ASM 2022 is coming to Sydney

The Australian Society for Microbiology (ASM) is excited to be able to invite you to Sydney for our annual national scientific conference, ASM 2022. The conference will be held at the Sydney International Convention Centre (ICC) that overlooks beautiful Darling Harbour.

Darling Harbour is rimmed by cafes, bars and restaurants that will provide a vibrant background to our conference this year. The ICC is within walking distance of the heart of Sydney that boasts Australian icons like the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and Manly Ferry. Just outside the CBD you can get your feet sandy walking along Bondi or Manly beaches. Sydney is awake after the lockdowns and it’s time to celebrate!

Sydney is home to world-leading universities and biomedical research institutes. With five research-intensive universities, the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, the Centenary Institute, the Westmead Institute of Medical Research, ongoing development of the Randwick Health and Innovation Precinct and many more dedicated research facilities, Sydney is a national hub for biomedical research.

We have assembled an inspiring and exciting scientific program for our first in-person event since 2019. We have visiting speakers and guests from around Australia and the rest of the world that will present science across the breadth of ideas and research that makes up microbiology.

We kick off the conference with our public lecture on marine microbiology. The lecture is appropriately held at the Maritime Museum on Darling Harbour and Professor Justin Seymour (USyd) and Associate Professor Diane McDougald will discuss the important roles of marine microorganisms in health and disease. Seymour will share his perspectives on our changing oceans and the microscopic life beneath the surface. McDougald’s world-leading research on cholera has uncovered a surprising role of waterborne protozoa in transmission. Protozoa feed on cholera in the water column, but far from reducing the burden of this deadly pathogen, it seems that ingestion increases survival and virulence.

Our marine microbiology theme continues during the conference with a plenary lecture from Associate Professor Rebecca Vega Thurber from the Oregon State University in the USA. Thurber has been at the forefront of coral and marine microbiome research for many years and has made seminal contributions to our understanding of how viral predators shape the microbiome of our reefs.

Keeping on our public engagement theme, we are pleased to have Professor Johnjoe McFadden join us from the University of Surrey, UK. McFadden has made many significant contributions to our understanding of Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogenesis but is best known for his science communication work, where his commentaries have featured on news and radio.

This year our Rubbo Orator is Professor Jillian Banfield FRS FAA, who joins us from the University of California, Berkley, USA. Banfield is a geomicrobiologist who has advanced our understanding of the function of microbial communities in the soil. Banfield’s work spans an impressive breadth of terrestrial microbiology, with recent notable contributions working with Nobel Laureate Professor Jennifer Doudna to understand the genetics of these communities and apply CRISPR gene editing to soil microbiomes.

Recent years have highlighted the important role of international organisations in coordinating medical aid and we are pleased that Dr Craig Spencer from Columbia University, USA, will be joining us for a plenary lecture. Spencer has been an active member of Doctors without Borders and has served on the board of directors. He has been involved in public health initiatives in Africa, East Asia, Burundi, Indonesia, and more recently working on the epidemiological response to Ebola in Guinea. Spencer’s unique perspectives on public health during the pandemic will no doubt be enlightening.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every person in Australia and we are likely to feel its effects for many years to come. This year we will be joined by a number of leading researchers and clinicians that have been working across COVID-19 epidemiology, policy development and fundamental research. The NSW Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerry Chant, will join us for a lunchtime seminar. Chant led the NSW response to COVID-19 and played a critical role in shaping policy during this challenging time. We are also joined by Professor Jodie McVernon from the Doherty Institute in Melbourne. McVernon contributed to the federal government’s National Plan on COVID-19 and will discuss how we can anticipate and respond to COVID-19 in the future.

This year ASM has introduced a new award that recognises outstanding Australian microbiologists that are global leaders in their field and whose work has far-reaching impact beyond microbiology. This year the society will honour Professor Elizabeth Hartland, the Director and CEO of the Hudson Institute in Melbourne. Hartland works at the host–pathogen interface, where she has uncovered sophisticated molecular mechanisms used by bacterial pathogens to control host cells through the injection of a cocktail of ‘effector’ proteins.

With over 70 symposia presentations and more than 100 poster presentations, ASM 2022 will showcase the best of Australian microbiology and stimulate professional (and social) discussion. We have a series of social events — the Welcome Night, the Trade and Poster Night, and the Rubbo Celebration. The ASM 2022 organising committee is genuinely excited to welcome you to Sydney this July looking forward to the science and the discussions, and having fellow microbiologists enjoy ASM 2022 in Sydney.

What: ASM 2022
When: 11–14 July
Where: ICC Sydney
Web: www.theasmmeeting.org.au

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/ROBINCE

Please follow us and share on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe for FREE to our weekly newsletters and bimonthly magazine.