Microbial Glycobiology - In the last few decades, microbial glycobiology has become one of the most important sub-fields in both microbiology and glycobiology as a result of the many critical roles that glycans play in microbial life, pathogenesis and immune recognition. The 2024 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Scientific Research Conference (SRC) on Microbial Glycobiology will provide a forum for new and exciting ideas from around the world on this important topic, as well as an opportunity for formal and informal interactions amongst academic investigators, industry professionals and government scientists. Since 2004, the FASEB SRC on Microbial Glycobiology has been the premier meeting for the study of microbial glycobiology. The latest edition of this conference will be held September 8-12, 2024 at the Southbridge Hotel & Conference Center in Central Massachusetts. Co-organizers of the meeting include Drs. Eric Sundberg (PI; Emory University, USA), Nadine Samara (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, USA), Marcelo Guerin (Institute of Molecular Biology of Barcelona, Spain) and Rupa Nagar (University of Dundee, UK). The conference program will include 8 sessions and 31 invited speakers covering a wide range of important and timely sessions, with an emphasis on unpublished data and ideas, including but not limited to glycans in bacterial cell envelope biosynthesis and function, host-pathogen interactions in health and disease, roles of glycans in cell signaling, microbiome modulation, chemical glycobiology and glycoengineering, glycoimmunology, and glycoconjugate based vaccine development. To invest in the future of our field and enhance the knowledge exchange associated with this meeting we will host “Meet the Expert” and “Career Development” workshops as well as invite 32 of our best abstract submissions to present short talks. Poster sessions will be timed to enhance interaction amongst attendees to enable stimulating discussions. We have hard-wired Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) into our conference program and activities, as reflected in our gender-balanced planning committee and invited speaker list. To further support DEAI at the conference, we request funds to support registration and travel awards for trainees, as well as childcare awards to individuals attending the conference with their children. We will award at least half of all of these awards to trainees who self-identify as women, individuals from underrepresented populations and researchers with disabilities. The 2024 FASEB SRC on Microbial Glycobiology will provide the ideal platform for the exchange of cutting-edge ideas, novel technologies and exciting new developments in the field of microbial glycobiology.
