Insect immunity: the post genomic era

20 novembre 2018

Roscoff (Bretagne), France - June 10-14, 2006

Chairperson: Bruno LEMAITRE

C.N.R.S. Centre de Génétique Moléculaire Avenue de la Terrasse
F - 91198 GIF-SUR-YVETTE CEDEX France
Phone: +33 1 69 82 31 82 Fax: +33 1 69 82 43 86
E-mail: lemaitre@cgm.cnrs-gif.fr

Vice-Chairperson: Ulrich THEOPOLD

Department of Molecular Biology and Functional Genomics
Stockholm University
Svante Arrhenius Laboratories 16-18
SE-106 91 STOCKHOLM Sweden
Phone: +46 8 164181 Fax: +46 8 152350
E-mail: uli.theopold@molbio.su.se

It has long been known that insects have a very potent immune system. However, it was only during the last decade or so that the molecular mechanisms regulating the insect immune response and their relevance to general biology and human immunology have become fully appreciated. Genetic studies on Drosophila host defence mechanisms now have an important impact on research performed on the vertebrate innate immune system. Concomitantly, the development of powerful technologies for studying insect vector biology (genomics, transgenesis, RNAi) have also resulted in important discoveries on the insect host defence against the parasites they transmit. However, since 1992, no meeting has brought together researchers working on insect immunity. This is predominantly due to the fact that this research community contains traditionally quite distinct domains. The goal of this meeting is to specifically bring together researchers working on insect immunity and to address all facets of insect immunity in a broad context. It will cover the classic humoral response, together with many other aspects of immunity in different insects that have been somewhat neglected in the past (cellular response, host-pathogen interactions, hematopoeisis, wound healing, ecology.). Comparison of different systems will allow us to shed light on the evolution of insect immune reaction mechanisms and the genes and proteins involved, and will also highlight potential practical benefits. Importantly, this meeting will provide a unique opportunity to bring together geneticists working on Drosophila and those working on other insects.

Invited speakers

(Provisional titles)

AKSOY Serap (New Haven, USA) Trypanosome-tsetse fly interactions

BANERJEE Utpal (Los Angeles, USA) Drosophila as a model for hematopoietic development

BOUTROS Michael (Heidelberg, Allemagne) Dissecting Innate Immune Signaling Pathways by RNAi

CROZATIER Michelle (Toulouse, France) Cellular immune response to parasitization in Drosophila

DREZEN Jean-Michel (Tours, France) A parasitoid wasp-associated virus targeting the lepidopteran host immun system

EWBANK Jonathan (Marseille, France) Comparison of the Drosophila and C. elegans immune systems

FERRANDON Dominique (Strasbourg, France) Sensing infections in Drosophila

FFRENCH-CONSTANT Richard (Bath, U.K.) Probing the insect immune system with the insect pathogenic bacterium Photorhabdus

GOVIND Shubha (New York, USA)

HOFFMANN Jules (Strasbourg, France) Insect Defense Mechanisms : a Paradigm for Innate Immunity

HULTMARK Dan (Umea, Sweden) Cellular interactions in Drosophila immunity

IMLER Jean-Luc (Strasbourg, France) The Drosophila response to virus infection

KAFATOS Fotis (London, UK) Mosquito immunogenomics and transmission of malaria

KANOST Mike (Manhattan, USA) Proteases and protease inhibitors regulating immune responses of Manduca sexta

KAWABATA Shun (Fukuoka, Japan) Chitin-binding proteins involved in the horseshoe crab's innate immunity

KOELLA Jacob (Ascot, Berkshire, U.K.) Evolutionary immunology of the interaction between mosquitoes and malaria

LEE Bok-Luel (Pusan, South Korea) ß-1,3-glucan-dependent and peptidoglycan-dependent pro-phenoloxidase activation pathways on the coleopteran insects

LEE Won-Jae (Seoul, South Korea) The redox homeostasis in Drosophila epithelial immunity

LEMAITRE Bruno (Gif-sur-Yvette, France) Drosophila host defence after oral infection by entomopathogenic bacterial species

LERECLUS Didier (Guyancourt, France) Bacillus thuringiensis, a well armed bacterium to attack insects

LEVASHINA Elena (Strasbourg, France) Molecular mechanisms of Plasmodium elimination in Anopheles gambiae

MARTIN Paul (Bristol, U.K.) Modelling wound repair and inflammation in Drosophila embryos

ROYET Julien (Marseille, France) PGRP and Drosophila immune response

SCHNEIDER David (Stanford, USA) Identifying adaptive immune responses in the fly

SILVERMAN Neal (Worcester, USA) Recognition and Signaling in Response to Gram-negative bacteria in Drosophila

SIVA-JOTHY Mike (Sheffield, U.K.) Getting the most out of simple immune systems: sophisticated management?

STEINER Håkan (Stockholm, Sweden) Peptidoglycan recognition proteins : on and off switches of innate immunity

STRAND Michael (Athens, USA) Strategies for suppression of the insect immune system by parasites

THEOPOLD Ulrich (Stockholm, Sweden) Hemolymph clotting in Drosophila melangaster- fishing fibers and genes

Deadline for application: March 1, 2006

Registration fee (including board and lodging)

360 € for PhD students
550 € for other participants

Application for registration

The total number of participants is limited to about 100 and all participants are expected to attend for the whole duration of the conference. Selection is made on the basis of the affinity of potential participants with the topics of the conference. Scientists and PhD Students interested in the meeting should send:

their curriculum vitae
the list of their main publications for the 3 last years
the abstract of their presentation to the chairman of the conference before the deadline.

After it, the chairman will select the participants. Except in some particular cases approved by the chairperson, it is recommended that all selected participants present their work during the conference, either in poster form or by a brief in- session talk. The organizers choose the form in which the presentations are made. No payment will be sent with application. Information on how and when to pay will be mailed in due time to those selected.