9^th Global Medical Microbiology Summit & Expo November 28-29, 2016 San Francisco, California, USA

Biography:

Abstract:

Biography:

Dora Tombacz has completed her MSc in Biology in 2006 and PhD in Medical Sciences from the University of Szeged, Hungary in 2010. She is working in the Department of Medical Biology as an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine at University of Szeged in the Boldogkoi’s group. Her primary field of interest is the analysis of herpesvirus gene expression and utilization of herpesviruses as tools in various fields of biology including neurobiology and cardiology. She is currently working with next and 3rd generation sequencing techniques, focusing on virology and genomics of human diseases at the University of Szeged, Hungary and the Stanford University, USA.

Abstract:

Full-length RNA sequencing is a powerful tool in identifying novel transcripts and isoforms. In this study we have shown the quantitative analysis of the dynamic transcriptome of the Pseudorabies virus (PRV). Poly(A)⁺ RNA fraction was purified from PK-15 cells infected with PRV after 1-2-4-6-8-12 hours infection and was converted to dscDNA. SMRTbell libraries were prepared following the very low (10 ng) input protocol and then were sequenced on PacBio RSII single-molecule real-time (SMRT) platform. Raw reads were mapped to the PRV reference genome (KJ717942.1) using the BLASR and GMAP aligners. SMRT cells yielded 54,467 viral reads with a mean read length of 1,287 nucleotides and the majority of the PRV transcript isoforms was represented in each sample. The kinetics of the transcripts was characterized by the changes in the relative amounts of reads aligning to them in the different samples. Read counts were also normalized to the number of reads aligning to the Sus scrofa mitochondrial genome to show the overall increase in the relative copy number of PRV reads in the later stages of infection. Normalization by the changes of the relative amounts of viral DNA in our samples showed a drastic drop of the viral gene expression after 4 hours post infection. Our results are mostly concordant with previous kinetic characterizations of PRV transcripts using qRT-PCR analysis with the distinction that the latter one cannot distinguish between the transcript isoforms, while SMRT sequencing can. Our study shows that data from long-read sequencing can be used for quantitative analysis of transcripts.

Biography:

Sagar Aryal has completed his Master’s degree in Medical Microbiology from St. Xavier’s College, Kathmandu, Nepal. He is currently working as a Teaching Assistant at St. Xavier's College, Kathmandu, Nepal. He has published more than 10 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as the Founder and Executive Editor of International Journal of Microbiology and Allied Sciences (IJOMAS).

Abstract:

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the deadliest and common major infectious diseases in developing and industrialized countries. Global TB control efforts have been severely hampered by the lack of diagnostic tests that are rapid, accurate, simple to use and can be applied at the point of clinical care. A total of 238 isolates from Kathmandu valley were tested for drug resistance. Extracted DNA was processed for Multiplex Allele Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (MAS-PCR) for the detection of TB by using MPB64 and IS6110 primers and later mutation in katG and rpoB was detected using specific primers for drug resistance patterns. Out of 238 suspected cases, MAS-PCR was found to be positive for 35 (14.70%) isolates. Among 35 positive isolates, rpoB526 mutation and katG315 mutation was found in 5 (14.29%) and 3 (8.57%) isolates respectively. Two (5.71%) isolates showed resistance to both rpoB and katG confirming the multidrug resistant (MDR) tuberculosis. The use of these assays in the clinical setting would significantly reduce the time to diagnosis of MDR tuberculosis, enabling the administration of appropriate treatment regimens at the outset of therapy and to estimate the economic and disease burden of tuberculosis which is essential to inform health policy, increase disease awareness and assess the impact of tuberculosis control technologies.

Biography:

Mmuoegbulam Oluchi Augusta is currently a PhD student of the Department of Microbiology, University of Calabar, Nigeria. She did Molecular Biology Research on the taxonomic classification, plasmid profile and antibiotic resistance of some microbial isolates from Nigeria at CPQBA-UNICAMP, Brazil under TETFUND sponsorship as part of her present PhD program.

Abstract:

The phylum Proteobacteria is made up of many characterized polar flagellated, Gram-negative, rod-shaped, aerobic bacteria with the genus Stenotrophomonas and Xanthomonas being accommodated in the family Xanthomonadaceae while the genus Pseudomonas belong to the family pseudomonadaceae. The 16S rRNA sequences of the 12 hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon utilizing Proteobacteria in this study were determined and matched with available sequences in the ribosomal database project (RDP). Only one isolate was found to belong to the family Pseudomonadaceae and was of the genus Pseudomonas (Specie: P. aerugonosa DSM 50071 ^THE978271) while 11 were found to belong to the family Xanthomonadaceae and were of the genus Stenotrophomonas. Among the 11 Stenotrophomonas, 6 were identified to be Pseudomonas beteli (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia ATCC 19861 ^TAB021406), 3 as Pseudomonas hibiscicola and 2 as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia IAM 12423 ^TAB294553). The blast comparison also showed the closeness of the genus Stenotrophomonas to the genus Pseudomonas in their 16S rRNA sequence as seen in P. beteli which is known as S. maltophilia, ATCC 19861. P. beteli, P. hibiscicola and S. maltophilia-IAM 12423 were all species of the genus Stenotrophomonas. The antibiotic resistance study of all the proteobacteria using gentamicin, ciprofloxacin and clavulin showed that P. Aerugonosa DSM 50071 was resistant to clavulin with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 2000 µg/ml and a minimum bactericidal concentration of 2000 µg/ml. P. beteli ATCC 19861 and Pseudomonas hibiscicola ATCC 19867 had low level resistance to gentamicin while P. aeruginosa DSM 50071 and S. maltophilia IAM 12423/S. pavanii ICB 89 were sensitive.

Biography:

Anton van Niekerk is a distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Applied Ethics at Stellenbosch University, South Africa and one of South Africa’s best known Bioethicists. He is the author of 18 books and 145 peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters. He is a Member of the National Health Research Ethics Council (NHREC), the highest policy making body for research ethics in the country. In 1995, he was awarded the Stals Prize for Philosophy by the SA Academy for Science and Arts. He is a founding Director and Chairperson of the Board of the Ethics Institute of South Africa (EthicsSA). He was the Director of the International Association of Bioethics (IAB) from 2007 to 2012. He is a former President of the Philosophical Society of Southern Africa, a former Editor of the South African Journal of Philosophy.

Abstract:

It is of paramount importance that sensible and prudent public policies for the introduction and management of genetic research, technologies and therapies be adopted for countries on the African continent. The author agrees with Buchanan et al., when they claim that it is “unwise to consider the ethics of genetics only at the individual level. What matters is not merely the ethics of the individual scientist, physician or counselor, but the broader questions of justice, of claims for freedom and for protection from harm and our obligations towards future generations”. What is therefore important is the development of a “public and institutional policy on genetics” that is adopted for the needs of, specifically, the people of Africa. The author delineates three such issues and indicates some moral aspects that accompany their understanding as well as the challenges that they pose. The three issues are: The kinds of genetic technologies that are appropriate for African needs, The lessons about public health policy to be learned from (especially South African) policymakers’ appropriation of scientific expertise and Concerns about informed consent of patients and the competence of health care professionals in administering appropriate genetic remedies in African societies.

Biography:

Joseph L Mathew works at the Advanced Pediatrics Centre, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. He has contributed extensively to evidence-based policy-making for several vaccines in the Indian context, especially hepatitis B, Hib, IPV, MMR, PCV, influenza, varicella, acellular pertussis, HPV, rotavirus and typhoid conjugate vaccines. He is one of the first to identify the rapid waning of maternal measles antibodies in infancy, creating a pool of susceptible infants/children. He has nearly 200 peer-reviewed publications to his credit and delivered numerous presentations related to vaccinology in national and international meetings.

Abstract:

Despite three decades of universal infant measles vaccination, India has the world’s largest measles burden. Vaccination in India (as in most developing countries) is timed at 9 months of age expecting infant protection through maternal (transplacental) antibodies till then, although this has not been proven scientifically. We conducted two prospective cohort studies in 2005 and 2015 (coinciding with 20 and 30 years of universal vaccination) to evaluate measles susceptibility in infants and to identify the appropriate age for vaccination. In these studies, anti-measles IgG antibodies were measured by quantitative ELISA in 60 and 130 infants at birth, 3 months, 6 months and 9 months prior to vaccination. Susceptibility was determined by antibody titer <200 mIU/ml. The first study (2005) showed that 0%, 12%, 51% and 100% infants were susceptible at birth, 3 months, 6 months and 9 months respectively. The second study (2015) confirmed susceptibility in 0%, 23%, 84% and 100% infants. Preterm infants were more susceptible that term infants at 3 months and 6 months. These data suggest that most Indian infants become susceptible to measles well before the age of routine infants vaccination. Further the two time series showed that more infants were susceptible in 2015 than 2005; this could be due to greater proportion of mothers having vaccine-induced immunity than natural immunity. These data argue for earlier (rather than later) vaccination with measles vaccine in India and probably other developing countries also. This novel approach resembles serving old wine in a new bottle.

Biography:

Dr. Arunkumar is presently acting as a Managing Director of Capsule Medical Academy in Trivandrum, India.

Abstract:

Mobile phone radiation exposure for long term is harmful to human beings and other living organisms. Nowadays antibiotic resistance is the common tragedy in our modern allopathic treatment especially in the case of tuberculosis. This study was based on the effect of mobile phone radiation on the antibiotic sensitivity in Escherichia coli. The difference in sensitivity of E. coli that exposed to mobile phone radiation was studied. The mechanism of resistance of these pathogenic bacteria has to be found out as soon as possible for improving patient care. This study may be repeated with other type of micro organisms, both Gram positive and Gram negative with other antibiotics for further investigations. This study has found that, such radio frequency radiation exposed E. coli shows decreased sensitivity than other non-radiated E. coli towards Gentamycin. This topic helps to take preventive measures to withstand our healthy living system. This study throws light in to resistance developed by microorganisms to normally used antibiotics. This research indicates that, the organisms achieve resistance not only due to the numerous commonly known reasons like patients’ non compliance, etc but also due to in vitro exposure of RF waves. Now our world has been surrounded by numerous mobile phone towers & this may cause serious health problems. All of them may know about some hazardous effects of mobile tower and mobile phone radiation but not known about this effects on drugs through microorganisms. Due to the single cell structure, the microorganisms absorb radiation through their entire surface, which were surrounded by mobile tower radiation. When a healthy individual infected with microorganisms which has previously developed resistance or any change in susceptibility from its environment, it may cause failure to response of the individual to the normally used drugs or its dose. On the basis of this study, further research should be necessary about the hazardous effects of the mobile phone radiation to the pathogenic Gram positive & Gram negative bacteria, virus and fungus.

Biography:

Shumaila Ali has completed her MPhil in Microbiology from Jinna University for Women, Karachi, Pakistan under the supervision of Dr. Abdul Basit Khan at the Microbiology Department. She is also a Lecturer of Microbiology Department at Jinnah University for Women.

Abstract:

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram positive, facultative and opportunistic pathogen causing food-borne infections in human worldwide. Although cause major problems in immunocompromised individuals such as pregnant women, neonate and elderly. The old conventional methods for the identification of L. monocytogenes in foods are laborious and require almost 3-5 days giving ready results. To overcome this problem we have demonstrated a fast, non-conventional, simple, sensitive and rapid Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based method by using the primers for prfA gene sequence for the detection of Listeria in food samples. Experiments were to observe the sensitivity of this primer in number of combinations. Optimization studies were conducted using milk samples spiked with different inoculum size and for different time intervals. It was observed that this method efficiently detect minimum contamination of Listeria as tested with spiked samples in around 14 hours. Comparable results were observed when this method was applied to detect Listeria in naturally contaminated samples along with conventional methods. The proposed method can be employed to detect Listeria monocytogenes in parallel to standard conventional methods.

Biography:

Syra Madad is the Director, System-wide Special Pathogens Program at New York City Health + Hospitals, the nation’s largest municipal healthcare delivery system. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Graduate Biotechnology Program at the University of Maryland University College and Core Faculty in the National Ebola Training and Education Center (NETEC). She has a strong background in academia, teaching in graduate, undergraduate and professional programs with courses ranging from advanced microbiology to bioterrorism and biosecurity. She has held various faculty appointments, including Assistant Professor, Deputy Chair and Director of Education for various academic institutions in Maryland, New York and Texas.

Abstract:

The rapid dissemination of Zika virus across the World Health Organization’s Region of the Americas has direct impacts on the U.S. healthcare delivery system with hospitals around the nation ramping up prevention and response efforts, including staying abreast of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Zika guidelines, learning about the clinical signs of Zika, evaluating pregnant women for potential Zika virus exposure and discussing prevention with patients. In New York City (NYC), the most populous city in the United States and consisting of five boroughs, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Bronx and Staten Island has reported >463 travel-associated cases of Zika virus disease including 49 cases in pregnant women and three cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome. This suggests that many healthcare systems across the city and throughout the state must be prepared to care for patients with possible Zika virus disease. To prepare for and manage this unprecedented public health threat, NYC Health + Hospitals built its Zika Preparedness and Response Action Plan with systems established during the 2014 Ebola virus disease outbreak and tailored it for the early recognition and management of persons with Zika virus disease. To ensure that NYC Health + Hospitals is prepared to manage Zika virus disease cases and mitigate further disease transmission, the system is closely coordinating internally with its integrated system of hospitals and externally with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and the New York State Department of Health (DOH). This presentation will focus on best practices, lessons learned from the Ebola response at NYC Health + Hospitals and how the processes and procedures in place for Ebola were augmented and refined to build the response for Zika.

Biography:

Dr. Alexander Suvorov is presently acting as Head of Molecular Microbiology division of Federal, State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Institute of Experimental Medicine” in Russia

Abstract:

Background: Development of safe and effective vaccines against group B streptococci (GBS) is of high priority due to the fact that GBS is the main cause of newborn mortality and recently became among the major threat of the elderly. One of the promising approaches for GBS vaccine design is the use of cold-adapted influenza viruses contained in live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) as vectors to deliver GBS antigens to the target cells. We analyzed immune epitopes of ScaAB protein and modeled chimeric influenza proteins carrying various combinations of ScaAB epitopes.

Methods: Three-dimensional structure of chimeric influenza hemagglutinin (HA) carrying ScaAB epitopes were modeled using sequence of H7N9 influenza A virus. Experimental MHC I and MHC II-restricted T cell epitopes for H-2(d) haplotype were analyzed using the tools of the Immune Epitope Data Base. Three-dimensional modeling of chimeric influenza HAs carrying ScaAB epitopes at the N-terminus was performed by homology algorithm using on-line resource SWISS-MODEL. The chimeric HA-ScaAB molecules were modeled using a program USCF Chimera 1.10.2 and visualized using RasMol 2.7.5 and Chimera 1.10.2 program.

Results: We selected several cassettes containing up to 3 ScaAB experimental B-cell epitopes as well as several predicted MHC I and MHC II-restricted T cell epitopes specific for Balb/c mice. Three-dimensional modeling demonstrated that these epitopes are exposed at the surface of the viral particles and do not compromise influenza HA structure.

Conclusions: The recombinant LAIV-GBS chimeric vaccine is the first attempt to design recombinant vaccine for simultaneous protection against influenza and GBS.