The Society for Leukocyte Biology (SLB) annual meeting from September 21-24, 2005 will be devoted to phagocytes and innate immunity. Leukocytes acting as professional phagocytic cells are the central cellular elements of innate immune defense in mammals. In the last several years a variety of new tools have become available that make it possible to dissect the molecular components of phagocytosis and in identifying and understanding the proteins that attract the cells, modulate their activity, and promote interactions with foreign invaders. SLB is made up primarily of cell biologists who focus on antigen presenting cells and the effector cells of innate immunity. In this meeting, we aim to provide the latest information from some of the leading investigators in the field; plenary sessions and symposia speakers will cover a broad range of pertinent topics. Keynote addresses will be given by Ralph Steinman, who produced the hallmark studies on dendritic cells that defined the roles of these cells in the innate immune response and Jules Hoffmann, who first identified toll-like receptors; these specialized receptors are now appreciated to mediate the intracellular signaling that leads to inflammatory gene expression in response to foreign antigens. There will be 35 invited speakers (all have been confirmed) and additional speakers will be selected, by a committee, from the abstracts that are submitted. Ten of the invited speakers are women, all leading investigators in the field. The topics to be covered include models of innate immunity, cellular mechanisms of phagocytosis and host-pathogen interactions. We expect 300-400 registrants, mostly active researchers from academics and industry. The venue is a newly constructed, state-of-the-art facility at the University of Oxford that is wheel-chair accessible. We encourage students and other trainees to submit abstracts; the SLB gives awards for the best abstracts submitted by students. One of the main purposes of the meeting is to encourage young scientists.
