Seminar Series – 15 June

SymbNET Online Seminar Series

Monthly seminars on host-microbe symbiosis, genomics, and metabolomics, with two talks from SymbNET researchers.

The seminars are open and free to all, but registration is required.

Please register once for the entire seminar series.

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15 June 2023

15h00-16h00 WEST // 16h00-17h00 CEST

Online Seminar

 

15h00-15h30 WEST // 16h00- 16h30 CEST

Speaker: Flora Vincent

Affiliation:  Symbiosis in Marine Unicellular Eukaryotes (EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany)

Title: Symbiosis in marine unicellular eukaryotes

Abstract: Unicellular eukaryotes in the ocean, known as protists, represent as much biomass as all marine animals taken together, and play a major role in our ecosystem. In particular, eukaryotic phytoplankton are photosynthetic microbes responsible for over 25% of annual primary production on Earth. Those microalgae do not live in isolation and instead establish intimate symbiotic interactions from mutualism to parasitism that largely affect their metabolism, development, evolution but also ecosystem dynamics. From viral infection to host-associated microbiomes, we combine laboratory studies using model species and field expeditions in natura to understand the diversity, role and impact of phytoplankton interactions across biological scales.

 

15h30-16h00 WEST // 16h30- 17h00 CEST

Speaker: Raquel Sá-Leão

Affiliation: Molecular Microbiology of Human Pathogens Lab (ITQB NOVA, Oeiras, Portugal)

Title: Shaping the Streptococcus pneumoniae population through the use of vaccines

Abstract: Streptococcus pneumoniae (or pneumococcus) is the main cause of bacterial pneumonia worldwide being associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Colonization of the human upper respiratory tract is a fundamental prerequisite for transmission and disease. Pneumococci are often shielded by a polysaccharide capsule which hinders phagocytosis and is considered its main virulence factor. Over 100 capsular types have been described to date and these are the basis of current pneumococcal vaccines. In 2000, the first pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, targeting seven capsular types (7-valent), became available. Since then, vaccines with expanded valency (up to 20-valent) have been introduced worldwide. In this seminar I will use data from pneumococcal colonization studies conducted in Portugal to show how these vaccines, together with antibiotics, are shaping the pneumococcal population. I will also discuss whether the pneumococcal population might be evolving towards commensality.