The third American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Conference on Cell-Cell Communication in Bacteria will be held in Austin, TX, October 7-10, 2007 (CCCB-07). The conference focuses on chemical and physical signaling mechanisms employed by bacteria and the communication networks that lead from these processes. Bacteria are the paradigm for unicellular life, yet they also exhibit elaborate coordinated behaviors that often defy unicellularity. In the 1960s and 1970s several reports suggested that bacteria might communicate with each other via chemical signals, specifically in regulating genetic competence in Streptococcus pneumoniae and in controlling bioluminescence in Vibrio fischeri. Research over the past decade has revealed that a wide range of bacteria can communicate by diverse mechanisms. In most cases these microbial conversations occur through the exchange of diffusible signals, although there are also clear examples of cell contact-dependent communication. Many bacteria use these signaling mechanisms to monitor and respond to population density, a process often described as quorum sensing. Interbacterial communication is not however restricted to quorum sensing mechanisms, and there is mounting evidence that signaling can function in a range of different capacities. Communication between microorganisms has profound impacts on host interactions, as plant and animal pathogens, symbionts and commensals often regulate important aspects of their host interactions using signal production and perception. Target functions include, but are not restricted to, horizontal gene transfer, virulence factors, adhesins, biofilm formation and the secretion of exoenzymes. Well established systems such as the cyclic thiolactone signals and acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) that control behavior in diverse bacteria are now joined by a number of more recently identified signaling systems. The range and diversity of these systems continues to grow explosively. Due to the rapid pace of discovery in this area of microbiology and the excitement it has generated, the ASM has hosted two previous Cell-Cell Communication in Bacteria (CCCB) conferences, in 2001 and in 2004. Strong community support for a third conference led the ASM to commit to the CCCB-07 conference. The goal of this conference is to act as a conduit for the exchange and synthesis of new ideas among leading US and international scientists working on bacterial communication, and to foster the next generation of scientists to work in this area. The past two conferences greatly stimulated the cell-cell communication community, leading to outstanding discourse and productive new collaborations.
The CCCB-07 conference will promote the exchange of new information, ideas and strategies for targeting and harnessing the communication mechanisms of microorganisms. There are no other conferences that organize around the central concept of microbial communication, and the CCCB-07 provides a unique venue in which to examine conserved patterns, processes and modalities as well as to explore the mechanistic and phylogenetic diversity of this process. The conference has tremendous scientific impact on all areas of microbiology, including microbial cell biology, gene regulation and signal transduction, microbial ecology and evolution, host-microbe interactions, and applied microbiology. In terms of broader impacts, it is anticipated that CCCB-07 will provide a venue for learning and participation by graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, junior faculty scientists and underrepresented minorities. This NSF award specifically will provide travel funds to help defray the costs for eight postdoctoral and/or junior faculty scientists.
