Keynote
“A Frugal Lifestyle: Energy Conservation Mechanisms in Methanogenic Archaea”
by
Dr. Geo Santiago-Martinez
University of Connecticut
MEETING SCHEDULE
June 23, 2023
5:00 pm: Meeting Start
6:00 pm: Dinner
7:30 pm: General Meeting/Awards
8:00-9:30 pm: Poster Session A*
Followed by Social
June 24, 2023
8:00-9:00 am: Breakfast
9:00 am: ReciProQal Regulation of Motility and Virulence in Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli
Shantanu Bhatt, Alexa Mihaita, Mary Marino, and Emily Costello – Saint Joseph’s University, PA
9:35 am: The Role of Protein-Protein Interactions in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Formation and Drug Tolerance
Emma Glynn and Karin Sauer – Binghamton University
9:55 am: Interval
10:10 am: Uncovering Global Diazotroph Diversity Across the Freshwater-Coastal Continuum by Synthesizing Thousands of Amplicon and Metagenomic Datasets
Julian Damashek, C.S. Sheik, B.J. Kramer, C. Petro, S. E. DeVilbiss, J.J. Pierella Karlusich, C.F. Reeder, S. Chowdhury, J.C. Marks, P.C. Furey, P.M. Valdespino Castillo, J.E. Kostka, M.J. Church, M.E. Berberich, R.W. Fulweiler, A.M. Marcarelli, and J. T. Scott – Utica University
10:30 am: Genetic and Functional Characterization of Salicylate 1-Monooxygenase Located on an Integrative and Conjugative Element (ICE) in Pseudomonas stutzeri AJR13
Igor Ivanovski and Gerben J. Zylstra – Saint Joseph’s University, LI
10:50 am: Investigating Serum Resistance in Haemophilus parainfluenzae
Morgan McPartland, Thaís Harder de Palma, and Matthew Ramsey – University of Rhode Island
11:10 am: Motility Expression in Deep Subsurface Environments
Autumn Pope, and Stephanie Carr – Hartwick College
11:30 am: Investigating the Autoregulation of a Ribosomal Protein in the Pathogen Francisella tularensis
Sierra Schmidt and Kathryn Ramsey – University of Rhode Island
11:50: Group Photo
12:00-1:00 pm: Lunch
1:15-3:00 pm: Microbe Walk (Optional)
A nature-walk focusing on microbial habitats and field marks
6:00 pm: Dinner
7:30 pm: Door-Prize Drawing
8:00-9:30 pm: Poster Session B**
Social Following
June 25, 2023
8:00-9:00 am: Breakfast
9:00 am: Acetic Acid Bacteria are Overlooked but Functionally and Ecologically Important Members of Sourdough Starter Microbiomes
Hannah Rappaport and Angela Oliverio – Syracuse University
9:20 am: Leveraging Synthetic Microbiomes to Probe Ecological Processes in Community Coalescence
Nimshika Senewiratne and Angela Oliverio – Syracuse University
9:40 am: The Effects of Secondary Macronutrients and Micronutrients on Bacterial Communities and Their Metabolic Processes in Tropical Forest Soils
Rachel Shepherd and Angela Oliverio – Syracuse University
10:00 am: Interval
10:15 am: A Mutational Approach to Determine the Main Protein Filament used for Fe(III) Oxide Reduction by Geobacter sulfurreducens
Ingrid Schwarz, Baha Alsaqri, Kathryn Henry, Sydney Gorman, Lauren Real, Laura Dion, Dawn Holmes, Jessica Smith – Central Connecticut State University
10:50 am: Career Pathways Panel Discussion
Craig Phelps – Rutgers University (Moderator)
Catalina Arango Pineda – Saint Joseph’s University
Emily Nowicki – Curry College
Angela Oliverio – Syracuse University
Geo Santiago Martinez – University of Connecticut
11:45 am: NEMPET business meeting
12:00- 1:00 pm: Lunch and Departure
POSTER SESSION A*
Identification of Photorhabdus species with Antifungal Activity Using a Differential Screening Approach
Charlotte Berkes, Rebecca Kendall, Kieley DesRosiers, Annmarie Schmid, and Kim Lewis – Merrimack College
Isolation and Characterization of PHB (Bioplastic) Degrading Bacteria from Wastewater
Christa Chatfield – SUNY Cortland
Effect of Culture Conditions on Catalase Activity in Serratia marcescens
José de Ondarza – SUNY Plattsburgh
Getting Down and Dirty: Analyzing Changes in Soil Microbiome Composition During Three Stages of Mouse Decomposition
Emily M. Nowicki and Madeline Robinson – Curry College
Role of Acetyl-CoA Synthetase in the Acetate Metabolism of the Host-Associated Methanogen Methanobrevibacter smithii
Alexander N. Poulter and Michel Geovanni Santiago-Martínez – University of Connecticut
Role of Pyruvate carboxylase in carbon fixation in the host-associated methanogen Methanobrevibacter smithii
Jack Rodriguez and Michel Geovanni Santiago-Martínez
The Influence of Waterfowl Migration on the Incidence of Fecal Indicator Bacteria in Upstate New York Lakes, August 2022-May 2023
Nicholas Woronowski and Emily D. Ledgerwood – LeMoyne College
POSTER SESSION B**
Enrichment Cultures from the Anoxic Depths of Fayetteville Green Lake, New York
Nicole Casab, S. Carr, P. Garcia, A. Vermilyea, J. Havig, and M. McCormick – Hartwick College
Identification and Analysis of Gene Products from Sinorhizobium meliloti Which Physically Interact with EIIANtr
Olivia DeSanto, Sam Gingerich, Sarah Mahoney, Ignacio Liotente Fernandez, and Catalina Arango Pinedo – Saint Joseph’s University, PA
Exposure to Vehicle Exhaust Influences Soil Bacterial 16S rRNA Composition
Aiden Q. Heller and Igor Ivanovski – Saint Joseph’s University, NY
Toward Application of CRISPR-Cas9 for Understanding the Role of the Mitochondrial Related Organelle (MRO) in Anaerobic Ciliates
Ilana Jacobs, F. Gomaa, R. Beinart, M. Pachiadaki, J. Rotterova, C. Cavanaugh, V. Edgcomb – Boston University
The Function of Universal Stress Proteins in Sinorhizobium meliloti
Alexander Nuckols, Catalina Arango Pinedo, Leilani Bacchus – Saint Joseph’s University, PA
Membrane-Bound Pyrophosphatase Transcription in Marine Environments Using Meta-Genomic and -Transcriptomics and Bacterial Strains in vitro
Alexis Rando, Selemina Huskic, Alexandra Lumley, Abigail Staph, Denis Toussaint, Sara Muhic Zukic, and Julian Damashek – Utica University
Understanding How Microbial Systems Control Litter Decomposition Across Scales in the Eastern U.S. Forests
Olivia Rojo Nava and Angela Oliverio – Syracuse University
Enrichment and Isolation of Organohalide Respiring Bacteria in Estuarine Sediment
Niveda Thuravil, Chloe Costea, Tanya Jain, Lee Kerkhof, and Max Häggblom – Rutgers University