application abstract): The FASEB Summer Research Conference entitled `Microbial Pathogenesis: Mechanisms of Infectious Diseases` is the third FASEB conference covering this broad area of infectious diseases. The original name for the conference was `Principles in Viral, Bacterial, Fungal and Protozoan Pathogenesis`. The conference will be organized by Kathryn V. Holmes, Department of Microbiology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colorado. The Vice-Chair, who will be responsible for chairing the next conference, is Dr. William Goldman, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. This conference is unique among conferences dealing with the pathogenesis of infectious diseases in that it brings together scientists studying molecular mechanisms of disease caused by all types of infectious agents. Common themes of establishment of infection, invasion, cell injury, virulence factors, host responses and evolution and diversity of pathogens will be addressed by investigators studying diseases caused by different types of infectious agents. The pathogenesis of infectious diseases is a timely and important area of investigation for many reasons. Infectious diseases remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in humans and domestic animals worldwide, despite the fact that effective antibiotics and vaccines are available for many of these diseases. Not only are the familiar infectious diseases still serious medical and veterinary problems, but there is increasing concern about new and emerging infectious diseases that may jump from one species to another and spread rapidly across the globe. New understanding of the pathogens is becoming available as complete nucleotide sequences of the genomes of many infectious organisms are now known, rapid advances in host response mechanisms are being made due to studies in transgenic and knock-out animals, and molecular mechanisms of drug and vaccine activities are being elucidated. While other conferences focus only on a single class of microbial pathogens, either viruses, bacteria, parasites or fungi, or upon a single topic such as microbial invasion or immune responses, this is the only small conference that brings together leading scientists from around the world who are making contributions to all aspects of the pathogenesis of infectious diseases caused by all types of pathogens. Approximately 150 scientists will attend the conference in an atmosphere that encourages informal discussion of recent data. The conference will be held in Snowmass, Colorado, from July 4th through 9th, 1998.
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