Elsayed Aboulmagd, Alaa Abouelftouh and Aisha Torky Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

Microbiology and Immunology

Byungjoo Lee has completed his PhD from Chungnam University and he is an agricultural researcher in Crop Research Division, Chuncheongnam-do Agricultural Research & Extension Services in South Korea for about 20 years and has his expertise in breeding new mushroom cultivars. Recently he is involved in environmental friendly disease and pest management, particularly against mushroom flies. He investigates the occurrence and development of sciarid flies and the use of plant extracts such as Ginko biloba fruits to control mushroom flies in button mushroom cultivation.

Agricultural Research

G. González-Rocha has completed his PhD in Biological Sciences from Universidad de Concepción, Chile in 2002. He is a Full Professor at Universidad de Concepción, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences. He has published more than 70 papers in peer reviewed journals, mainly related to antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria.

Interest in Microbiology department

Joachim Wink has completed his Ph.D in 1985 from Frankfurt University. He then went to the pharmaceutical industry and started his career at the Hoechst AG where he was responsible for the strain collection and specialized in the cultivation and taxonomic characterization of Actinobacteria and Myxobacteria. During the years he was responsible for the strain library within the pharmaceutical research and a number of screening projects with Hoechst Marion Russel, Aventis and Sanofi. In the year 2005 he did his habilitation at the Carolo Wilhelma University of Braunschweig and 2012 he went to the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig where he founded the working group of the strain collection with its focus on Myxobacteria. Here he is now working on the isolation and taxonomic characterization of Myxobacteria and Actinobacteria as well as the analysis of their secondary metabolites with a focus on the antibiotics active ones. The Compendium of Actinobacteria on the homepage of the German Culture Collection is a permanent actualized working tool for people working with Actinobacteria which is prepared by him. He has published more than 50 papers on secondary metabolites and the taxonomy of the producing microorganisms in reputed journals, a number of reviews as well as book chapters and more than 35 patents. He is member of the editorial board of a number of international journals.

Dr Wink is working on the isolation and taxonomic characterization of Myxobacteria and Actinobacteria as well as the analysis of their secondary metabolites with a focus on the antibiotics active ones

Professor Jonathan Frye, Professor of Bacterial Epidemiology at the University of Georgia, .His research strives to understand antibiotic resistance, pathogenicity, and evolution in foodborne Salmonella. Over the past 15 years we’ve isolated ~60,000 Salmonella from U.S. food-animals, farms, processing plants, and retail meats and determined their serotypes, genotypes, and antimicrobial resistances. To investigate the genetics causing the spread of resistance, we used our custom microarrays to identify the antimicrobial resistance genes and mobile genetic elements responsible for their transmission in Salmonella. Results from these studies led us to sequence the whole genomes of ~300 isolates representative of the diversity of serotypes, antimicrobial resistances, and animal sources in our collection. Ongoing analysis of the data will determine the evolution of pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella associated with food-animals and their retail products and help us develop strategies to improve food safety and protect human health.Past institution is East Carolina University, ECU; University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, UNC; University of Georgia, Athens, UGA; sidney kimmel cancer center (SKCC) Microbiology .Email id is Jonathan.Frye@ARS.USDA.GOV .

Research interest in Bacterial Epidemiology & Antimicrobial Resistance Research microbiology

Dr. Cesira Giordano, Professor of biology at the University of Pisa, Itally. Has more years’ experience in academic and research institutions in Itally and internationally and has several active collaborative project. Interest in bacterial cultures, bacterial ID, MALDI-TOF, MDR, rapid blood cultures, sepsi department.

Department of biology

Maurizio Provenzano graduated as MD from La Sapienza University of Rome and obtained his specialization in Medical Oncology at the University of Milan and his PhD in Virology at the University of Padua. He is a tenured investigator in the position of the Head of Research at the Department of Urology, University Hospital of Zurich and Lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich. Since 2007 he has been member of the Cancer Network of Zurich. He has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications incl. reviews, book chapters and conference papers, many of which in highly qualified scientific periodicals and has been serving as an editorial board member of reputed journals. He has been recipient of professional awards and prizes for the contribution to the field of viral oncology and onco-immunology.

viral oncology and onco-immunology

Professor (Microbiology) in Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Have more than 12 years of teaching and research experience in the field of Microbiology. Research interests are: Microbial Diversity, Extremophiles (e.g. Psychrophiles, Halophilic psychrophiles, magnetotactic, endoliths, oligotrophs), Microbial enzymes, Antibacterial compounds, Glaciology, Biospeleology, Astrobiology, Biodegradation of synthetic polymers.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Biodegradation of synthetic polymers, Microbial enzymes (Lipases, esterases, depolymerases), Extremophiles (Psychrophiles, alophiles, Archaea) and Methanotrophs, Microbial diversity, Geomicrobiology, Glaciology Speleology Astrobiology Metagenomics Biofilms

Dr. Armen B. Avagyan, Professor of biology at the Research and Industry Center of Photosynthesizing Organisms,Armenia.Has more years’ experience in academic and research institutions in Armenia. and internationally and has several active collaborative project. Interest in Delayed Fluorescence of chlorophyll, Virus , Phonological Stage , Yield clone selection , Virus-free planting potato.

Delayed Fluorescence of chlorophyll, Virus , Phonological Stage , Yield clone selection , Virus-free planting potato.

Dr. Abhishek Chauhan, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist at Amity Institute of Environmental Toxicology, Safety and Management, Amity University, Noida, UP, India and formerly worked as a Scientist ‘C’ and Head, Department of Microbiology, Shriram Institute for Industrial Research (SRI), Delhi, India. While working at SRI, he has developed and validated several methods related to Food Microbiology, Water Microbiology, Drugs and pharmaceutical microbiology. Dr. Chauhan has participated in 35th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica, a scientific venture of Ministry of Earth Science, Govt. of India. He is known for his analytical and research mind-set and supervised approximately more than 25 Industry sponsored projects. He has a total 12 years of rich experience and done extensive research on emerging issues of Environmental Microbiology, Bioactive compounds and Biodiversity. He has authored a research book on key aspects of “Antibacterial Activity of Cyanobacteria” and Edited a book entitled Plants and Microbes: An Innovative approach. He has been a reviewer for many peer reviewed journals and published more than 35 research papers and honored with ‘Young Scientist Award’ 2013. Selected for national campaign on microbiological and physico-chemical analysis of river Ganga in association with Channel ABP News. Received “First Position Award” for his presentation during 11th foundation training course for Scientists and Technologist conducted by Indian Institute of Public Administration, Delhi and sponsored by Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. Dr. Chauhan has also received “Appreciation Award” for his outstanding contribution in Organizing 36th Annual Conference of Society of Toxicology (India). He is an active member of the Indian Science Congress Association, Society for Plant Research and Association of Microbiologists of India.

Environmental Toxicology

Recanati Family Professor of Science, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Molecular Pathogenesis. Departments of Microbiology and Medicine

Departments of Microbiology and Medicine

Dr hab. Lidia Sas Paszt , Associate Professor Department of Microbiology Institute of Horticulture Pomologiczna 18 96-100 Skierniewice Poland

Department of Microbiology

Konstantinos Poulas was born in 1970 in Athens. He studied biology at the University of Athens where he also completed his Ph.D. Since 2003, he has been faculty member of the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Patras. He has more than 80 publications in peer reviewed journals and he is currently participating in HORIZON2020 and national projects. He serves as Scientific Advisor of two biotechnological companies in Greece and co-founder of another two. He is currently offering services within the University of Patras for autoimmune diseases’ diagnosis and biochemical/chemical analysis, while he is the Director of BioHealth Hub, within Patras Science Park.

Autoimmunity, biochemistry, immunology and microbiology, structural biology.

Dr Abbas Amini is an associate lecturer, a registered member of Western Sydney University graduate supervisory board at the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics, and the member of Work Health and Safety Committee of the same university. Before joining the Western Sydney University, he had conducted research with other Australian universities and CSIRO, at Monash University, Deakin University, and the University of Melbourne. His fine outcomes have been presented in high impact factor journals, e.g., Nature publication group, and a book published in 2016. Abbas started his teaching, industrial and scientific journey from obtaining an associate’s degree in mathematics, BSc and MSc in mechanical engineering, and PhD in both nanotechnology and mechanical engineering from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He has also updated himself by several Australian and Canadian nationally recognized professional certificates and diplomas, e.g., FULT (Foundations of University Learning and Teaching from Western Sydney University), TAE, WHS, CNC etc., since then. With his intense schedule, he has been extensively involved in teaching for many years, and worked in industry, e.g., Magna Powertrain, Toronto, Canada, as a professional engineer and industrial designer for a period of six years. Dr Amini is a member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), an active reviewer for and editor of several ISI journals, and a committee member of 14 international conferences to-date, including the co-chair of 8th International Conference of ICCAE 2016, Melbourne, Australia, Mar. 3-4, 2016. Dr Amini is supervising four PhD candidates at present, and is open for scientific and funding collaborations.

Dr Amini's research focus in particular covers a wide range of multidisciplinary aspects: biomedical materials, bioplastics, shape memory alloys, water treatment, drug delivery systems, piezoelectric materials, graphene, graphane, CNTs, biodegradable polymeric nano-composites, TiO2, ZnO, environmental sustainability and water efficiency, experimental analysis, multi-scale (nano to macro) modelling of multi-physics phenomena, indentation methods, 3D printing, phase transition, mechanics of materials, fabrication of modern composites, manufacturing, offshore naval structures, and ship design.

Ahmed Hegazi is currently a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology in the National Research Center, Egypt. He received his Master’s degree in 1979 and his PhD in 1981. His research work has been focused lately on bee products and their therapeutic effects. He organized and contributed to national and international research projects since 1977 and up till now; he has been the Principal Investigator on multiple research projects within the National Research Center. He has published 207 scientific papers and articles in national and international journals. He is also the President of the Egyptian Environmental Society for Uses and Production of Bee Products, Secretary of the Egyptian Society of Apitherapy, Secretary General of the African Federation of Apiculture Associations and a Member of the International Apitherapy Commission (APIMONDIA). He also received many awards.

Research

Co-founder and CEO of leadXpro AG, a spin-out of the Paul Scherrer Institute (ETH domain, Switzerland) dedicated to discovery of new therapeutics using structure based drug discovery with a focus on membrane protein targets,20 years at Roche research from 1995 to 2015, Global Head and Principle Leader of discovery technologies with responsibility for structure based drug discovery, protein science, assay development and HTS, corporate compound library, stem cell platform,Guest Professor at the University of Basel in structural biology, author of >75 paper and lecturer at conferences, 8 patents in areas of technology, discovery and formulation of drug substances,Study of physics, biochemistry, PhD in structural biology at EMBL Hamburg & Charité Berlin, Germany, postdoc at Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland

Discovery of new therapeutics using structure based drug discovery with a focus on membrane protein targets

Juliana Chiruta has completed her PhD in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology and at the Department of Chemistry from The University of Adelaide. She is currently employed as a Senior Member of the professional staff in the Faculty of Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. She is an Associate Fellow of Higher Education Academy (UK) and a member of Higher Education Research Network

Immunology and Microbiology

Serves Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnologies at SRPA “Chemical Synthesis and Biotechnologies” in Belarus

Enviromental Science

Giulio Filippo Tarro has graduated from Medicine School, Naples University (1962). He was a Research Associate, Division of Virology and Cancer Research, Children’s Hospital (1965-1968), Assistant Professor of Research Pediatrics, College Medicine (1968-1969), Cincinnati University, Ohio. He was an Oncological Virology Professor, Naples University (1972-1985). Since 2007, he was the Chairman of Committee of Biotechnologies, World Academy Biomedical Technologies, UNESCO, Adjunct Professor Department Biology, Temple University, College of Science and Technology, Philadelphia, recipient of the Sbarro Health Research Organization Lifetime Achievement Award (2010). He is the President Foundation de Beaumont Bonelli for Cancer Research

Murine Virology,Antiviral Chemotherapy, Effects of inhibitors on viraI replication, Studies on the role of herpesviruses in cancer, Tumor immunology,Pathology of AIDS

Min-Hua Luo, M.D. & Ph.D., professor at Wuhan Institute of Virology, State Key Laboratory of Virology and CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT); affiliate assistant professor, University of Idaho. Dr. Luo received her BSc in Clinical Medicine in 1988; MSc in Microbiology in 1995 from Hunan Medical University; Ph.D. in Infectious Diseases in 1999, collaborate with Innsbruck University, Austria; Postdoct training in Shriver Center, Harvard Medical School in 2002; Research Scientist at Dept. MMBB, University of Idaho in 2004; Assistant professor at Dept. MMBB, University of Idaho in 2008; professor at Wuhan Institute of Virology, CAS in 2009; professor at CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT) in 2014. Her research has focused on NEUROVIROLOGY and supported by funding resources of NSFC, NIH. "Hundred Talents" program from CAS, and "973" program from MOST.

Congenital HCMV Infection and Fetal Brain Development Disorders.

Dr. Bukrinsky obtained medical degree (M.D.) from the 2nd Moscow State Medical Institute in Moscow, Russia, and a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Molecular Biology from the Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. Currently Dr. Bukrinsky is Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He is a Fellow of the American Heart Association, the Editor-in-Chief of the Open AIDS Journal, and member of the Editorial Advisory Board of several biomedical journals. Dr. Bukrinsky’s research interests are in molecular mechanisms governing HIV replication and pathogenesis. His latest research focuses on changes in cholesterol metabolism induced by HIV and its protein Nef. Dr. Bukrinsky has published over 150 scientific papers, reviews and book chapters and is an inventor on 12 issued U.S patents.

HIV lifecycle, the mechanisms of HIV replication in host cells and the mechanisms of HIV pathogenesis and its effects on different tissues and organs, HIV-antigen-based diagnostic system

Zajac V has completed his PhD in 1982 from the Cancer Research Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava (Slovakia), where he worked as the Head of Department of Cancer Genetics from 1996 to 2010. He joined the Medical Faculty of the Comenius University as an Associate Professor of Genetics in 2007. He has published 69 papers mostly in reputed journals and he was editor of the book “Bacteria, viruses and parasites in AIDS process” (InTech, 2011).

Vaccines, Immunology, Microbiology

Dr. Marco Ciotti has received his Medicine Degree in “La Sapienza” University of Rome in 1989; an Oncology degree at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” in 1994, and a degree in Microbiology and Virology in 2001 in the same University. Since 2002, he works as Microbiologist at the University Hospital Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. His main field of interests are HPV and cervical carcinogenesis, pathogenetic role of human polyomaviruses in immunocompromised patients, and diagnosis and molecular characterization of hepatitis viruses. He is serving as an editorial member of several reputed journals. He authored several research articles, one book, and chapters of books. He is a member of the Italian Society of Microbiology.

Human polyomaviruses,Hepatitis viruses

Prof Walsh’s group work on plant - virus interactions. He has published in excess of 270 research articles, 55 of which are in refereed scientific journals. He is particularly interested in natural plant resistance to viruses and has strong links with those who use the outcomes of his research and are involved in delivering them to the end users. The major thrust of this research is to identify, understand and exploit broad-spectrum, durable resistance to plant viruses. His group has had a number of major international (Spain, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Canada, China, Japan) and industry collaborations that have resulted in joint grants and joint publications. He is a past president of the International Working Group on Legume and Vegetable Viruses.

Plant virus interactions

Dr. Glorioso began his career as a professor in the Microbiology and Immunology and Laboratory Animal Medicine at the University of Michigan School of Medicine in 1976 and later in 1989, he moved to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine as the W.S McEllroy Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. He has established a 40-year history of research related to the basic biology and genetics of herpes simplex virus. His contributions to the field include defining antiviral immune responses to infection, the genetics of viral pathogenesis and latency, and mechanisms of viral infection. He has been a pioneer in the design and application of HSV gene vectors for the treatment of nervous system diseases such as peripheral neuropathies, chronic pain, and brain tumors. Dr. Glorioso’s most recent research has focused on (i) the design and application of HSV gene vectors for exploring the molecular events that occur in sensory afferents that are involved in the transition from acute to chronic pain, and he has been applied knowledge gained to the treatment of cancer-related pain in phase I clinical trials and (ii) the development of fully retargeted oncolytic HSV vectors for tumor-selective infection and microRNA controlled replication in human glioblastomas. This research has been applied to the treatment of syngeneic and xenograft models of human brain tumors. His research has launched two Biotech companies, Oncorus Inc. in Cambridge, MA and Coda Biotherapeutics Inc in San Francisco, CA. Oncorus utilizes oncolytic HSV vectors for the treatment of solid tumors by tumor lysis combined with immunomodulatory arming genes for induction of anti-tumor immunity. Coda Bio is a neuromodulation company that employs chemical genetics to silence painful conditions such as trigeminal and post-herpetic neuralgia and for treatment of neurogenic bladder, tremor and epilepsy.

HSV, viral infections

Dr. Ilya B. TSYRLOV graduated from Novosibirsk University Medical School (M.D. diploma with distinction). Received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, and a D.Sci. (higher doctorate degree) in Biochemistry. Hold progressively responsible positions in academia, industry and govermental settings: Group Leader (1973-79), Head of Laboratory (1979-87), then Department of Xenobiochemistry (1987-92) at Russian National Academy of Science. In the United States: Senior Scientist at National Cancer Institute, NIH (1991-95); professor (1995-2010), then visiting associate professor (2010- ) at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Department of Medicine. In 2005, founded and since then has served as Chief Scientific Officer at XENOTOX, Inc., an innovation science consulting non-profit company. Has forty years of experience and a world-class reputation in studies on molecular mechanisms of monooxygenases induction and drug metabolism; site-directed structure modification of analgesics, synthetic opioids, and antimalarials; research decoding mechanisms underlying human virus genome transcriptional activation by the most potent xenobiotic, dioxin. Established and developed Xenobiotical Virology, an interdisciplinary biomedical discipline dealing with mechanisms of potent xenobiotics’ effect on DRE-containing genes of human viruses, and transcription factors and cytokines linked to inflammation and malignancy pathways. Author of 4 monographs and 230+ peer reviewed publications.

Xenobiotical Virology

Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor In 1969 he graduated from Yerevan State University with major in biochemistry. The most important outcomes of the scientific results: He has developed and proposed methods for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of diseases, for hemoblastosis prognosis, diagnosis and therapy methods. "Petamcin-A" is a medicine created by him which is introduced in practical medicine. Professor P. A. Ghazaryan has published 441 scientific papers and two textbooks (Moscow), two monographs (2012, Germany). He holds a number of patents. P.A. Ghazaryan headed 26 candidate and supervised 4 doctoral theses. Since 1975 he is a member of Specialized Council 042 on Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and since 2005 he is deputy chief editor of the scientific journal "Blood". Since 2010 he is editor-in-response of "Pharma” 'scientific-practical journal. In 2007 he became a member of the American Association of Chemists. Then he was elected a full member (academician) of the Academies of Natural Sciences of RF (2008), of the Medical and Technical Sciences of RF (2009), the European Natural Sciences (Germany, 2010). Since 2012 he is the reviewer of the American Journal of Biochemistry, the Clinical Medicine and Diagnostics, and the American Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences.

Molecular biology

Piotr Staszczuk was born on May 17, 1949 in Poland. He studied chemistry at the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, graduated in 1972, received Ph.D in 1980 and Sc.D in 1987. He received the professor position at the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in 1995 and the full professor title in 2001. In 1990-1992 he was the vice-Dean for education of the Faculty of Chemistry and in 1991-1992 he was the supervisor (protector) of the Department of Stereo- and Spectrochemistry. In 1989 he organized his research Thermal Analysis Group and he was the head of organized Department of Physicochemistry of Solid Surfaces in 1998-2006. He is the head of organized in 2010 of the Department (Cathedral) of Bionanomaterials, Institute of Biotechnology, the John Paul II Catholic University (KUL) of Lublin. In February 21, 2013 he was elected as director of Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Natural Sciences of KUL.

Biotechnology

Prof Matin pursued his PhD in Microbiology from University of California in 1969. He worked as a lecturer, scientific officer before joining Stanford. He currently holds various academic appointments at Stanford including the department of Microbiology and Immunology.

Cancer research; biomolecualr engineering; biofilms; cellular resistance and virulence; bioremediation; stress promoters; stress sensing; systems biology; biotechnology

To be Updated soon.

Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Sciences

Petra Perner is the founder and director of the Institute of Computer Vision and Applied Computer Sciences in Leipzig, Germany. Under her leadership the institute developed to one of the leading institutes in basic and applied research in computer vision, data mining, machine learning, case-based reasoning and image databases. She received a diploma degree in electrical engineering in 1981 and a PhD degree in computer science in 1985. In 1989 she finished her habilitation entitled “A Methodology for the Development of Knowledge-Based Image-Interpretation Systems”. Under her guidance highly qualified national and international personnel got trained in the above mentioned high-technology fields through research projects and education programs. The tutorial on Data Mining (www.data-mining-tutorial.de) is a recognized tutorial among the domain experts and is especially designed for training industrial people on hot topics in data mining. She gave courses on Data Mining and Image Interpretation at different universities in various countries. She has been the project leader and principal investigator of various national and international research projects for which she received several research awards. Her projects are marked by the fact that they tie together high-class research with the aspect of the economic application. She is frequently invited as a guest professor for knowledge-based image inspection systems by several national and international institutes and companies. She supervised the foundation of two high-technology companies named ibai-solutions (www.ibai-solutions.de) and ImageInterpret GmbH (www.imageinterpret.de) whose teams received 4 distinct business prices for transferring image-interpretation and data-mining methods to industry. She was the principal founder and chairwoman of the Technical Committee “Machine Learning and Data Mining”. She is the chairwoman of three distinct conferences in Machine Learning, Data Mining and High-Content Analysis of Signals and Images called MLDM (www.mldm.de), ICDM (www.data-mining.forum.de) and MDA (www.mda-signals.de). Presently she is working on various medical, chemical and biomedical applications, information management applications, technical diagnosis and e-commerce applications. Most of the developments are protected by legal patent rights and can be licenced to qualified industries. She has published numerous scientific publications and patents and is frequently requested as pleanary speaker in distinct research fields as well as across disciplinces. Her vision is to build intelligent flexible and robust data-interpreting systems that are inspired by the human case-based reasoning process.

Applied Computer Science, Data Mining,

To be updated

To be updated

Ivan Kocić has completed his PhD at the age of 32 years from Medical University of Gdansk and postdoctoral studies from Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan . He is the head of Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland and consultant in clinical pharmacology in Pomerania region (northern Poland). . He has published more than 45 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as an editorial board member of repute.

Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics

Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor In 1969 he graduated from Yerevan State University with major in biochemistry. The most important outcomes of the scientific results: He has developed and proposed methods for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of diseases, for hemoblastosis prognosis, diagnosis and therapy methods. "Petamcin-A" is a medicine created by him which is introduced in practical medicine. Professor P. A. Ghazaryan has published 441 scientific papers and two textbooks (Moscow), two monographs (2012, Germany). He holds a number of patents. P.A. Ghazaryan headed 26 candidate and supervised 4 doctoral theses. Since 1975 he is a member of Specialized Council 042 on Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and since 2005 he is deputy chief editor of the scientific journal "Blood". Since 2010 he is editor-in-response of "Pharma” 'scientific-practical journal. In 2007 he became a member of the American Association of Chemists. Then he was elected a full member (academician) of the Academies of Natural Sciences of RF (2008), of the Medical and Technical Sciences of RF (2009), the European Natural Sciences (Germany, 2010). Since 2012 he is the reviewer of the American Journal of Biochemistry, the Clinical Medicine and Diagnostics, and the American Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences.

Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology

Dr Abbas Amini is an assistant professor at the Australian College of ACK and Western Sydney University, and the member of graduate supervisory board. After obtaining PhD, he conducted research with other Australian universities, as a postdoctoral research fellow at Monash and Deakin Universities, and as a senior research fellow at the University of Melbourne. His fine outcomes have been presented in high impact factor journals, e.g., Nature publication group, and a recent published book in 2016. Abbas is the editor of ten reputed journals, and the committee member of 20 international conferences.

Bionanotech

Jorge is a Senior Nonclinical Toxicologist involved in Pharmacovigilance/Cosmetovigilance to support the efficacy, safety and well-use of medicines of the Company. More than 15 years of working experience in nonclinical toxicology and safety assessment in Pharma Company and Contract research Organization

Safety nonclinical evaluation, safety pharmacology, toxicokinetic and bioanalysis.

Dr. Burton M. Altura is currently working as a Professor of Physiology, Pharmacology & Medicine State University of New York Downstate Medical Center. He completed his PhD from Newyork University School of Medicine. He published many articles. Dr. Burton M. Altura studies address the two most important issues in vascular biology today: stroke mechanisms; and irreversible cellular destruction in the cardiovascular system caused by alcohol and substance abuse. These studies have already led to the prevention of atherosclerotic lesions, hypertension and stroke-like events in experimental animal models.

Dr. Burton M. Altura‘s research interests include: Physiology, Vagal Maneuvers, Pharmacology, Medicine.

Sophia Boudjema is currently working at Aix Marseille University, Infectious Disease Unit North Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille, France. She has published numerous research papers and articles in reputed journals and has various other achievements in the related studies. She has extended his/her valuable service towards the scientific community with her extensive research work.

Polynesia with molecular tools,Healthcare worker; Behavior; Healthcare practices; Isolation precautions.

Dr. Horng-Dar Wang is a full Professor and the Director of Institute of Biotechnology, and an adjunct Professor of the Institute of Systems Neuroscience at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan. He received his PhD with honor in 1997 and worked as a postdoctoral fellow from 1997 to 1999 in Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology at University of Southern California, and as a postdoctoral scholar from 1999 to 2004 in Division of Biology at California Institute of Technology. He was an Assistant Professor in 2004, an Associate Professor in 2009, and promoted as a full Professor in 2015 in the Institute of Biotechnology at National Tsing Hua University.

Dr. Horng-Dar Wang’s research interest focuses on anti-aging research and applies his novel discoveries into anti-cancer and anti-neurodegeneration research.

María Esther Orozco Orozco is a Mexican biologist, researcher and politician. She has received the UNESCO/Institut Pasteur Medal, the L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science

Cell Biology

Prof. Harish Padh obtained his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from University of Delhi. For 17 years, he has developed his academic career in USA at places like Temple University, University of Chicago, and Northwestern University. In 1996 he joined as Professor of Biochemistry at M. S. University of Baroda and then he joined as Director of B. V. Patel Pharmaceutical Education and Research Development (PERD) Centre in Ahmedabad. He joined Sardar Patel University as Vice-Chancellor in July 2010 and continued as VC in his second term ended on July 31, 2016.

His area of research is Cell and Molecular Biology as applied to Health and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

He has received the PhD in University of Gezira, Dept of Biochemistry in the year 2007. He has around 7 years of experience in the teaching field under the specialization of Biochemistry. He is rendering his service as the Chief of the committee of undergraduate & research laboratories from April 2014 till now. He underwent a Training Course On Malaria Prevention & Control, THAILAND, BANGKOK, March 2006.

He focuses on the advanced research in the field of Biochemistry and Microbiology.

Dr. Brennan began his life-long involvement in tuberculosis and leprosy research in 1962 under Professor Frank Winder at Trinity College Dublin. His Ph.D. studies helped establish for the first time that the killing effect of isoniazid on the tuberculosis (TB) bacillus was through inhibition of the synthesis of mycolic acid. Under Professor Clinton Ballou at the University of California, Berkeley, he was responsible for the early definitive work on the biosynthesis of the phosphatidylisositolmannosides (PIMs) of mycobacteria. On his return to Ireland, Dr. Brennan was Research Lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry, Trinity College Dublin, and subsequently Lecturer in Biochemistry at University College Dublin. Dr. Brennan returned to the U.S. in 1975, to positions at National Jewish Hospital and the University of Colorado Medical Center, and in 1980 to Colorado State University. Over the past 35 years, he has led research teams in conducting some of the most fundamental research on the nature of the tuberculosis and leprosy organisms: (i) definition of the structure, biosynthesis, and genetics of the core cell wall of the TB bacterium and the mode of action of several key TB drugs; (ii) discovery and molecular definition of LAM, the key ligand in the interactions of the TB organism with host cells; (iii) the discovery and molecular structure of PGL I (phenolic glycolipid I), the specific antigen/marker of the leprosy organism and its application to the selective diagnosis of leprosy; (iv) the introduction of the first skin test antigen for leprosy diagnosis for a leprosy endemic area; (v) definition of the chemical basis of the serotype difference of most of the non-tuberculosis mycobacteria. Brennan has authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications in these and related areas. He has attracted over $20 million in research funds to the University. In 1998, he was named one of 12 University Distinguished Professors at Colorado State University and in 2004 he was elected to the American Academy of Microbiology. He is Editor-in-Chief of Tuberculosis and an editor of Pathogens and Disease and a former editor of Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Tuberculosis and Leprosy research

Ananda M. Chakrabarty, Ph.D., is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. While working at the Research & Development Center at General Electric Company in Schenectady, New York, he was awarded the ‘Scientist of the Year’ award in 1975 by Industrial Research Organization of the United States. This work led to the development of a genetically-manipulated microorganism that was the subject matter of a landmark decision from the Supreme Court of the United States that genetically engineered life forms are patentable. Dr. Chakrabarty has served as a consultant with the United Nations and was the founding member of a UNIDO Committee that proposed the establishment of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology (ICGEB) based in Trieste, Italy, New Delhi, India, and Cape Town, South Africa. Dr. Chakrabarty has been a member of the Panel of Scientific Advisors, later called Council of Scientific Advisors, of ICGEB since its very inception. Dr. Chakrabarty has also been a member of the International Advisory Board of Chulabhorn Research Institute in Thailand, which is headed by the Princess Chulabhorn of Thailand, and a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India. He has received many awards, including the Distinguished Scientist Award from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), MERIT Award from NIH, U.S. Army Distinguished Service Award, Pasteur Award, Inventor of the Year Award, American Chemical Society Public Affairs Award, Procter and Gamble Environmental Biotechnology Award, European Union Eurydice Award given in Brussels in 2007, among others. He served the U.S. Govt. as members of various NIH study sections, member of the Board on Biology of the U. S. National Academy of Science, Committee on Biotechnology of the U.S. National Research Council, The Stockholm Environment Institute of Sweden, and on the Scientific Advisory Boards of many academic institutions such as Michigan Biotechnology Institute, Montana State University Center for Biofilm Research, Center for Microbial Ecology at the Michigan State University, and in Canada as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Canadian Bacterial Diseases Network based in Calgary, Canada. Dr. Chakrabarty also served NATO as a member of NIAG, NATO Industrial Advisory Group based in Brussels, Belgium. He was a member of the Board of Directors of Einstein Institute for Science, Health and the Courts, where he participated in judicial meetings involving contentious scientific issues. He was also involved in international judicial working conversations, where he served as a Scientific Advisor for meetings in Hawaii and Ottawa, Canada, organized by the Supreme Court of Canada. Dr. Chakrabarty’s current research involves development of anticancer and anti-retroviral agents from microbial sources. As part of CDG Therapeutics Inc. (www.cdgti.com) , he has developed candidate anticancer drugs such as azurin that can act on both the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum and the AIDS virus HIV-1 to combat co-infection, as well as drug candidates that can be used for the potential treatment of many forms of cancer including brain tumors. A chemically-synthesized 28 amino acid peptide derived from azurin, termed p28, has shown very little toxicity in 15 advanced stage cancer patients but significant beneficial effect, including partial and complete regression of tumors that were refractory to conventional drugs, in phase I human clinical trials in Chicago. He has also developed similar candidate anticancer drugs as part of an Indian company Amrita Therapeutics (www.amritatherapeutics.com). He was awarded the civilian Padma Shri award by the Government of India in 2007.

Dr. Chakrabarty’s current research involves development of anticancer and anti-retroviral agents from microbial sources. As part of CDG Therapeutics Inc. (www.cdgti.com) , he has developed candidate anticancer drugs such as azurin that can act on both the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum and the AIDS virus HIV-1 to combat co-infection, as well as drug candidates that can be used for the potential treatment of many forms of cancer including brain tumors. A chemically-synthesized 28 amino acid peptide derived from azurin, termed p28, has shown very little toxicity in 15 advanced stage cancer patients but significant beneficial effect, including partial and complete regression of tumors that were refractory to conventional drugs, in phase I human clinical trials in Chicago. He has also developed similar candidate anticancer drugs as part of an Indian company Amrita Therapeutics (www.amritatherapeutics.com). He was awarded the civilian Padma Shri award by the Government of India in 2007.

Professor S. Louise Cosby is a graduate (B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Microbiology) of Queen’s University Belfast and was a member of staff for over 30 years. She held the post of Chair of Microbiology in the School of Medicine Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences from 2002 to 2015. She is currently Head of Virology Branch at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in Belfast and emeritus Professor at Queen's University Belfast. Professor Cosby is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (London) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (UK). She was a visiting Associate Professor in Cornell University USA and is an occasional visiting scientist at the Pirbright Institute, UK. Previous/present board membership: BBSRC, UK; Science Foundation Ireland (chair of Bioscience panel); Infections and Immunity and Host Defence Panel, Health Research Board, Ireland; Professional Development Committee of the Microbiology Society, Learned Societies Parliamentary Committee, Northern Ireland; British Society for Immunology (Regional and Affinity Group and Forum member) Infection and Immunity Translational Research Group Northern Ireland; Gerson Lerman’s Group’s Healthcare Advisor’s Board, USA. Editor positions: Associate Editor for the Journal of Neurovirology; Review Editor for Frontiers in Microbiology; Assessor roles: appointments and promotions in Medical Microbiology, University of Malaysia; reviewer of applications for the European Commission.

Work has focused on paramyxoviruses of both human and veterinary interest and has included elucidation of pathogenic mechanisms of measles virus (MV), the closely related veterinary morbilliviruses and more recently respiratory syncytial virus. Major interests are in the interaction of viruses with cell receptors as major determinants of virus host range, tissue tropism and induction of disease. This includes investigations into morbillivirus cell entry receptors and interaction of respiratory viruses with transcient potential and acid sensing receptors of bronchial epithelium and peripheral nerves. Recent interests are also in new approaches to human and veterinary vaccines and diagnostics.

For his PhD Prof. Ryan cloned and sequenced Enterovirus Type 70 (EV70) at Leicester University – the first enterovirus genome sequence published after poliovirus. He then went on to work on another animal picornavirus, Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) at the Pirbright Institute. There he produced the first complete map of FMDV polyprotein processing, the first test to differentiate between infected and vaccinated animals, and characterized the activity of the FMDV 2A oligopeptide sequences (just 18aa) in FMDV polyprotein processing. After his move to the University of St Andrews in 1994, he continued to work on FMDV 2A - but using artificial ‘reporter’ polyprotein systems. Using such systems he showed that 2A was not a novel form of single turn-over proteolytic element, but brought about a translational ‘recoding’ event (ribosome ‘skipping / StopGo translation / stop carry-on translation). His laboratory went on to identify a range of (picornavirus and non-picornavirus) ‘2A-like’ sequences which have been used extensively in biomedicine and biotechnology. More recently, his laboratory has performed research on cellular 2A-like sequences found within non-LTR retrotransposons and NOD-like receptors proteins. Latterly, the research emphasis has moved over to development of new animal virus vaccines based upon modification of codon usage to increase CpG and UpA dinucleotide frequencies and the development of FMDV ‘replicon’ genomic forms for use in attenuated vaccine development.

Development of new animal virus vaccines and the development of FMDV ‘replicon’ genomic forms for use in attenuated vaccine development.

Professor Ibrahim M. Banat, Professor of Microbial Biotechnology at the University of Ulster, UK. Has more than 30 years’ experience in academic and research institutions in Europe and internationally and has several active collaborative project within the EU and other international academic and industrial establishments.

Research interests include biosurfactants and bio-actives production and potential utilization in environmental oil pollution control and hydrocarbon polluted land bioremediation and microbial enhanced oil recovery. He also recently concentrating on investigating biomedical, pharmaceutical, health and cosmetics related applications of biosurfactants. Prof. Banat also has interest and worked on molecular and cell biology of thermophilic Geobacilli bacteria and bioethanol fermentation and the molecular biology of biosurfactant producers.

Joachim Wink has completed his Ph.D in 1985 from Frankfurt University. He then went to the pharmaceutical industry and started his career at the Hoechst AG where he was responsible for the strain collection and specialized in the cultivation and taxonomic characterization of Actinobacteria and Myxobacteria. During the years he was responsible for the strain library within the pharmaceutical research and a number of screening projects with Hoechst Marion Russel, Aventis and Sanofi. In the year 2005 he did his habilitation at the Carolo Wilhelma University of Braunschweig and 2012 he went to the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig where he founded the working group of the strain collection with its focus on Myxobacteria. Here he is now working on the isolation and taxonomic characterization of Myxobacteria and Actinobacteria as well as the analysis of their secondary metabolites with a focus on the antibiotics active ones. The Compendium of Actinobacteria on the homepage of the German Culture Collection is a permanent actualized working tool for people working with Actinobacteria which is prepared by him. He has published more than 50 papers on secondary metabolites and the taxonomy of the producing microorganisms in reputed journals, a number of reviews as well as book chapters and more than 35 patents. He is member of the editorial board of a number of international journals.

Dr Wink is working on the isolation and taxonomic characterization of Myxobacteria and Actinobacteria as well as the analysis of their secondary metabolites with a focus on the antibiotics active ones

Giulio Tarro graduated from Medicine School, Naples University (1962). Research Associate, Division of Virology and Cancer Research, Children’s Hospital (1965-1968), Assistant Professor of Research Pediatrics, College Medicine (1968-1969), Cincinnati University, Ohio. Oncological Virology Professor, Naples University (1972-1985). Chief Division Virology (1973-2003), Head Department Diagnostic Laboratories, (2003-2006). D. Cotugno Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Naples; Emeritus, 2006 -. Since 2007 Chairman Committee of Biotechnologies and VirusSphere, World Academy Biomedical Technologies, UNESCO, Adjunct Professor Department Biology, Temple University, College of Science and Technology, Philadelphia, recipient of the Sbarro Health Research Organization lifetime achievement award (2010). President Foundation de Beaumont Bonelli for Cancer Research. His basic research has been concerned with antigens induced early during the replication cycle of human herpesviruses. Another study has involved the identification, isolation, and characterization of specific virus-induced tumour antigens, which were the "fingerprints" left behind in human cancer. Achievements include patents in the field; the discovery of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in infant deaths in Naples and of tumor liberated protein as a tumor associated antigen, 55 kilodalton protein overexpressed in lung tumors and other epithelial adenocarcinomas.

Virology and Cancer Research

Petra Dersch graduated in Biology at the University of Konstanz. She continued her studies of Microbiology at the University of Konstanz and the Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology Marburg and finished her PhD in 1995. After that, she worked as a postdoc in the laboratory of Dr. Ralph Isberg at the Tufts Medical School/Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Boston/USA. In 1998, back in Germany, she started as a Research Assistant with her own group at the Freie Universität Berlin. From 2003 - 2005, Petra Dersch was Junior Research Group Leader at the Robert Koch Institute Berlin. In 2005, she was appointed at the Technische Universität Braunschweig as Associate Professor in microbiology. Since 2008, Petra Dersch is Head of the Department of Molecular Infection Biology at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig and holds a co-appointment as full professor in microbiology and infection biology at the Technische Universität Braunschweig. Petra Dersch is member of various boards, since 2012 she is elected member of the study section „Microbiology, Virology and Immunology“ of the German Research Foundation. She is member of the Central Commission for Biological Safety of the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety Germany. Since 2016 she is one of the Vice Presidents of the DGHM (German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology). In 2013 Petra Dersch was awarded the Main Prize of the DGHM. Her main research field is molecular pathogenesis of enteric bacterial pathogens. She published more than 90 original papers in peer-reviewed international journals, reviews and book chapters.

Her main research field is molecular pathogenesis of enteric bacterial pathogens.

Strategic and creative development manager in biomedical science, who works internationally for several medical and biotech companies as a scientific advisory board member. He is also an active reserve-officer of the Royal Dutch Navy in his rank as Commander (OF4). For the Dutch Armed Forces he is CBRNe specialist with a focus on (micro)biological and chemical threats. He is also manager of the group of medical- and environmental functional specialist within the 1st CMI (Civil-Military Interaction) Battalion of the Dutch Armed Forces. In his civilian position, he is at this moment developing with MT-Derm in Berlin (Germany) a novel intradermal vaccination technology as well as a new therapy for cutaneous leishmaniasis for which he has won a Canadian ‘Grand Challenge’ grant. With Hemanua in Dublin (Ireland) he has developed an innovative blood separation unit, which is also suitable to produce convalescent plasma for Ebola Virus Disease therapy. He has finished both his studies in Medicine and in Biochemistry in The Netherlands with a doctorate and has extensive practical experience in cell biology, immuno-haematology, infectious diseases, biodefense, and transfusion medicine. His natural business acumen and negotiation competence help to initiate new successful businesses, often generated from unexpected combinations of technologies. He consults at top level management, in which his good understanding of abstract science combined with excellent skills in communication of scientific matters to non-specialists helps to get things done.

cell biology, immuno-haematology, infectious diseases, biodefense, and transfusion medicine

Maurizio Provenzano graduated as MD from La Sapienza University of Rome and obtained his specialization in Medical Oncology at the University of Milan and his PhD in Virology at the University of Padua. He is a tenured investigator in the position of the Head of Research at the Department of Urology, University Hospital of Zurich and Lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich. Since 2007 he has been member of the Cancer Network of Zurich. He has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications incl. reviews, book chapters and conference papers, many of which in highly qualified scientific periodicals and has been serving as an editorial board member of reputed journals. He has been recipient of professional awards and prizes for the contribution to the field of viral oncology and onco-immunology.

viral oncology and onco-immunology

Alastair Fleming studied Microbiology at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, where he also obtained his PhD with a thesis on industrial extracellular enzyme synthesis from sporulation-deficient strains of Bacillus licheniformis. He subsequently joined Prof. Mary Ann Osley’s lab at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, USA, where he investigated the epigenetic regulation of DNA damage repair and transcription in the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. He is now Assistant Professor in the School of Microbiology and Genetics at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, where he is the PI of the Yeast Chromatin Group. Dr Fleming’s research group focuses on the role of ‘chromatin remodelling’ during gene transcription in yeast. Current research areas include the investigation of; (i) the epigenetic signature associated with cellular aging, (ii) the epigenetic regulation of transcription initiation, (iii) the epigenetic memory during transcription elongation and (iv), the chromatin-mediated regulation of flocculation within yeast cell populations.

Yeast chromatin and epigenetic regulation of transcription.

Head of Microbiology Laboratory& Medicine Residency Coordinator, supervisor PhD in Medicine and also a member of the leadership of in ESC, ESGP & ESCMID. Prof Monica is also a member of the editorial staff / reviewer of national and international journals. She has been awarded with a honorary diploma by the National Society of Parasitology. She is a visiting professor of the Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Parasitology, Infection Control, Microbiology

Euverink (1966) holds a position as full professor and is head of the research group “Products and processes for Biotechnology”. He is embedded in the “Engineering and Technology institute Groningen”, at the University of Groningen. From 2004 until 2011 he was program director of Wetsus, European Center of Sustainable Watertechnology in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands. From 1998 until 2004 he started and managed successfully BioExplore, a high throughput screening facility at the department of Microbial Physiology of the Groningen Biomolecular and Biotechnology institute. From 1994 until 1998 he was a post-doc at the Dutch Institute for Carbohydate Research and developed a novel process for the synthesis of a thermoreversible starch derivative. This product is currently produced by Avebe under the brandname Etenia. Euverink received his PhD in microbiology at the University of Groningen in 1995 based upon a study of phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolism in the methylotrophic actinomycete Amycolatopsis methanolica.

Biotechnology, Microbiology, separation technology, Water Technology, high throughput screening, Biochemistry, Enzymology

Prof. Angela Cunha is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department of the University of Aveiro, Portugal and a researcher at the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies. She has been involved in lecturing graduate and post graduate courses in the fields of Microbiology and Genetics and is currently the Director of the Bachelor Course in Biology. Her main research field is the distribution and activity of microorganisms in the environment, the contribution of bacteria to biogeochemical cycles and the interactions between microorganisms and plants in the perspectives of bioremediation and plant growth promotion.

Oil-degrading microorganisms and microbe-enhanced phytoremediation; Plant-bacteria interactions and rhizosphere microbiology; Biosurfactant-producing bacteria and other bacterial bioactive compounds; Photodynamic inactivation of microorganisms in environmental matrices; Control of environmental biofilms.

Dr Nikos Mavroudis is a Senior Lecturer in Food Science and Programme Leader in Food and Nutritional Sciences. He joined Northumbria University in June 2010 after nine years successful career in Unilever R&D. In collaboration with Unilever R&D, Nikos has also proposed and subsequently was awarded an individual Marie Curie Post-Doc fellowship on factors affecting nutrient release.

Nikos is building and leading the research activities in the field of Food Engineering and Separation of Functional Actives

PhD in Microbiology and Virology, with an high specialization in Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Arnolfo Petruzziello was born in Naples, Italy, where actually works as Head of the Laboratory of Virology and Molecular Biology “V. Tridente” at National Cancer Research IRCCS Italia- Fondazione “G. Pascale” in Naples. Professor of Microbiology, General Pathology and Clinical Microbiology for the University of Naples “Federico II”, he is also Quality Assurance Manager in the JACIE program for the autologous transplantation program of the Department of Haemathology and OECI (Organization of European Cancer Institutes) auditors. He is author of numerous scientific publications and member of the Editorial Board of several prestigious scientific Journals in Virology and Microbiology.

His fields of interests are mainly Virology and Molecular Biology, with particular reference to PCR for the diagnosis of HBV, HCV, HIV infections and EBV, HSV and CMV co-infections in the context of the transplantation program.

Dr. Bożena Futoma-Kołoch graduated from University of Wrocław in 2004. She received her Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Wrocław in 2008. After that, she has held an academic position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology in the Institute of Genetics and Microbiology at University of Wrocław. She is a member of Polish Society of Microbiologists, and International Complement Society. She has published more than 50 papers in national and international journals, 30 presentations at congresses, with several awards. Dr. Futoma-Kołoch's research program focuses on bacterial surface antigens as molecular targets of the protective immune response and their role in bacterial resistance to disinfectants.

Bacterial surface antigens as molecular targets of the protective immune response and their role in bacterial resistance to disinfectants.

Dr. Amparo Gamero Lluna works as Assistant Professor in Nutrition and Bromatology area at the University of Valencia, Spain. She holds an European Ph.D in Food Science, Technology & Management as well as Human Nutrition & Dietetics and Food Science & Technology degrees. Her main research topic is the study of aroma production by yeasts in food products, especially alcoholic beverages. The yeasts studied are Saccharomyces species, their natural interspecific hybrids and non-conventional yeasts. Her research interests reflect in her wide range of publications in international journals and her participation in congresses at international level. She has worked and carrying out short stays at different universities, research centers and companies of different European countries: Spain (Spanish National Research Council, CSIC; University of Valencia; University of Zaragoza; AINIA technology centre), The Netherlands (NIZO food research; Fungal Biodiversity Center, CBS-KNAW), Denmark (University of Copenhagen; Carlsberg Research Center; Christian Hansen) and Belgium (University of Leuven).

Study of aroma production by yeasts in food products

Dr Fernando de la Calle is currently the Head of the Microbiology Dpt. within Drug Discovery (R&D) at PharmaMar, biopharma involved in the development and commercialization of anticancer drugs of marine origin. He received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from UAM (Madrid) in 1998. He also completed an Executive-MBA at IDE-CESEM (Madrid) in 2005. He has more than 25 years’ experience working in drug discovery from marine microorganisms. He is an Expert in Applied Biotechnology, Molecular characterization of Bacterial Biodiversity and the use of Biotechnology tools for Drug Discovery . Co-author of the current hemisynthetic process for manufacturing the anticancer Yondelis®, the first European marine derived compound approved. In addition, he has been external advisor for biotechnology issues to the Spanish Government (INCUAL), current member of the International Advisory Group of european ERA-NET for Marine Biotechnology and Biodiversity, reviewer for H2020 and ERA-NET projects and the scientific contact person from PharmaMar for FP7/H2020 EU projects related to Marine Biodiversity such as MAMBA, MaCuMBA, MicroB3 and INMARE as WP leader. Principal Investigator in more than 10 other nationally funded projects.

Marine Biotechnology, Drug Discovery from Microorganisms, Microbial Diversity and Genomics, Applied Microbiology.

Dr. Saleh received the Ph.D. degree from the University of Toronto in 1997. Working at the Department of medical biophysics his work concerned the interaction of bacterial toxins and membranes. Prior to joining the Department of Biology at Laurentian University, I spent time as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and Colorado State University. Dr. Saleh is currently the Chairperson for the Department of Biology at Laurentian University.

The area of my expertise is molecular biophysics. My training in this area has been used in the past 15 years to study various aspects of bacterial physiology and their interactions with their environments. Several research programs were carried out in relation to interaction of bacteria with their environments in both pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria. In non-pathogenic bacteria, I used bioinformatics techniques to address certain questions on the process of protein secretion in bacteria. Specifically, how the structural features of signal sequences direct the membrane translocation of signal sequence-containing secretory proteins. I currently have a graduate student looking at the involvement of the mRNA of such secretory proteins in targeting the protein to the membrane for translocation and secretion.

Dr. E.I.Kalamiyets is a recognized expert in the field of microbial synthesis. Major trends of her research are genesis of biologically active compounds showing antimicrobial and entomopathogenic action, elaboration of biotechnologies aimed at producing novel efficient microbial agents to control crop pests and pathogens. Progress of priority trends in microbiology and biotechnology is fostering food, energy, drug and ecological security of Belarus Republic. Under her supervision and with direct contribution collection of microbial antagonists promising sources of biopesticides and probiotic preparations was founded. Dr. E.I. Kalamiyets deciphered mechanisms controlling interaction of isolated cultures with animal and plant pathogens, established the nature of produced antimicrobial metabolites and proposed original technologies of producing microbial preparations with phytoprotective, disinfecting, growth-and immune-stimulating activities. Vital achievement of Dr. E.I. Kalamiyets is realization of innovative processes and launching of pilot-plant manufacturing of biopesticides Fruitin, Phyroprotectin, Baciturin to control pests and pathologies in plant cultivars at Novopolotsk protein-vitamin concentrate plant and large-scale fabrication of bioconservating agent Lacsil intended for ensiling of vegetable feedstock. Dr. E.I. Kalamiyets is an author of 341 publications, including 2 books, 11 patents. 9 original products and related technologies were scaled up to industrial level, manufactured and commercially distributed at the market. As coordinator of three national research programs, member of State Expert Council on chemical, pharmaceutical and microbiological industries, general director of Scientific and Production association "Chemical synthesis and biotechnologies" functioning within the framework of National Academy of Sciences, Dr. E.I. Kalamiyets is directly contributing into progress of biotechnology in the Republic of Belarus.

Microbiology and Biotechnology

Reshetilov Anatoly has completed his PhD at the Institute of Biophysics and Postdoctoral studies at the Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences (both at the Biological Research Center, Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia). He is the Head of the Laboratory of Biosensors. His major areas of interest are electrochemical biosensors and microbial fuel cells. He has published more than 120 papers in reputed journals.

Microbial fuel cells,Electrochemical biosensors

Giulio Filippo Tarro, male, graduated summa cum laude from Medicine School of Naples University in 1962. Assistant to Medical Pathology at Naples University, 1963-1965, and Research Associate at Division of Virology and Cancer Research, Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1965-1968, he was assistant professor of Research Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati 1968-1969, and professor of Oncological Virology at University of Naples 1972-1985. He worked for National Research Council, Rome, 1969-1972, and for National Cancer Institute, Frederick Center, Maryland, 1973. He became Division Chief of Virology 1973-2003, and then Department Chief of Diagnostic Laboratories, 2003-2006, D. Cotugno Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Naples; Emeritus, 2006 -. Dr Tarro's researches in Virology have been both basic and mission oriented. His basic researches have been concerned with antigens induced early during the replication cycle of human herpesviruses. Another study has involved the identification, isolation and characterization of specific virus-induced tumour antigens, which were the "finger-prints" left behind in human cancer. His mission-oriented research has dealt with many aspects of various infectious diseases including broncho-pneumonia, encephalitis, cholera, and the diseases caused by different viruses. Achievements include patents in field; discovery of RSV virus in infant deaths in Naples and of tumor liberated protein (TLP) as a tumor associated antigen, 50 kilodalton, overexpressed in lung tumors and other epithelial adenocarcinomas. Scientific Coordinator extracorporeal hyperthermia in HCV patients, First Circle Medicine, Minneapolis., 2000-03. Since 2007 he is Chairman Committee on Biotechnologies and VirusSphere World Academy Biomedical Technologies (WABT), UNESCO, and Adjunct Professor Department Biology Temple University College of Science and Techology, Philadelphia, Dr. Tarro is on the editorial board of various medical journals and has been elected to membership and/or presidence of many academies and societies. He has also been the recipient of many awards and honours, among the most recent ones the Sbarro Health Research organization lifetime achievement award, 2010 Philadelphia, USA. Since 2015 he is Chairman Delegate WABT Committees and Commissions and Editor in Chief, Journal of Vaccine Research and Development, Singapore. Life President Foundation Teresa & Luigi de Beaumont Bonelli for Cancer Research. Website: www.giuliotarro.it Emails: gitarro@tin.it – giuliotarro@gmail.com

Virology and Cancer Research

In 1993 I got my PhD in Engineering Sciences (Biotechnology) by University of Minho (Braga, Portugal) and in Mars 2004 I was appointed Full Professor of University of Minho. My primarily research is related with food and environmental mycology with integration of polyphasic approaches for fungal identification. Since 1996 I am the head of Micoteca da Universidade do Minho (MUM) fungal culture collection and I was member of the executive board of WFCC from 2007-10 and Collection Officer of ECCO from 2003-06. Currently, I am the President of ECCO. I have been partner of Portuguese, EU and Brazilian research funding projects and evaluator in several funding agencies. I supervised 24 PhD and 30 MSc theses. I have more than 300 publications. I am Invited Professor in different Brazilian Universities. In Mars 2016, I was granted with “Professor Honoris Causa” title by University Federal of Pernambuco (UFPE, Recife, Brazil).

Food and Environmental mycology

Dr. Brennan began his life-long involvement in tuberculosis and leprosy research in 1962 under Professor Frank Winder at Trinity College Dublin. His Ph.D. studies helped establish for the first time that the killing effect of isoniazid on the tuberculosis (TB) bacillus was through inhibition of the synthesis of mycolic acid. Under Professor Clinton Ballou at the University of California, Berkeley, he was responsible for the early definitive work on the biosynthesis of the phosphatidylisositolmannosides (PIMs) of mycobacteria.
On his return to Ireland, Dr. Brennan was Research Lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry, Trinity College Dublin, and subsequently Lecturer in Biochemistry at University College Dublin. Dr. Brennan returned to the U.S. in 1975, to positions at National Jewish Hospital and the University of Colorado Medical Center, and in 1980 to Colorado State University.
Over the past 35 years, he has led research teams in conducting some of the most fundamental research on the nature of the tuberculosis and leprosy organisms:
(i) definition of the structure, biosynthesis, and genetics of the core cell wall of the TB bacterium and the mode of action of several key TB drugs;
(ii) discovery and molecular definition of LAM, the key ligand in the interactions of the TB organism with host cells;
(iii) the discovery and molecular structure of PGL I (phenolic glycolipid I), the specific antigen/marker of the leprosy organism and its application to the selective diagnosis of leprosy;
(iv) the introduction of the first skin test antigen for leprosy diagnosis for a leprosy endemic area;
(v) definition of the chemical basis of the serotype difference of most of the non-tuberculosis mycobacteria.
Brennan has authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications in these and related areas. He has attracted over $20 million in research funds to the University. In 1998, he was named one of 12 University Distinguished Professors at Colorado State University and in 2004 he was elected to the American Academy of Microbiology. He is Editor-in-Chief of Tuberculosis and an editor of Pathogens and Disease and a former editor of Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Tuberculosis and Leprosy research

Professor Ibrahim M. Banat, Professor of Microbial Biotechnology at the University of Ulster, UK. Has more than 30 years’ experience in academic and research institutions in Europe and internationally and has several active collaborative project within the EU and other international academic and industrial establishments.

Research interests include biosurfactants and bio-actives production and potential utilization in environmental oil pollution control and hydrocarbon polluted land bioremediation and microbial enhanced oil recovery. He also recently concentrating on investigating biomedical, pharmaceutical, health and cosmetics related applications of biosurfactants. Prof. Banat also has interest and worked on molecular and cell biology of thermophilic Geobacilli bacteria and bioethanol fermentation and the molecular biology of biosurfactant producers.

Head of Microbiology Laboratory& Medicine Residency Coordinator, supervisor PhD in Medicine and also a member of the leadership of in ESC, ESGP & ESCMID. Prof Monica is also a member of the editorial staff / reviewer of national and international journals. She has been awarded with a honorary diploma by the National Society of Parasitology. She is a visiting professor of the Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Parasitology, Infection Control, Microbiology

Assoc. Prof. Helena Bujdáková, is the head of the Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovak Republic. She is a specialist in medical microbiology. She has had experiences with a management of national projects, but also with those bilateral ones with Austria, Armenia and Ukraine. She was a partner of the consortium in the project CanTrain Marie Curie Research Training Network (FP6) funded by EU. She got Fulbright and JSPS scholarships for research / teaching stays in USA and Japan.
She is also Vice President of the Czechoslovak Society for Microbiology, the bilateral organization joining Slovak and Czech microbiologists. She has been a member of the Group for teaching Microbiology in Europe, established at FEMS (Federation of European Microbiological Societies). Regularly she gave invited lectures at national and international conferences and congresses. In this very challenging and competitive science discipline, she published more than 60 reviewed articles indexed in Web of Sciences that have been cited more than 450 times.

she has worked in various topics dealing with microbial biofilms, especially, aimed at yeasts from the genus Candida.She has also been actively involved in the consortium COST Action iPROMEDAI TD1305 (Improved Protection of Medical Devices, 2014-2018).

Natalia Tschowri studied Biology at the Freie Universität Berlin, where she also obtained her PhD under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Regine Hengge with a thesis on blue light signalling in the control of biofilm formation in Escherichia coli. In September 2012 she joined Prof. Mark Buttner’s lab at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, UK as a PostDoc. Funded by the EMBO longterm fellowship, she began to work on c-di-GMP signalling in Streptomyces. Back in Berlin in October 2013 she continued with her studies on the role of cyclic di-nucleotides in Streptomyces developmental biology and is now an independent group leader at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

Role of cyclic di-nucleotides in Streptomyces developmental biology

Dr. Amparo Gamero Lluna works as Assistant Professor in Nutrition and Bromatology area at the University of Valencia, Spain. She holds an European Ph.D in Food Science, Technology & Management as well as Human Nutrition & Dietetics and Food Science & Technology degrees. Her main research topic is the study of aroma production by yeasts in food products, especially alcoholic beverages. The yeasts studied are Saccharomyces species, their natural interspecific hybrids and non-conventional yeasts. Her research interests reflect in her wide range of publications in international journals and her participation in congresses at international level. She has worked and carrying out short stays at different universities, research centers and companies of different European countries: Spain (Spanish National Research Council, CSIC; University of Valencia; University of Zaragoza; AINIA technology centre), The Netherlands (NIZO food research; Fungal Biodiversity Center, CBS-KNAW), Denmark (University of Copenhagen; Carlsberg Research Center; Christian Hansen) and Belgium (University of Leuven).

study of aroma production by yeasts in food products

Dr. Bożena Futoma-Kołoch graduated from University of Wrocław in 2004. She received her Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Wrocław in 2008. After that, she has held an academic position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology in the Institute of Genetics and Microbiology at University of Wrocław. She is a member of Polish Society of Microbiologists, and International Complement Society. She has published more than 50 papers in national and international journals, 30 presentations at congresses, with several awards. Dr. Futoma-Kołoch's research program focuses on bacterial surface antigens as molecular targets of the protective immune response and their role in bacterial resistance to disinfectants.

bacterial surface antigens as molecular targets of the protective immune response and their role in bacterial resistance to disinfectants.

Joachim Wink studied biology at Frankfurt University and obtained his PhD at the institute of molecular biology in 1985 on “Modifications of the protein pattern of Bacillus subtilis during sporulation”. In the same year he moved to the Höchst AG where he started his business career in the core research functions, department of biotechnology as head of a laboratory. From 1992 to 2012 he continued his worked in the pharmaceutical research of the Höchst AG and its following companies Aventis and Sanofi. During these more than 27 years in the industry he was responsible for the microbial strain collection in natural product research and was specialized in isolation, cultivation and characterization of Actinobacteria and Myxobacteria. In 2004 he completed his habilitation dissertation at the Technische Universität Braunschweig on “The taxonomy of secondary metabolite producing Actinomycetes” in cooperation with the DSMZ. Since 2012 Joachim Wink is doing his research at the HZI and in 2013 he became head of the new work group microbial strain collection, he also holds lectures at the TU Braunschweig in biology of metabolite producing microorganisms.

microbial strain collection

Dunja Bruder studied biotechnology at the Technical University of Braunschweig and passed her diploma in 1996. She already showed a high interest in immunology during her studies and analyzed immune responses against bacterial toxins during her PhD thesis at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (1996-1999). In the following years, Dunja Bruder worked as a postdoc in the junior group “Mucosal Immunity” and established transgenic mouse models for the investigation of autoimmune diseases. During several scientific stays abroad, for example at the Harvard Medical School in Boston and the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, she deepened her immunological knowledge and tightened important cooperations. Her successful research activity was rewarded with the Young Investigator Award of the Society of Mucosal Immunology in 2005.

Since October 2006 Dunja Bruder leads the research group “Immune Regulation” at the HZI and was rewarded as the “Supervisor of the year 2008” for her exemplary education of PhD students. In December 2009 she completed her habilitation thesis for immunology at the Hanover Medical School. Since August 2011 Dunja Bruder has a professorship for infections immunology at the Otto-von-Guericke-University in Magdeburg.

immunology

Molecular Biology, Fungal Genetics, Microbiology

W. VERSTRAETE is born on April 25, 1946 in Beernem (Belgium). He graduated in 1968 from the Gent University as bio-engineer. He followed a summer course on Soil Microbiology at the Pasteur Institute of Paris. In 1971, he obtained a Ph D degree in the field of microbiology at the Cornell University, Ithaca (USA). Since 1971, he works at the Gent University, first as assistant and since 1979 as professor and head of the Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET - Faculty of Bioscience Engineering). His R & D has a central theme: processes mediated by microbial mixed cultures. His team deals with microbial transformations in waters and soils and the gastro-intestinal tract. A variety of biotechnological processes, based on microbial consortia, are subject to R&D at LabMET.

Microbial Ecology and Technology

Armen Trchounian has completed Ph.D at the age of 25 years from Yerevan State University (YSU), Armenia, and D.Sc. at the age of 33 years from Tbilisi State University, Georgia. He was Professor, Department of Biophysics (1993-2011); from 2011 he is Head, Department of Microbiology & Plants and Microbes Biotechnology, YSU. He was Fulbright Scholar at University of Chicago, USA; Fellows at Chiba University, Japan; University of Reading, UK; University of Virginia, USA; Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany; others. He published more than 250 papers in international peer-reviewed journals, several text-books for schools and universities, review-book. He is serving as editor and editorial board member of numerous journals.

Microbiology & Plants and Microbes

Alexander Rapoport graduated Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia. The degree of PhD in Biology got at the Latvian Academy of Sciences, degree of DSc in Biology at Institute of Microbiology, Academy of Sciences of USSR (Moscow), degree of Dr. hab. biol. at Latvian Council of Science. He is Corresponding Member of Latvian Academy of Sciences. Alexander Rapoport worked at Institute of Microbiology, Latvian Academy of Science and now works at the Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Latvia. He is the Head of the Laboratory of Cell Biology. Professor of Microbiology and Biotechnology at University of Latvia. He has published about 210 papers. Main directions of his investigations are linked with physiology, cytology, biochemistry and biotechnology of microorganisms, dehydration and other stress treatments upon microorganisms and especially yeasts. He has revealed the main changes which take place in the cells at their transfer into the state of anhydrobiosis, the main factors which are important for the maintenance of viability of cells, a number of earlier unknown intracellular protective reactions.

Microbiology and Biotechnology

Patrick Fickers has completed a PhD from Université de Liège (Belgium) and postdoctoral studies from Polytech’ Lille (France). He joined then the Centre of Protein Engineering (Liège, Belgium) as a FNRS fellow. Since 2009, he is an Associated Professor at Unversité libre de Bruxelles and the head of the Biotechnology and Bioprocess Unit. He has published 34 research papers in peer-reviewed journals and 6 book chapters. His researches focus on the development of yeast and bacterial strains by metabolic engineering and on process development in bioreactor for the production of valuable compounds.

Microbial Processes and interactions

Microbiology

Microbiology

Rup Lal is a Professor of Molecular Biology at the Department of Zoology, University of Delhi and currently, he is also the Dean, Examinations. He is the recipient of Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship and the DBT Overseas Fellowship. He has over 30 years of research experience highlighting the aspects of the genetics of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) degradation, exploring microbial diversity, genetic manipulation of rifamycin producer Amycolatopsis mediterranei, microbial genome sequencing and metagenome analysis of stressed niches. He has a US patent to his credit for the development of cloning vectors of A. mediterranei strains. He has nearly 175 publications in peer reviewed journals with 3197 ISI citations & h-index 30. He along with his collaborators developed a mutant of Amycolatopsis mediterranei that produces an analogue of rifamycin B. The derivatives of this analogue also known as 24-desmethyl rifampicin and 24- desmethylrifamycin S were found to be effective against MDR strains of Mycobacteria. He is the ASM Ambassador to the Indian Ocean Region. He is also a member of several national and international committees: was a member of the review committee for the ASM-IUSSTF Indo – US Professorship in Microbiology. He is also a Member of International Education Committee (IEC), American society for Microbiology. He is the Fellow of Indian Academy of Sciences, New Delhi (FNA), Fellow of National Academy of Sciences, India (FNASc), Fellow of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (FNAAS) and the Fellow of Association of Microbiologists of India (FAMI).

Zoology

Tubercolosis and Lung Diseases

Microbiology

Dr. Ermolaeva has completed her Ph.D from Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology where at present she leads a lab. She performed postdoctoral studies at Complutense University of Madrid and University of Leon. Dr. Ermolaeva is a member of Director Board of International Society for Plasma Medicine. She has published more than 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals and serving as an editorial board member and a reviewer of about 10 repute journals.

Epidemiology and Microbiology

Epidemiology and Microbiology

Epidemiology and Microbiology

Dr Rita Kumar has completed her PhD in 1984 from Delhi University, India. Currently, she is an Emeritus Scientist in CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology at Delhi, India (CSIR is a premier autonomous industrial R&D organization in India). She has also served as Chairman cum Managing Director of National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) at Delhi, India (NRDC is an enterprise under Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India). She has published more than 60 papers and has to her credit 123 patents (98 granted) in the field of environmental biotechnology. She has commercialized two technologies viz., BODSEED and BOD BIOSENSOR – for quick monitoring of wastewater, which are currently in the market.

Genomics and Integrative Biology

Microbiology

Nutrition and Health

Prof. Carlos A. Guzmán (MD, PhD) is head of the department Vaccinology and Applied Microbiology at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and also APL professor at the Hannover Medical School. He studied Medicine at the National University of Rosario and received his specialization in Medical Bacteriology in Argentina. With a scholarship from the Italian Foreign Ministry he then conducted research at the Institute of Microbiology at the University of Genoa, Italy. He acquired his doctorate in Medicine and Surgery, becoming also a doctor in Microbiological Sciences. In 1994 he moved to Germany and became head of the Vaccine Research group at the HZI, formerly GBF. He has been active in the field of Vaccinology since 1989. His work led to the discovery of new adjuvants and the establishment of Salmonella spp. as a delivery system for DNA vaccines and therapeutic molecules. He has published over 160 papers in international journals and is co-inventor of numerous international patents. Prof. Guzmán is part of the editorial board of Infection and Immunity, Microbial Biotechnology, Open Immunology Journal, Current Immunology Reviews, Open Vaccine Journal and Open Microbiology Journal. He is also review editor of Frontiers in Mucosal Immunology, as well as associated editor of Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics. Further he is external Lecturer Doctorate in Biotechnology at the University Catania, Italy. In addition he is speaker of the topic “Immune Response” of the program “Infection and Immunity” of the Helmholtz Alliance.

Vaccinology and Applied Microbiology