Program and Session Titles

   While the conference aims to highlight the biotechnological aspects of phages and their products, there is also a strong emphasis on good, basic science and attendees from both commercial companies and academia are encourages to attend.

   Exact details of the schedule and program are still being finalized. Final session titles, and keynote speakers will be posted as they become available.

A preliminary list of session titles is given below.

To see a list of session chairs and keynote speakers, click on the personnel link.

To see a preliminary timetable, click on the schedule link.

Vaccines, gene therapy and drug delivery vehicles.

   This session covers the use of phage display for vaccines, It also covers using phages to deliver heterologous genetic material to eukaryotic cells for genetic vaccination or gene therapy. The distribution and survival of phages in eukaryotes and how the phage surface can be modified to target specific cell types is also a subject of this session.

Food safety, agriculture and aquaculture.

   This session deals with using phages or phage products to treat food or crops or farmed seafood to improve food safety. It will focus on both the science behind the methods used and the steps necessary to have phage products approved by regulatory bodies.

Phage therapy.

   Phage therapy is the most well-known biotechnological use of phages and the most well developed commercially. This session covers general phage therapy, including production and regulation of products, as well as the use of phage therapy in human and animal medicine.

Phages in the environment.

   Phages are the most numerous organisms on the planet, whose diversity is not fully understood. Isolating phages with properties which have specific desired properties is a difficult task. This session deals with the ecology of phages and the methods used to isolate phages. It also covers the survival of phages under environmental conditions.

Bioengineering and genomics.

   Phages isolated from the environment have many useful applications, however our ability to modify phages genetically opens up the possibility of custom designing phages. This session covers modifying phages genetically or structurally to give desired properties or for specific applications.

Novel phage proteins: diagnostics, antimicrobials and other applications.

   Proteins purified from phages have long been commercially available for use in molecular biology labs. Recently, other phage derived proteins (such as lytic enzymes) have been suggested as potential antimicrobial agents. Phage and phage products which are used in diagnostic applications are also covered by this session.