer, Microbiology Department, New York University Medical Center

July 1974 Graduated D.Sc. in the University of Glasgow

July 1968-September 1998 John Innes Professor of Genetics in the University of East Anglia, Norwichand Head of the Genetics Department, John Innes Institute

October 1998-present Emeritus Fellow, John Innes Centre, and Emeritus Professor of Genetics, University of East Anglia, Norwich

SOCIETIES AND HONOURS

• Member of the Genetical Society ofGreat Britain, 1957; Secretary, 1969-1975;
• Vice-President, 1975-1978; President, 1984-1987
• Member of the Society for General Microbiology, 1955; Honorary Member 1990;
• President, 2000-2003
• Member of the American Society for Microbiology, 1967
• Fellow of the Institute of Biology, London, 1967; Honorary Fellow, 2001
• Fellow of the Royal Society of London, 1979
• Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization, 1984
• Honorary Member of the Spanish Microbiological Society, 1985
• Honorary Fellow, International Institute of Biotechnology,London, 1985
• Foreign Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, 1987
• Honorary Professor,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 1987
• Honorary Professor,Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institutes of Microbiology and of Plant Physiology, 1987
• Medal of the Kitasato Institute for Research in New Bioactive Compounds, 1988
• Leeuwenhoek Prize Lecture, The Royal Society, 1987
• Hoechst-Roussel Award for Research in Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, American Society for Microbiology, 1988
• Member, Academia Europaea, 1988
• Honorary Professor, Huazhong Agricultural University,Wuhan,China, 1989
• Honorary Doctor of Science, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule,Zürich,Switzerland, 1989
• Honorary Fellow, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, 1990
• Honorary Member, Hungarian Academy of Science, 1990
• Honorary Fellow, Magdalene College, Cambridge, 1992
• Chiron Biotechnology Award, American Society for Microbiology, 1992
• Knight Bachelor, 1994
• Mendel Medal of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 1995
• Gabor Medal of the Royal Society, 1995
• Honorary Doctor of Science, University of East Anglia,Norwich, 1998
• Stuart Mudd Prize, International Union of Microbiological Sciences, 2002
• First Ernst Chain Prize, Imperial College, London, 2003
• Andre Lwoff Prize, Federation of European Microbiological Societies, 2003
• Honorary Professor,Shanghai Jiaotong University, 2004
• Honorary Professor,Guangxi University, Nanning, 2004
• Honorary Member, Czech Society for Microbiology, 2006

NAMED LECTURES        

• ONR lecture, Society for Industrial Microbiology, 1976
• Squibb Lectures on the Chemistry of Natural Products, Rutgers University, 1979
• First David Perlman Memorial Lecture,University of Wisconsin, 1981
• First Annual Medal Lecture, International Institute of Biotechnology, London, 1986
• Kathleen Barton-Wright Memorial Lecture, Society for General Microbiology, 1988
• David Perlman Memorial Lecture, American Chemical Society, 1988
• ICI Canada Distinguished Lectureship,University of Quebec, 1990
• First Bengtåke Jaurin Memorial Lecture,University of Umeå, 1991
• Irish Guest Lecturer, Society for General Microbiology, 1994
• Genetical Society Guest Lecture, Czech and Slovak Republics, 1994
• Stanier Memorial Lecture, University of California, Berkeley, 1995
• Ferdinand Memorial Lecture,University of Sheffield, 1996
• Mortimer and Raymond Sackler Visiting Lecturer,Tel Aviv University, 1997
• Mendel Lecture, Genetical Society, 1998
• Huxley Lecture,University of Birmingham, 1999
• Normanby Lecture,Trinity College Dublin, 2002
• First Hans Brockmann Memorial Lecture, University of Göttingen, 2004
• Ranjeet Baghwan Singh Memorial Lecture, Malaysian Academy of Sciences, 2004
• Stanley Dagley Memorial Lecture, University of Minnesota, 2004
• Society for General Microbiology Prize Lecture, 2011

PUBLICATIONS

Author of three books and some 300 articles on genetics, microbiology and genetic engineering.

The Forsyth Institute, Boston MA, USA

Assistant Research Investigator in the Department of Molecular Genetics at Forsyth Institute, Boston, MA. Her research interests are microbial ecology, microbial community assembly, host- microbe interactions, evolution and adaptation, invasion ecology and environment/microbial community feedback.

Education:

Ph.D. Biological Oceanography 2004

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,

Cambridge, MA and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Woods Hole, MA

B.S. Mathematics / B. S. Molecular Biology 1998

Beloit College, Beloit, W

Research Interests:

Microbial ecology; Microbial community assembly; Host-microbe interactions; Evolution and adaptation; Invasion ecology; Environment/microbial community feedback.

Professional Appointments:

Assistant Research Investigator at Forsyth Institute, Boston, MA, October 2009 – present, Department of Molecular Genetics

Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, August 2005 – September 2009, Ecology of polymicrobial respiratory infections in children with cystic fibrosis

Mentor: Prof. Roberto Kolter

Postdoctoral Associate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA Sept, 2004 – June 2005

Statistical diversity estimates of microbial communities. Collaboration with Prof. D. Veneziano

Mentor: Prof. Martin Polz

Graduate Student at MIT-WHOI Joint Program, Cambridge and Woods Hole, MA, June 1998 – August 2004

Thesis: Diversity and phylogenetic structure of two complex marine microbial communities

Advisor: Prof. Martin Polz

Awards and Fellowships:

• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: Postdoctoral Fellowship, Harvard Medical School, MA 2006 – 2009
• Environmental Science Mentor Fellowship, Cambridge, MA 2001 – 2002
• The Antarctica Service Medal issued by the United States military for research in Antarctica 1998
• Phi Beta Kappa early recipient, Beloit College, WI 1997
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute Summer Fellow, Beloit College, WI 1996

Publications:

Torlakovic, L, V Klepac-Ceraj, B Øgaard, BJ Paster, I Olsen. Initial enamel caries is associated with major ecological shifts in the plaque microbiota. Accepted.

Bosak, T, SP Templer, T-D Wu, B Liang, J-L Guerquin-Kern, J Muid, H Vali, A Evans, MS Sim, J Friedman, V Klepac-Ceraj. Cyanobacterial composition and activity in modern conical stromatolites. Accepted.

Klepac-Ceraj, V, C Hayes, R Kolter and A Pearson. Microbial diversity in extreme euxinia: Mahoney Lake, Canada. Geobiology. doi: 10.1111/j.1472-4669.2012.00317.x.

Shank, EA, V Klepac-Ceraj, L Collado-Torres, GE Powers, R Losick, and R Kolter. Interspecies interactions that result inBacillus subtilis forming biofilms are mediated mainly by members of its own genus. PNAS 108:E1236-43.

Bohórquez, LC, L Delgado-Serrano, G López, C Osorio-Forero, V Klepac-Ceraj, H Junca, S Baena and MM Zambrano. Prokaryotic community structure in a hot spring of the Colombian Andes: assessment via PhyloChip, Pyrosequencing and PCR clone library of 16S rRNA genes. Environm Microbiol [epub ahead of print].

Klepac-Ceraj, V, N Patel, X Song, C Holewa, C Patel, R Kent, MM Amiji, NS Soukos. 2011. Photodynamic effects of methylene blue-loaded polymeric nanoparticles on dental plaque bacteria. Lasers Surgery Med 43:600–606.

Ng R, F Singh, D Papamanou, X Song, C Patel, C Holewa, N Patel, V Klepac-Ceraj, C Fontana, R Kent, T Pagonis, P Stashenko, N Soukos. 2011. Endodontic photodynamic therapy ex vivo. JOE 37:217-222.

Guss, AM, G Roeselers, IL Newton, CR Young, V Klepac-Ceraj, S Lory and CM Cavanaugh. 2011. Phylogenetic and metabolic diversity of bacteria associated with cystic fibrosis. ISME J 5:20-29.

Lemon, KP, V Klepac-Ceraj, H Schiffer, EL Brodie, SV Lynch, and R Kolter. 2010. Identification of the bacterial microbiota of the adult human nostril and oropharynx using culture-independent methods. mBio 1: e00129-10.

Klepac-Ceraj, V, KP Lemon, TR Martin, M Allgaier, SW Kembel, AA Knapp, S Lory, EL Brodie, SV Lynch, BJM Bohannan, J Green, BA Maurer, JL Green, R Kolter. 2010. Relationship between Cystic Fibrosis Respiratory Tract Bacterial Communities and Age, Genotype, Antibiotics and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Environm Microbiol. 12:1293-1303.

Udiković Kolić, N, D Hršak, M Devers, V Klepac-Ceraj, I Petrić, F Martin-Laurent. 2010. Taxonomic and functional diversity of atrazine-degrading bacterial communities enriched from agrochemical factory soil. J Appl Microbiol 109:355-367.

Klepac-Ceraj, V*, I Ceraj*, MF Polz. 2006. Clusterer: extendable Java application for sequence grouping and cluster analysis. Online J Bioinf 7:15-21. *co-first authors

Hunt, DE, V Klepac-Ceraj, S Acinas, C Gauthier, S Bertilsson, MF Polz. 2006. Evaluation of 23S rRNA PCR primers for use in phylogenetic studies of bacterial diversity. App Environ Microbiol 72:2221-2225.

Acinas, SG, R Sarma-Rupavtarm, V Klepac-Ceraj, MF Polz. 2005. PCR-induced sequence artifacts and bias: insights from comparison of two 16S rRNA clone libraries constructed from the same sample. App Environ Microbiol 71:8966-8969.Recommended Faculty of 1000 rating.

Perry, TD, V Klepac-Ceraj, CJ McNamara, MF Polz, N Berke, R Mitchell. 2005. Binding of harvested bacterial exopolymers to the surface of calcite. Env Sci Tech 39:8770-8775.

Bahr, M, BC Crump, V Klepac-Ceraj, AP Teske, JE Hobbie. 2005. Molecular characterization of sulfate-reducing prokaryotes during an annual cycle in a New England salt marsh. Environ Microbiol 7:1175-1185.

Thompson, JT, S Pacocha, C Pharino, V Klepac-Ceraj, DE Hunt, J Benoit, R Sarma-Rupavtarm, DL Distel, MF Polz. 2005. Genotypic diversity within a natural coastal bacterioplankton population. Science 307:1311-1313. Must Read Faculty of 1000 rating.

Klepac-Ceraj, V, M Bahr, BC Crump, AP Teske, JE Hobbie, MF Polz. 2004. High overall diversity and dominance of microdiverse relationships in salt marsh sulfate-reducing bacteria. Environ Microbiol 6:686-698.

Acinas, SG* and V Klepac-Ceraj*, D Hunt, C Pharino, I Ceraj, DL Distel, MF Polz. 2004. Fine-scale phylogenetic architecture of a complex bacterial community. Nature 430:551-554. Must Read Faculty of 1000 rating. *co-first authors

Acinas, SG, LA Marcelino, V Klepac-Ceraj, MF Polz. 2004. Divergence and redundancy of 16S rRNA sequences in genomes with multiple rrn operons. J Bacteriol 186:2629-2635. Recommended Faculty of 1000 rating.

Articles about my Research:

Giovannoni, S. 2004. Evolutionary biology: Oceans of bacteria. Nature 430: 515-516.

Marris, E. 2009. Staving off ecological disaster in lungs. Nature News:

http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090807/full/news.2009.808.html?s=news_rss

Professional Societies:

• American Society for Microbiology
• Ecological Society of America
• International Society for Microbial Ecology

Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Würzburg, Germany

Young investigator group leader at the Research Center for Infectious Diseases Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany. His research interests are molecular mechanisms of cell differentiation in infective bacteria.

Dr. Daniel Lopez received his Bachelor’s degree in Biochemical Sciences from University of Murcia (Spain) and earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry with Dr. Antonio Sanchez-Amat and Dr. Francisco Solano at the same university. After receiving his doctorate, he trained as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Roberto Kolter at Harvard Medical School (U.S.A.), where he became interested in cell-cell communication in bacteria and small molecules involved in this process. in 2011, he joined the Institute for Molecular Infection Biology IMIB at Wuerzburg University (Germany) as Junior Research Group Leader, where he is building a very dynamic research group that focuses on cell differentiation in infective bacteria and the molecular mechanisms involved in this process.

University of Insubria, Varese, Italy

Associated Professor of Fermentation Chemistry and Biotechnology at University of Insubria, Varese. Her main research interests are actinomycetes, resistance and mode of action of antibiotics, strain and process improvement for production of bioactive peptides and proteins.

Graduated in Biological Sciences at Rome University in the field of Industrial Microbiology and Fermentation Chemistry, PhD in Chemistry at Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa and Post doc at the Freiburg University in Germany working in the biochemistry of secondary metabolism.

In the 1990, she joined Lepetit Research of Marion Merrell Dow at Gerenzano, near Varese, to work on the genetics and physiology of industrially relevant microorganisms (actinomycetes and fungi) producing antibiotics. In this center, first for Marion Merrel Dow and then for Hoechst, she became Director of the Pilot Fermentation Plant and of the Microbiology Laboratories.

In the 1996, she was one of the founder and member of the Board of Directors of the first Italian Biotec company Biosearch Italia, (devoted to the discovery and development of new anti-infectives) quoted at Nasdaq in the 2000.

Since December 2004 she has been appointed as Associated Professor of Fermentation Chemistry and Biotechnology at Insubria, University Varese, where she has installed a Research Unit on Microbial Biotechnology and Fermentation.

Main research interests are: actinomycetes, resistance and mode of action of antibiotics, strain and process improvement for production of bioactive peptides and proteins.

Till now she has published 65 papers on international peer-review journals, she is co-inventor of 4 patents on anti-infective molecules and she has contributed to national and international congresses and schools with more than 100 oral communications, poster, seminars and conferences.

Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic

Research Scientist in Laboratory for Biology of Secondary Metabolism at the Institute of Microbiology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. Her research focuses on molecular mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance.

Education

2000 – 2007 Ph.D. in microbiology, Faculty of Natural Science, Charles University in Prague and Institute of Microbiology, Academy of the Sciences of the Czech Republic. Thesis: ‘Macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin resistance in coagulase-negative staphylococci in the Czech Republic’

Supervisor: Ing. Jiri Janata, CSc.

1998 – 2000 M.Sc. in genetics and molecular biology, Faculty of Natural Science, Charles University in Prague, Diploma thesis: ‘Detection of MLS resistance determinants in group of methicillin-resistant staphylococci’

1995 – 1998  B.Sc., Faculty of Natural Science, Charles University in Prague

Research experience:

present Research Scientist in Laboratory for Biology of Secondary Metabolism

2008 – 2011  Postdoctoral researcher in laboratory of Dr. Hee-Jeon Hong, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge

October 2003 Training lessons in Guy’s Dental Institute, King’s College London,  Infection Research Group, Professor William Wade

2002 – 2007 Collaboration with Research institute of Stomatology, 1^st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague

2000 – 2008 Institute of Microbiology, AS CR, Laboratory for Biology of Secondary Metabolism

Awards:

• Institute of Microbiology Award for the best master’s diploma thesis of the year 2000
• Czechoslovak Society for Microbiology Award for the best Czech and Slovak young microbiologist of the year 2006

Invited lectures:

• Central European Symposium on Antimicrobial Resistance CESAR 2009, 23.-26. September 2009 in Zadar, Croatia, Title: The resistance to macrolides, lincosamides and streptogramins in coagulase-negative staphylococci

University Clinical Centre Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Associate Professor and Head of Cathedra for Microbiology at Medical Faculty, University of Tuzla. Her research interests are improvement of general methods for detection of bacteria, detection of resistant type bacteria, especially Enterobacteriaceae, sanitary microbiology.

CV Fatima Numanović (Word, 1.5 MB)

Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

Professor at the Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. His research interests are microbiology diagnostics, epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance and the efficacy of a proline-rich antibacterial peptide A3-APO.

He was born in Tarcal, Hungary on 21 September 1938.

He graduated with a summa cum laude degree in medicine from the Medical University of Debrecen, Hungary in 1963. Following this, his career started at that University and step by step promoting and reaching a full university professorship in 1995. He got a specialization in medical laboratory investigations (1967) and then clinical microbiology (1978), as well as he got a PhD  degree (1978) and then became a Doctor of Medical Sciences (1988) at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and qualifyed to a university professor finally.

He worked out a new curriculum for medical students to train clinical microbilogy, and Rapid Clinical Microbiology Diagnostics was announced as an optional compulsory subject at the Mecial University of Debrecen, and at the Semmelweis University, Budapest as well.

In 1972 he wrote a lecture note on Human Parasitology. In 1994 he compiled and edited the first Hungarian Manual on Rapid Microbiology Diagnostic Methods for General Practitioners. Its newer enlarged up to date edition for both Clinicians and Outpatient Specialists was publisted in 2006. He wrote six chapters to the 1st and 2st editions of the Hungarian Medical Microbiology textbook published in 1999 and 2003. He was a coeditor of the 1st Hungarian Oral Microbiology, Immunology, Diagnostic and Infection Control textbook published in 2007.

Between I July 1996 and 30 June 2003 he was the director and chairman of the Imstitute of Medical Microbiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest. He has been taking part in person in all sorts of graduate and postgraduate education for medical and dental students and doctors both in Hungarian and English. He updated and made more practical the curricula, putting more emphasis in his lectures on pathogenesis of infectious diseases and interactions of host-pathogen-antibiotics at molecular, cellular and organism levels. He introduced clinical bacteriology and virology diagnostic blocks into practical trainings. Between 1997-2008 he was the program leader of the microbiology PhD program at the Doctoral School of the Semmelweis University. Up to date 12 PhD  students graduated from his program ten of them under his supervision.

Since his MD graduation he has been working almost continuously in microbiology diagnostics, too. First in 1993 at the Medical University of Debrecen then in 1997 at the Semmelweis University, Budapest, he established the Central Clinic Microbiology Diagnostic Laboratory. In 2008 he integrated the bacteriology, mycology, serology and molecular diagnostic of the Department of Dermatology, Venerology and Dermatooncology of the Semmelweis University to the National STD Microbiology Diagnostic Laboratory as a scientitic and diagnostic adviser at this Department.

His rapid diagnostic system for in- and out-door patients have been used in all clinics of the two universities, and for outopatient services in a number of cities of Hungary.

His scholarships abroad have considerably promoted his researches. He had one year fellowship at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA, fourteen months at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and simultaneously at the University of Uppsala, five months at the Free University of Berlin and simultaneously at the Robert Koch Institute, and three months at the University of Glasgow, UK. As a consequence, he has got extensive international collaborations. He has had bilateral projects with the Berlin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Padova, Skopje and Vienna Universities by intergovernmental supports.

In Hungary he described first MRSA strains. He revealed the appearance of a variety of phenotypical forms of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and many accompanying ultrastructural and biochemical changes. He showed significant differences in the pathogenesis of S. epidermidis and S. haemolyticus after intraperitoneal inoculation.

Professor Rozgonyi’s group published first from Hungary the molecular epidemiology of a cluster of cases due to K. pneumoniae producing SHV-5 ESBL int he premature intensive care unit of a Hungarian hospital, and that 92% of S. aureus strains isolated from sudenly died infants produced superantigens, moreover, a vanA gene coded vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis isolated in Hungary, furthermore, penicillin-cefotaxim cross-resistant and levofloxacin-resistant S. pneumoniae, as well as teicoplanin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus strains. He, with his coworkers, worked out intraperitoneal, intranasal and skin-burn-wound bacterium inoculation models for studying experimental animal infections and the efficasy of a proline-rich antibacterial peptide A3-APO.

He has published more than 150 peer-reviewed articles, 16 congress proceedings, 52 book chapters and 5 books.

The overall number of his publications has exceeded 400 (Inpact Factor: 196.31. Citations without self-citations: 480), he has together with his co-workers, presented over 460 papers and posters on national and international conferences. Since 1982 he has actively taken part in the ICC  and ECCMID presenting  a great number of lectures and posters and being a chairman in a number of sessions.

His membership in  Editorial Board  of scientific journals: Journal of Chemotherapy (1993-96), Zentralblatt für Bacteriologie Abt Orig I (1994-97), Acta Microbiologica et Immunologica Hungarica (1996-), Hungarian Venerology Archives (1998-), Focus Medicinae (1999-), World Journal of Critical Infectious  Diseases (2011-).

He was the President of the Committee of Antibiotic Resistance and Infection Control (1999-2003), and  a member of the Education Board of the Doctoral School (2000-2008) of the Semmelweis University. Over 20 years he was a member of the Council of the Hungarian Society for Chemoterapy. In 2003-2006 he was a secretary of it. In 2001-2002 he represented the Hungarian Society of Chemotherapy at the ESCMID European Council. Between 2003-05 he was an elected member with this body.

Since 2005 he has been on the „ECDC roster of scientists” at antibiotic resistance.

Since 2008 he has been the President of the Curator Board of the Hungarian Society for Microbiology Foundation.

The Hungarian Society for Microbiology donated him with its highest scientific recognition, the Rezső Maninger award in 2003.

University of Warwick, UK

Research Fellow in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Warwick. Her research interests cover different aspects of secondary metabolites chemistry and biology focusing on genetic manipulation and enzymology of natural product biosynthesis to produce new natural products analogues.

Education & Research Experience

 2011-present   Institute of Advanced Study Research Fellow, Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick

2010-2011        Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Chemical Biology (supervisor: Prof. Gregory L. Challis), Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick

2006-2010        Ph.D. in Chemical Biology, (supervisor: Prof. Gregory L. Challis), Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick

Thesis title: Elucidation of the Prodiginine Biosynthetic Pathway in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

2005-2006         Research Scientist in Microbiology, (supervisor: Dr Dagmara Jakimowicz)

Department of Microbiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland

2004-2005        M.Sc. Student in Biotechnology, Specialisation: Microbiology, Department of Biotechnology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Science, Poland

 Master project supervisor: Prof. J. Zakrzewska-Czerwinska, Department of Microbiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland

 2000-2004        B.Sc. Student in Biotechnology, Specialisation: Food Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Science, Poland

Awards

2006-2009         Warwick Postgraduate Research Fellowship (Competitive scholarship)

2011                     Poster prize, Royal Society of Chemistry: The Chemistry and Biology of Natural Products VI, University of Bristol, 2011

2011                     Warwick University Institute of Advanced Study Postdoctoral Fellowship

Oral Presentations

2009                     Student’s Forum at the 15th International Symposium on the Biology of Actinomycetes, Shanghai, China

2009                     The Chemistry and Biology of Natural Products V, University of Bristol

2009                     Young Microbiologists Mini-Symposium, John Innes Centre, Norwich

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

• Sebastian Amyes (UK)
• Bruno Baršić (Croatia)
• Fernando Baquero (Spain)
• Helena Bujdakova (Slovak Republic)
• Miguel Camara (UK)
• Gregory L. Challis (UK)
• Anders Folkesson (Denmark)
• Bruno Gonzalez-Zorn (Spain)
• Luca Guardabassi (Denmark)
• David A. Hopwood (UK)
• Vanja Klepac-Ceraj (USA)
• Flavia Marinelli (Italy)
• Gabriela Novotna (Czech Republic)
• Ferenc Rozgonyi (Hungary)