Tuesday, November 1, 2022

NCASM_2022_Schedule

 

 


NC ASM Branch Meeting 2022

Saturday, November 5th

 

Hosted By Appalachian State University

 

Thank you to our Platinum & Gold Sponsors:

Please visit our sponsors on the first-floor hallway and atrium

 


 

NC ASM Meeting 2022

Registration & breakfast 7:30 - 8:15am

Leon Levine Hall atrium

Introductions (103)*

Speaker

Title

*The introductions and plenary talks in room 103 will also be displayed on screen in the atrium*

8:30-8:45

Cara Fiore

Welcome and introduction

8:45-9:00

Megan Damico

ASM advocacy

Morning session A Talks (103)

Speaker

Institution

Title

9:00

Quinton Krueger

UNC Charlotte

Comparative transmission of bacteria from Artemia salina and Brachionus plicatilis to the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis

9:15

Andrea Suria

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Determining genes involved in bacteria-bacteria killing in Hawaiian bobtail squid reproductive symbionts

9:30

Andrea Ward

North Carolina State University

Development of media for growth and quantification of a synthetic community for plant-microbe research

9:45

Denise Rohlik

East Carolina University

Exploiting bacterially-derived mechanisms of inhibition for the development of small-molecule inhibitors targeting the classical pathway of complement

10:00

Andrew Bray

Wake Forest School of Medicine

Klebsiella pneumoniae's type VI secretion system: regulation and role in gut colonization

10:15

Alan Schmalstig

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Bacteriophage infection of intracellular Mycobacterium abscessus

Morning session B Talks (246)

Speaker

Institution

Title

9:00

Michael Aguilar

University of North Carolina Wilmington

ASADH inhibition against antibiotic-resistant microorganisms

9:15

Hanna Berman

NC State University

Culture and Assessment of Pathogenic Phenotypes of Gardnerella spp.

9:30

Madeline E. Wight

Appalachian State University

Impact of Severe Food Restriction on Gut Microbiome Diversity

9:45

Samuel Cooke

Appalachian State University

Biofilm Analysis of Adherent-Invasive E. coli and E. faecalis Co-cultures: an exploration of water channels

10:00

Sam McMillan (A.S. McMillan)

North Carolina State University

Loss of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron encoding bile acid altering genes impact bacterial fitness and the global metabolic transcriptome

10:15

Samantha Kisthardt

North Carolina State University

Microbial derived bile acids inhibit C. difficile growth and pathogenicity while sparing other members of the gut microbiota

Poster Session 1 & coffee break: 2nd floor atrium (Odd numbers)

10:30-11:30

11:45-12:30: Plenary I: NC Lecturer: Dr. Blake Ushijima, University of North Carolina, Wilmington (room 103 and atrium via zoom)

"Coral Probiotics: Using host-derived microbes to help threatened ecosystems"

Lunch: Buffet in atrium, outside space & Meet with speaker opportunity 1

12:30-1:30

Box Lunch

12:45-1:30

NC ASM business meeting (rm 112)

1 - 1:30

Dr. Ushijima (room 103)

1 - 1:30

Dr. Babady (room 246)

1-1:30

Prokaryotes and Penmanship: A Hand Lettering Workshop (room 205)

Afternoon concurrent session C (room 103)

Speaker

Institution

Title

1:45

Shilpi Bhatia

North Carolina A&T State University

SARS-CoV-2 Epidemiology & Wastewater Surveillance at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

2:00

Andrew Dunphy

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Substance P augments neutrophil attracting chemokine expression by bacterially-challenged human glia

2:15

Kelli Furr

University of North Carolina Charlotte

The induction of protective type I interferon responses in primary osteoblasts following Staphylococcus aureus infection

2:30

Charles Booth Jr.

East Carolina University

The dynamic duo: how protein flexibility and conformation affect the function of borrelial C1r inhibitors

2:45

Jacob A. Kazenelson

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Spatiotemporal tracking of Covid-19 on the UNCW campus using a wastewater based epidemiologic approach

3:00

Sophie Sipprell

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Osteoblast production of neutrophil-recruiting chemokines following infection with Staphylococcus aureus

Afternoon concurrent session D (room 246)

Speaker

Institution

Title

1:45

Jessica Gronniger

Duke University Marine Laboratory

Gulf Stream cold-core cyclonic frontal eddy harbors a unique microbiome relative to surrounding waters

2:00

Melanie Cohn

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Bringing the estuary into the lab: Maintaining ecocosms to investigate microbial community dynamics and biogeochemical cycling

2:15

Liang Zhao

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Quantifying metagenome-assembled-genome contributions to Galápagos microbial communities and fine scale population structure

2:30

Garrett Sharpe

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Estimating in situ growth rates and functional capabilities of marine microbes with quantitative metagenomics

2:45

Colin Finlay

East Carolina University

Hydrology and plant effects interact to influence greenhouse gas production and the taxonomic and functional gene composition of wetland soil microbiomes

3:00

Jeanette Black

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Investigation of anti-inflammatory drugs for their ability to reduce equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) cell to cell spread.

Poster session 2 & coffee break: 2nd floor atrium (Even numbers),  Meet with speaker opportunity 2

3:15 - 4:15

Posters

4 - 4:30

Dr. Babady (room 103)

4 - 4:30

Dr. Ushijima (room 246)

4 - 4:30

Prokaryotes and Penmanship: A Hand Lettering Workshop (room 205)

4:15 - 4:30

Judges meeting (room 112)




4:45 - 5:30: Plenary II: ASM Distinguished Lecturer Program - Waksman Foundation Lecture (room 103 and atrium via zoom)

Dr. Esther Babady, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center “C. difficile Diagnostic Challenges”

Closing remarks and awards (103)

5:30 – 5:45

Cara Fiore

Reception with cash bar: 5:30 - 7pm, Atrium and outside

Poster Sessions:

Session A: 10:30-11:30, 2nd floor atrium

Title

Presenter

Institution

Poster number

Co-evolution and Gene Flow Drive Speciation Patterns in Host-Associated Bacteria

Caroline Stott

University of North Carolina, Greensboro

1

Differential expression of Cardinium hertigii proteins provides insights into symbiont-mediated reproductive manipulation of the insect host Encarsia suzannae

Olivia L. Mathieson

North Carolina State University

3

Transductomics- detecting viral transduction events in microbiomes using metagenome sequencing reads

Jessie Maier

North Carolina State University

5

Seasonal Dynamics of Estuarine Thaumarchaea in Coastal North Carolina

Parker Lawrence

University of North Carolina, Wilmington

7

Characterization of Entomopathogenic Fungi Metabolites Isolated from North Carolina Soil

Hannah Walsh

Campbell University

9

Evolving resistance to wall teichoic acid synthesis inhibitors in Bacillus subtilis.

Fahad Nassam

North Carolina A&T State University

11

Effects of moderate malnutrition during pregnancy on neonatal immunity to malaria

Robert Onjiko

Appalachian State University

13

Role of Ethanolamine Metabolism on Gastrointestinal Colonization of Klebsiella pneumoniae

Andrew Barnes

Wake Forest School of Medicine

15

Examining nutrient enrichment effects on greenhouse gas production in a coastal plain wetland

Scott Siebor

East Carolina University

17

Identification and Impact of Iron-Oxidizing Bacteria on Steel Structures in Freshwater Environments

Meredith Cox

East Carolina University

19

Functional redundancy in the ascidian microbiome: A metagenomic comparison of Eudistoma capsulatum microbiomes from marina and reef habitats in North Carolina

Brenna Hutchings

University of North Carolina, Wilmington

21

Microbial Influenced Corrosion on Accomac, A Freshwater, Ferrous-Hulled Shipwreck: Community Diversity & Species Abundance

Maggie O. Shostak

East Carolina Univeristy

23

Human impact in Appalachian cave systems: how the presence of people influences the native microbial cave species

Anna-Maria Riley

Appalachian State University

25

Design and delivery of nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs) to resident bone cells during Staphylococcal osteomyelitis

Erin Davis

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

27

Title

Presenter

Institution

Poster number

Measuring persisters in biofilm to characterize MRSA

Miranda Gough

High Point University

29

Optimization of Biological Control Agent Bacillus thuringiensis Growth Using 5L Fermenters Under Various Environmental Conditions and Different Media Broths

Grant A Gabzdyl

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

31

Suppression of ß-lactamase increases susceptibility of several methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains

Payton Thomas

High Point University

33

Determining the Mechanism of Enzymes Involved in Hydrogen Sulfide Oxidation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Chukwuemeka Steve Adindu

East Carolina University

35

Co-culture Interactions Between Adherent-Invasive Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis Indicate Increased Biofilm Formation

Alyssa Lawing

Appalachian State University

37

Uncovering sex differences in gene expression that affect host response to Chlamydia trachomatis infection

Angela Jones

Duke University

39

Retinoic acid inducible gene-I mediated detection of Staphylococcus aureus in murine osteoblasts.

Mary-Kate Key

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

41

Aerobactin enhances metastatic infection and increases mortality in a hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate

Giovanna Hernandez

Wake Forest School of Medicine

43

Differential Binding Affinities of Wild-Type and Mutant OmpR

Jordan Miller

North Carolina A&T State University

45

Investigating Structural Features Utilized by Two-component Flavin-dependent Systems

Chioma Helen Aloh

East Carolina University

47

Exploring the Catalytic Mechanism of Two-component FMNH2-dependent Monooxygenases in Sulfur Acquisition

Shruti Somai

East Carolina University

49

H-NS-like protein MucR coordinates virulence gene expression during host-association in Brucella spp. through silencer/counter-silencer interactions

Ian Barton

East Carolina University

51

Session B: 3:30-4:30pm, 2nd floor atrium

Title

Presenter

Institution

Poster number

Something Fishy: Patterns of gut microbiome diversity and composition across baleen and toothed whales correlate with diet

Brandon J. Rose

University of North Carolina, Wilmington

2

Calibrating model bacterial organisms' physiology and metabolism as biosensors of the marine carbon pool

Samantha Cerda

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

4

Molecular survey of methane-cycling archaea in methane-soaked subsurface sediments (Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California)

John E. Hinkle

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

6

Longnose gar egg and ectoparasitic isopod-associated bacterial community characterization and bioactivity assessment

Sandra Bennett

University of North Carolina, Wilmington

8

Long-term nutrient enrichment shifts wetland plant-microbe relationships from cooperative to competitive

Kai Davis

East Carolina University

10

Microbial ecology of sand fly breeding sites: aging and larval conditioning alter the bacterial community composition of rearing substrates.

Nayma Romo Bechara

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

12

Histidine kinases and response regulator proteins in two-component signaling systems

Destinee Harris

North Carolina A&T State University

14

Two-Component System YesMN Responds to Environmental Zinc and Contributes Towards Host-to-Host Transmission of Streptococcus pneumoniae

Alicia Costa-Terryll

Wake Forest School of Medicine

16

An Investigation of the Microbial Diversity and Antibiotic Production Potential of Commercial, Pasteurized Kefir and Raw, Goat Milk Kefir

Anna Braaten

Campbell University

20

Identifying proteomic signatures of microbial growth

Abigail Korenek

North Carolina State University

22

Transient Transformation and Tumor Formation by Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58 bglA and bglB Mutants

Caroline Chandler

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

24


Title

Presenter

Institution

Poster number

de novo Transcriptome Analysis of P. lunula to Shed Light on Bioluminescence

Lila Barrera

Appalachian State University

26

Optimization of RNA extractions from Streptococcus mutans for RNAseq

Korey Wilson

North Carolina A&T State University

28

Differential Podosome Development in M1 and M2 THP-1-derived Macrophages

Hannah Wolf

Appalachian State University

30

Investigation of host cell cytokine directed changes in Neisseria meningitidis gene expression

Krishna Majithia

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

32

How lepA and ettA mutations impact Acinetobacter baumannii growth in csrA mutants

Jackson Wood

East Carolina University

34

SARS-CoV-2 Quantification in Wastewater and the Effects of Environmental Variables

Josie Beasley

Appalachian State University

36

Phage off: Evaluating the Efficacy of Mycobacteriophage in Acid, Heat, and Chemical Challenge

Umar Chaudhry

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

38

In Vivo Targeting of Clostridioides difficile Using Phage Delivered CRISPR-Cas3 Antimicrobials.

Megan Welch

Locus Biosciences

40

In Vivo Recombineering for Insertion of Chromosomal Mutations in Two-Component Response Systems

Lauren Thomas

North Carolina A&T State University

42

The Salmonella effector SarA hijacks host STAT3 signaling to induce an anti-inflammatory response.

Margaret Gaggioli

Duke University

44

Moderate Malnutrition Increases NK Cell Population and Inflammatory Activation in the Spleen

James Erny

Appalachian State University

46

Elucidating the structure and function of a novel class of complement inhibitors of the Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi

Sheila Thomas

East Carolina University

48

Evaluating the Effects of Evolutionary Adaptations In Two-Component Response Systems (Escherichia coli K12 MG1655)

Brittany Sanders

North Carolina A&T State University

50

Observing Microbial Community Shifts Through Metagenomics

David Malcolm

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

52


Thank you to our Silver & Bronze Sponsors:

Please visit our sponsors on the first-floor hallway and atrium


 

 

NC ASM Advocacy Speaker:

Megan Damico, Ph.D. Candidate

University of North Carolina, Greensboro

Room 103,  8:45 – 9:00 am

 

Megan Damico is a 5th year Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), where she uses the honey bee as a model system to study how various environmental and genetic factors drive strain-level community structure and dynamics within host-associated gut microbiomes. In addition to her graduate work, Megan is also a Policy Entrepreneurship Fellow with the Federation of American Scientists, where she works to create stronger regulatory policy actions surrounding microbial therapeutic products, such as probiotics, for agricultural animals. She holds a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences from Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in Allendale, Michigan. Outside of her research, Megan volunteers with the North Carolina Audubon Society to lead state-wide advocacy efforts and is an avid birder. 

 

Plenary Speakers:

 

North Carolina Invitational Lecture

Dr. Blake Ushijima

University of North Carolina, Wilmington

Room 103, 11:45 am – 12:30 pm



Blake Ushijima, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at University of North Carolina at Wilmington and is active in the ASM organization as a member of the ASM junior advisory group and the ASM Microbe Applied and Environmental Science planning group. Dr. Ushijima received his Ph.D. at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Microbiology working on bacterial pathogens that infect corals. His work focused on novel coral pathogens with an emphasis on the pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus, which infects a variety of corals and marine invertebrates. He continued as a postdoc at Oregon State University working on bacterial oyster pathogens and probiotics. He was then awarded the George Burch Research Fellowship to work at the Smithsonian Marine Station studying stony coral tissue loss disease and was one of the lead investigators for the Coral Health and Marine Probiotics (CHAMP) Lab. During his time at the Smithsonian, he worked on developing probiotics to combat the outbreak of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) spreading throughout the Caribbean.

 

ASM Distinguished Lecturer Program - Waksman

Foundation Lecture

Room 103, 4:45 – 5:30pm


 

Esther Babady, Ph.D., D (ABMM), FIDSA, F(AAM) is the Director of the Clinical Microbiology Service, the Director of the CPEP Clinical Microbiology Fellowship program, an Attending Microbiologist and Member (Professor) in the Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Medicine at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York City. Dr. Babady received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and completed a postdoctoral CPEP fellowship in clinical microbiology, both at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., before joining MSKCC. She is board-certified by the American Board of Medical Microbiology, a fellow of the Infectious Disease Society of America and a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.  She is a senior editor for Microbiology Spectrum and serves on the editorial boards of several journals. Her research interests include rapid diagnosis of infections in immunocompromised hosts, fungal diagnostics and the development and evaluation of the clinical utility of molecular microbiology assays. She has published extensively on these topics.