E-Board No. 34

October 2005

Dear ISDCI Colleagues


SCIENTIFIC MEETING INSECT IMMUNITY: THE POST-GENOMIC ERA´´.

ROSCOFF, BRITTANY, FRANCE JUNE 10TH - 14TH 2006 INCLUSIVE

This meeting is a workshop supported by the CNRS and will be attended by a total of approximately 100 participants. Its goal is to bring together researchers working on insect immunity independent of their model species. Planned sessions include: humoral immunity (recognition, signalling), haematopoiesis, cellular immunity (phagocytosis, wound healing, clotting, encapsulation), host-pathogen interactions (bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites), insect vectors, evolution and ecology.

Chairpersons: Bruno LEMAITRE & Ulrich THEOPOLD
Invited speakers (Provisional titles)

AKSOY Serap (New Haven, USA) Trypanosome-tsetse fly interactions
BANERJEE Utpal (Los Angeles, USA) Drosophila as a model for hematopoietic development
BOUTROS Michael (Heidelberg, Allemagne) Dissecting Innate Immune Signaling Pathways by RNAi
CROZATIER Michelle (Toulouse, France) Cellular immune response to parasitization in Drosophila
DREZEN Jean-Michel (Tours, France) A parasitoid wasp-associated virus targeting the lepidopteran host immun system
EWBANK Jonathan (Marseille, France) Comparison of the Drosophila and C. elegans immune systems
FERRANDON Dominique (Strasbourg, France) Sensing infections in Drosophila
FFRENCH-CONSTANT Richard (Bath, U.K.) Probing the insect immune system with the insect pathogenic bacterium Photorhabdus
GOVIND Shubha (New York, USA) TBA
HOFFMANN Jules (Strasbourg, France) Insect Defense Mechanisms : a Paradigm for Innate Immunity
HULTMARK Dan (Umea, Sweden) Cellular interactions in Drosophila immunity
IMLER Jean-Luc (Strasbourg, France) The Drosophila response to virus infection
KAFATOS Fotis (London, UK) Mosquito immunogenomics and transmission of malaria
KANOST Mike (Manhattan, USA) Proteases and protease inhibitors regulating immune responses of Manduca sexta
KAWABATA Shun (Fukuoka, Japan) Chitin-binding proteins involved in the horseshoe crab's innate immunity
KOELLA Jacob (Ascot, Berkshire, U.K.) Evolutionary immunology of the interaction between mosquitoes and malaria
LEE Bok-Luel (Pusan, South Korea) ß-1,3-glucan-dependent and peptidoglycan-dependent pro-phenoloxidase activation pathways on the coleopteran insects
LEE Won-Jae (Seoul, South Korea) The redox homeostasis in Drosophila epithelial immunity
LEMAITRE Bruno (Gif-sur-Yvette, France) Drosophila host defence after oral infection by entomopathogenic bacterial species
LERECLUS Didier (Guyancourt, France) Bacillus thuringiensis, a well armed bacterium to attack insects
LEVASHINA Elena (Strasbourg, France) Molecular mechanisms of Plasmodium elimination in Anopheles gambiae
MARTIN Paul (Bristol, U.K.) Modelling wound repair and inflammation in Drosophila embryos
ROYET Julien (Marseille, France) PGRP and Drosophila immune response
SCHNEIDER David (Stanford, USA) Identifying adaptive immune responses in the fly
SILVERMAN Neal (Worcester, USA) Recognition and Signaling in Response to Gram-negative bacteria in Drosophila
SIVA-JOTHY Mike (Sheffield, U.K.) Getting the most out of simple immune systems: sophisticated management?
STEINER Håkan (Stockholm, Sweden) Peptidoglycan recognition proteins : on and off switches of innate immunity
STRAND Michael (Athens, USA) Strategies for suppression of the insect immune system by parasites
THEOPOLD Ulrich (Stockholm, Sweden) Hemolymph clotting in Drosophila melangaster- fishing fibers and genes

Registration fee (including board and lodging)
360 € for PhD students: 550 € for other participants

Deadline for application: March 1, 2006
Further information on: http://www.cnrs.fr/SDV/Actions/cjmlemaitre_e.html

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POST-DOCTORAL POSITION(S) IN BIOSENSOR DEVELOPMENT / CELLULAR IMMUNOLOGY, VIRGINIA USA

A position is available in either, biosensor development or comparative cellular immunology. One project involves the development of monoclonal-based biosensors for the real-time detection of pollutants (e.g. PAHs) within the estuarine environment. A Ph.D. in chemistry, biochemistry or related discipline is required with previous experience in bioconjugation or environmental chemistry and an interest in acquiring immunological expertise. The second project addresses the generation, transport, and maintenance of long-lived plasma cells within the immune tissues of the trout. A Ph.D. in Immunology, Microbiology or related discipline is required with previous experience in flow cytometry, lymphocyte culture, and standard immunochemical techniques being of particular interest. Salaries will be dependent upon the level of experience. Send Curriculum Vitae and e-mail addresses of three references to: Dr. Stephen Kaattari, Department of Environmental and Aquatic Animal Health, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA 23062.

E-mail kaattari@vims.edu. Review begins October 30, 2005 and will continue until an appointment is made. The College is an EEO/AA employer.
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ASSISTANT OR ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY, ALBERTA , CANADA

UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA – We invite applications for a tenure-track position at the Assistant or Associate Professor level in research areas related to comparative immunology (non-standard model organisms, including invertebrates). The successful candidate will interact with a dynamic immunology and infection group as well as colleagues with expertise in developmental, molecular and evolutionary biology. The candidate should have a strong record of research and have the potential for excellence in teaching within our successful Immunology and Infection program. The candidate must have a PhD and two or more years of postdoctoral research experience. The University of Alberta offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience and an excellent benefits plan. The Dept. of Biological Sciences (http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/), with 70 faculty members and 275 graduate students, offers an exciting environment for collaborative research. Exceptional infrastructure includes molecular biology and advanced microscopy and imaging service units and aquatic and terrestrial animal care facilities. Candidates should submit a curriculum vitae, a one-page summary of research plans, a statement of teaching interests and reprints of their three most significant publications electronically to positions@biology.ualberta.ca or by mail to Dr. L. S. Frost, Chair, Department of Biological Sciences, CW 405 Biological Sciences Bldg, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9. Applicants must also arrange for three confidential letters of reference to be sent to the Chair. Closing Date: November 15, 2005. The effective date of employment will be July 1, 2006. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. The University of Alberta hires on the basis of merit. We are committed to the principle of equity in employment. We welcome diversity and encourage applications from all qualified women and men, including persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities and Aboriginal persons.
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PhD STUDENTSHIP AVAILABLE, ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND

MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF INNATE IMMUNE RECEPTORS ENCODED BY IMMUNOGLOBULIN SUPER FAMILY GENES

Supervised by Professor René J.M. Stet

Members of the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) include a group of innate immune receptors located in the Leukocyte Receptor Complex (LRC) and other small clusters such as the TREM/NKp44 cluster. These receptors are characterised by the presence of immunoglobulin domains, a stalk, a transmembrane, and a cytoplasmic region containing either an Immunoreceptor Tyrosine-based Inhibitory Motif (ITIM) or are linked to an adapter molecule with an activation motif (ITAM) for downstream signalling.Two partial cDNA sequences encoding the extra-cellular Ig domain of the putative Novel Immunoglobulin-Like Transcripts (NILT) receptors from rainbow trout are available. The first aim is to isolate the full-length cDNA sequences using a range of molecular techniques (anchored PCR, screening of cDNA libraries) from both rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon. Secondly, the genomic organisation of the NILT genes will be investigated to establish whether the NILT receptors are encoded by a single copy gene or by multiple copy family. Finally, the functionality of the ITAM and ITIMs of the NILTs will be studied using transfection of epitope tagged versions of the receptors into appropriate cell lines in order to analyze the biochemical nature and potential dimerization. These transfected cell lines will also be used to study the phosphorylation of the ITAM and ITIM to assess their functionality.

Contact: Prof Rene Stet (e-mail r.stet@abdn.ac.uk)
Additional information can be found at:
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/clsm/graduate/researchdetails.php?ID=101

Please note only students of UK/EU (Home) status are eligible. Please check with the University of Aberdeen for clarifcation if uncertain about applying. URL below.

Applications can be downloaded from http://www.abdn.ac.uk/sras/postgraduate/apply5.shtml. and returned to Sandra Skilling,
School of Biological Sciences, Cruickshank Building, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU. Or returned via e-mail on <s.skilling@abdn.ac.uk>

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The next E-Board will go out in November. Please send any announcements or items for posting to me at the e-mail address below

Val Smith
ISDCI Education Secretary
vjs1@st-and.ac.uk

Gatty Marine Laboratory
School of Biology
University of St Andrews
Fife, KY16 8LB

END
Scotland, UK

Tel: +44 (0) 1334 463474
Fax: +44 (0) 1334 463443

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