London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Zebrafish infection research has seen an exciting gain in momentum over recent years, enabling fundamental discovery and therapeutic advance. We therefore organise a one-day event each year to promote this emerging research avenue.

Zebrafish infection research within the UK is mostly achieved by a young core of scientists in their first academic or fellowship position. This meeting brings together these innovative, developing group leaders with experienced, internationally recognized group leaders to create a strong community that can push the field forward. We aim to maintain a zebrafish infection community that meets annually to exchange tools and ideas, and to inspire collaborative training networks.

This Zebrafish Infection UK workshop held at LSHTM will highlight the potential of zebrafish to study host-pathogen interactions, and to dissect mechanisms of inflammation and immunity.

We have invited three outstanding speakers having made distinct contributions to the field, but the majority of the talks (15 mins) will be delivered by early-career researchers. We will also have a vibrant poster session and flash talks (2 mins) selected from the posters. The final programme will be confirmed and released by 18 March 2019.

The conference will run from 09:00-17:30 followed by a social drinks reception.

The registration deadline is 5 April, 17.00. Spaces are limited, and we expect to sell out. Register early to avoid disappointment!

The Zebrafish Infection& Immunity UK organisers are offering 10 free tickets for undergrad and Master students to attend the conference on 8 April. To apply please send a few sentences (approx. 100 words) explaining the focus of your studies and what you are hoping to learn at the Zebrafish Infection& Immunity event. Deadlines to apply is Wednesday 3 April, 17.00. Applications to be emailed to zebrafishinfection@lshtm.ac.uk 

Find out more about our work on zebrafish 

Booking required 

Invited speakers:

Francisco Roca - University of Cambridge, UK

Ana Cvejic - University of Cambridge, UK

Philippe Herbomel (keynote talk) - Institute Pasteur, France

Programme

9:00 Registration

9:45 Welcome by the organisers

Session 1: Pathogenesis and Host Defence

Chair: Serge Mostowy

10:00 Francisco Roca, University of Cambridge

TNF induces pathogenic programmed macrophage necrosis in tuberculosis through a mitochondrial-lysosomal-endoplasmic reticulum circuit

10:30 Mónica Varela Meijer lab, Institute of Biology Leiden, the Netherlands)

Mycobacteria exploit the host inflammatory cell death machinery for infection dissemination

10:45 Vincenzo Torraca (Mostowy lab, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)

The Shigella sonnei O-antigen mediates neutrophil tolerance and pathogenesis in vivo

11:00 Flash talks - Round 1

Chair: Vincenzo Torraca

Fan (UCambridge), Tomlinson (UCL), Gomes (LSHTM)

11:15 Refreshments break

11:45 Fatima Ulhuq (Palmer lab, University of Newscastle)

A membrane-depolarizing toxin substrate of the Staphylococcus aureus Type VII protein secretion system

12:00 Josie F. Gibson (Renshaw lab, University of Sheffield)

Neutrophils use selective autophagy receptor p62 to target Staphylococcus aureus for degradation in the zebrafish model

12:15 Flash talks-Round 2

Chair: Margarida Gomes

Hammond (USheffield), Donaldson (USheffield), Elliot (UEdinburgh)

12:30 Lunch break with posters

Session 2: Imune Cells, Infection and Inflammation

Chair: Milka Sarris

14:00 Ana Cvejic, University of Cambridge

Single-Cell Transcriptional Analysis Reveals ILC-like Cells in Zebrafish

14:30  Hugo Poplimont (Sarris lab, University of Cambridge)

Decoding how neutrophils self-organise their migration at sites of tissue damage

14:45 Kalliopi Arkoudi (Knight lab, King’s College London)

Directional macrophage migration in response to injury is regulated by NF-κB signalling

15:00 Hannah Larbalestier (Bandmann lab, University of Sheffield)

Characterisation of a neuroinflammatory phenotype in a gch1^-/- zebrafish model of Parkinson’s Disease

15:15 Daniel Jones (Johnston lab, University of Sheffield)

Investigating a novel commensal strain of Candida famata within Danio rerio

15:30 Refreshments break

16:00  Piotr Szkuta (Elks lab, University of Sheffield)

Neutrophil nitric oxide is protective in a zebrafish model of TB

16:15  Paco Lopez Cuevas (Martin lab, University of Bristol)

Reprogramming the host inflammatory response as a potential cancer therapeutic

16:30 Plenary Speaker: Philippe Herbomel, Institute Pasteur, France

Macrophages and neutrophils in developing zebrafish

17:30 Drinks reception and prize giving

Organisers

Serge Mostowy - The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Milka Sarris - University of Cambridge

Vincenzo Torraca - The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Margarida Castro Gomes - The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

If you have any questions or queries about the event, please email zebrafishinfection@lshtm.ac.uk or visit zebrafishinfection.co.uk