Program

John Fraser

John Fraser

John Fraser is Professor and Head of the School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland and the Deputy Director of the Maurice Wilkins Centre, a New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence. John has enjoyed had a long standing interest in the molecular mechanisms of immunity and infection, specifically the staphylococcal and streptococcal superantigens and their relevance to disease. He has worked for many years on superantigen structure but more recently has turned to a family of cluster of staphylococcal superantigen-like factors that exhibit a wide range of functions all seemingly related to the disruption of innate immunity. The superantigen super family of S.aureus provides a quite remarkable insight into how this organism has deployed a relatively simple protein scaffold to generate a toolbox of defence factors.

Keiichi Hiramatsu

Keiichi Hiramatsu

Having graduated from Tokyo University Medical School in 1975, Keiichi Hiramatsu studied internal medicine (1975-1978), then did research on immunology (1978-1983) and retrovirology (1984-1988) before he commenced MRSA research at Juntendo University. Profesor Hiramatsu's major achievements in MRSA research are: Proposal of 'MRSA clonotyping', pre-MRSA, and Eagle-type resistance" (1995). Discovery of the first VISA Mu50 and hetero-VISA Mu30 (1997) Discovery of types I~III SCCmec in H-MRSA (1999~2001), and types IV and V in C-MRSA demonstrating distinctive genetic derivation of H-, and C-MRSA(2002~2004). The first S. aureus whole genome sequencing (N315, Mu50) (2001), then, of C-MRSA MW2 (2002), and other related strains and species (2005~2008). Discovery of mutated vraSR and graRS responsible for vancomycin resistance in VISA (2008). Proposal of thickened cell wall and 'peptidoglycan clogging' as vancomycin resistance mechanisms in VISA (2003~2007). In 2003, he became the Director of the Juntendo COE program, a unique postgraduate course for the study of hospital pathogens, supervising 11 faculty scientists, 26 post-graduate students, and 5 post-doctoral fellows.

Alex van Belkum

Alex van Belkum

Alex van Belkum is a molecular microbiologist who is currently holding the chair of Molecular Microbiology at Erasmuc MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. His main research interests include the molecular epidemiology, mechanisms of nasal carriage, and pathogenicity of Staphylococcus aureus. Development of active and passive immunization strategies in combination with vaccine development are important determinants of the Rotterdam research activities. Van Belkum has published over 300 papers in peer reviewed journals and is Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Sunday, 07 September 2008

1000 - 1200: Workshop 1 - Staphylococcal Small-Colony Variants (SCVs) as Emerging Pathogens.

Coordinator:
Georg Peters. (Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Munster. Germany).

When Should we Consider Special Efforts to Search for SCVs? The Impact and Clinical Significance of Staphylococcal SCVs.
Richard Proctor (Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine. United States of America).

Georg Peters (Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Munster. Germany).

What have we Learnt from Defined Mutants Displaying the SCV Phenotype? Insight into the Pathogenesis of Infections due to SCVs.
Christof von Eiff (Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Munster. Germany).

How do we find SCVs? Phenotypic Methods to Recover and to Identify SCVs in the Clinical Microbiological Laboratory.
Barbara Kah (Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Munster. Germany).

The Janus face of SCV - How do we Define Clinical SCVs? Advanced Approaches to Define and to Trace the SCV Phenotype and to Test its Susceptibility to Antimicrobial Agents
Karsten Becker (Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Munster. Germany).

1000 - 1200: Workshop 2 - Insight into Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec (SCCmec): Structures and their Evolution.

Coordinators:
Teruyo Ito (Department of Bacteriology, School of Medicine Juntendo University. Japan).
Phil Giffard (School of Life Sciences, Queensland University of Technology. Australia).
Duarte Oliveira (Instituto de Technologia Quimica e Biologica. Portugal).

How to Classify and type the SCCmec Element
Duarte Oliveira (Instituto de Technologia Quimica e Biologica. Portugal).

Computer-Aided Selection of SCCmec Typng Marker Sets
Phil Giffard (School of Life Sciences, Queensland University of Technology. Australia).

What Have we Learnt from the Structural comparison of SCC Elements?
Teruyo Ito (Department of Bacteriology, School of Medicine Juntendo University. Japan).

1200 - 1300: Lunch

1300 - 1500: Workshop 3 - Staphylococcus aureus Nomenclature: How to Name Strains?

Coordintaors:
Robert Skov (National Center for Antimicrobials and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut. Denmark).
Barry Kreiswirth (PHRI TB Center, Public Health Research Institute Center/UMDNJ. United States of America).

1300 - 1500: Satellite Symposium - Strategy for Recalcitrant MRSA Infections

Organised by:
Infectious Diseases Society of Taiwan and Western Pacific Society of Chemotherapy

Moderators:
Po-Ren Hsueh (Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, National Taiwan University Hospital. Taiwan).
Victor Lim (Faculty of Medicine Pharmacy and Health Sciences, International Medical University. Malaysia).

MRSA in the Asia-Pacific Region
John Turnidge (Division of Laboratory Medicine. Women's and Children's Hospital. Australia).

Molecular Diversity of MRSA in Australia
Geoffrey Coombs (Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, PathWest Royal Perth Hospital. Australia).

Failure of Therapy: Other Options?
Po-Ren Hsueh (Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, National Taiwan University Hospital. Taiwan).

Antibiotic Control of MRSA in Community and Hospitals
Ian Gould (Medical Microbiology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. United Kingdom).

1630 - 1800: Opening Followed By Welcome Drinks

Monday, 08 September 2008

0830 - 0930: Plenary

Genomics of Resistance: What have we Learned from the Staphylococcal Genome Projects?
Keiichi Hiramatsu (Department of Bacteriology, School of Medicine Juntendo University. Japan).

0930 - 1030: Morning Tea and Trade Exhibition

1030 - 1200: Symposium 1- Interface with the Environment: Slime, Envelope and Cell Wall

Coordinator:
Brigitte Berger-Bächi (Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich. Switzerland).

Teichoic Acid Polymers and their Roles in Staphylococcal Infections
Andreas Peschel (Medical Microbiology and Hygiene Department, University of Tubingen. Germany).

Surface Modulation in Response to Defensins
Hans-Georg Sahl Institut for Medizinische Mikrobiologie and Immunolgie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität. Germany).

Proffered Papers

1200 - 1330: Novartis Sponsored Symposium

12:00: Chair Welcome and Introduction
Speaker: Robert Skov

12:05: New challenges with serious staphylococcal infections
Speaker: Robert Skov

12:25: Are current treatment paradigms keeping pace?
Speaker: Ron Jones

12:45: Daptomycin meeting the challenge
Speaker: Ian Gould

12:05: Q&A
Speaker: Robert Skov

13:30: Close of Meeting

1330 - 1500: Symposium 2 - Staphylococcal Virulence and Resistance

Coordinators:
Vance Fowler (Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Duke University Medical Center. United States of America).
Neville Firth (School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney. Australia).
Francois Vandenesch (Institut de Microbiologie. Lyon University. France).

Regulatory RNA in S aureus: RNAIII, What Else?
Pascale Romby (Université Louis Pasteur. France).

Adhesion of PVL-positive Isolates in Matrix Proteins
Francois Vandenesch [Institut de Microbiologie. Lyon University. France].

Proffered Papers

1500 - 1630: Afternoon Tea and Poster Session 1

1630 - 1800: Symposium 3 - Staphylococcal Host Interactions

Coordinators:
Henri Verbrugh (Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center. The Netherlands).
Mathias Hermann (Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Saarland Hospital. Germany).
Vance Fowler (Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Duke University Medical Center. United States of America).

Appropriate Neutrophil Tracking Regulates Infection Outcomes During S aureus Infection
Rachel McLoughlin. (Brigham Women Hospital, Harvard Medical School. United States of America).

Protein A: A Multifunctional Virulence Factor of S aureus
Marisa I Gómez (Department of Paediatrics and Pharmacology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University. United States of America).

Context-relativity in host defense peptide-interactions with Staphylococcus aureus
Michael Yeaman (UCLA Harbor. United States of America).

Tuesday, 09 September 2008

0700 - 0830: ISC MSRA WG Satellite Symposium

Chair: Henri Verbrugh / Peter Appelbaum
Speakers
Control of CA-MSRA - Robert Skov
Detection of reduced glycopeptide susceptibility - Peter Appelbaum
Epidemiology of MSRA in WestPac - Po-Ren Hsueh

0830 - 0930: Plenary 2

Staphylococcal Vaccines: The Holy Grail
Alex van Belkum.( Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Erasmus University Medical Center. The Netherlands).

0930 - 1030: Morning Tea and Trade Exhibition

1030 - 1200: Symposium 4 - Community MRSA Epidemiology and New Developments

Coordinators:
Robert Skov (National Center for Antimicrobials and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut. Denmark).
Tom Riley (Department of Microbiology, University of Western Australia. Australia).

Community MRSA
Tom Riley (Department of Microbiology, University of Western Australia. Australia).

MRSA in Animals: A Significant Reservoir for Transmission to Humans?
Robert Skov (National Center for Antimicrobials and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut. Denmark).

Proffered Papers

1210 - 1320: Lunch Symposium - PVL Does it Matter?

Coordinators:
Barry Kreiswirth (The Public Health Research Institute Centre, New Jersey Medical School. United States of America).
Francois Vandenesch (Institut de Microbiologie. Lyon University. France).
Georg Peters (Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Munster. Germany).

1330 - 1500: Symposium 5 - Search and Destroy

Coordinators:
Ian Gould (Medical Microbiology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. United Kingdom).
Seto Wing Hong (Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital. Hong Kong).
Vance Fowler (Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Duke University Medical Center. United States of America).
Paul Johnson (Infectious Diseases Department, Austin Health. Australia).

What is it Really?
Henri Verbrugh (Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center. The Netherlands).

Does it Work in the ICU?
Ian Gould (Medical Microbiology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. United Kingdom).

Proffered Papers

1500 - 1630: Afternoon Tea and Poster Session 2

1830 - 2300: Conference Dinner

Wednesday, 10 September 2008

0700 - 0830: Late Breaker Abstracts

0830 - 0930: Plenary 3

Staphylococcal Virulence and Pathogenesis: Why so Many Toxins?
John Fraser (The Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland. New Zealand).

0930 - 1030: Morning Tea and Trade Exhibition

1030 - 1200: Symposium 7 - Molecular Diagnostic Assays and Recent Advances in Typing

Coordinators:
Fred Tenover (Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. United States of America).
Jodi Lindsay (Centre of Infection. Cellular and Molecular Medicine, St George's University of London. United Kingdom).
Phil Giffard (School of Life Sciences, Queensland University of Technology. Australia).

The Clinical Impact of S aureus Genome Variation and Evolution
Jodi Lindsay (Centre of Infection. Cellular and Molecular Medicine, St George's University of London. United Kingdom).

Rapid Genotyping of S aureus
Phil Giffard (School of Life Sciences, Queensland University of Technology. Australia).

Proffered Paper

1200 - 1330: Janssen Cilag Lunch Symposium

1330 - 1500: Symposium 8 - Treatment Issues

Coordinators:
Arnold Bayer (Department of Medicine,Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. United States of America).
Vance Fowler (Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Duke University Medical Center. United States of America).
Mathias Hermann (Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Saarland Hospital. Germany).

Aspirin in Staphylococcus aureus Infections
Arnold Bayer (Department of Medicine,Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. United States of America).

Vancomycin and MRSA - A Clinician's Perspective
John Turnidge (Division of Laboratory Medicine, Women's and Children's Hospital, South Australia. Australia)

New Drugs for MRSA
Lindsay Grayson (Department of Infectious Diseases, Austin Hospital. Australia).

1330 - 1500: Symposium 9 - Veterinary Aspects of Staphylococcus

Coordinators:
Stefan Schwarz (Institute for Livestock Genetics, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute. Germany).
Mary Barton (School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences. University of South Australia. Australia).

Antimicrobial resistance pheno- and genotypes of staphylococci from food animals and pets in Germany
Stefan Schwarz (Institute for Livestock Genetics, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute. Germany).

Proffered Papers

1500 - 1630: Afternoon Tea and Poster Session 3

1630 - 1800: Symposium 10 - Changing Patterns of Staphylococcal Disease

Coordinators:
Mark Enright (Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London. United Kingdom).
Ben Howden (Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Departments, Austin Health. Australia).
Georg Peters (Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Munster. Germany).

Coagulase Negative Staphylococci Population Studies
Mark Enright (Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London. United Kingdom).

HeteroVISA - Mechanisms and Clinical Impact
Ben Howden (Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Departments, Austin Health. Australia).

Proffered Papers

1800 - 1815: ISSSI 2010

1815 - 1900: Closing Followed by Farewell Drinks

Travel Fellowships for ISSSI 2008

Travel Fellowships submissions are now closed. Applicants will be notified by Tuesday 1st July.

Late Breaker Abstracts

Late Breaker Abstract submissions are now open. The abstract should be a maximum of 250 words and can be submitted to isssi2008@icms.com.au

Submissions must be sent through by Friday, 11 August 2008.