16:00

Poster hang up

19:00 – 22:00

Poster and Welcome Reception (sponsored by Novonesis)

19:00-20:30 Odd-numbered

20:30-22:00 Even-numbered

Judging for Novonesis Student Poster Prize, coordinated by Clara Valero, University of Manchester, UK

8:30

Welcome, introductions and announcements

Chair: Mike Bromley, University of Manchester, UK

8:40 – 9:25

Oral presentation session I

Chair: Mike Bromley

Jenna Christensen (Northwestern University, USA): Coordination of nuclear movement by two putative dynein adaptors

Stephen Dolan (Clemson University, USA): Molecular mechanisms underlying Aspergillus-bacterial crosstalk during infection

Arjun Khakhar (Colorado State University, USA): Fungal synthetic biology for sustainable materials

9:25 – 10:00

Flash talks

Chairs: Michelle Momany (University of Georgia, USA) and Richard Todd (Kansas State University, USA)

Marion Perrier (Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany): A new reference graph-pangenome for Aspergillus fumigatus recovers gene expression of accessory genes absent from the reference strains

Kentaro Hiramatsu (Kagoshima University, Japan): Retrotransposon-mediated transition from sexual to asexual development in the katsuobushi fungus, Aspergillus chevalieri

Sohta Sagara (Tohoku University, Japan): CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Multicopy Integration into 13 Chromosomal Loci Enables Hyperproduction of Xylanase in Aspergillus oryzae

Jamie Tindale (University of Manchester, UK): Saturation mutagenesis of fungal pyrE to identify variants that endow resistance to DHODH inhibitors without impacting fitness

Pranay Agarwal (Maynooth University, Ireland): MERCK complex and downstream regulatory genes operate development and secondary metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans

Olivia Riedling (Vanderbilt University, USA): Global patterns of diversity and distribution in Aspergillus fungi are driven by human and environmental influences

Katherine Quinn (Dartmouth College, USA): Strain-specific redox balancing for Aspergillus fumigatus pathoadaptation and antifungal drug susceptibility

Harrison Estes (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA): An Aspergillus fumigatus homeobox transcription factor provides resistance to copper stress and alters lipid metabolism through oxylipin signaling

Yuya Hamanaka (The University of Tokyo, Japan): Mutants escaping from growth inhibition between colonies of the same strain in filamentous fungi

10:00 – 10:30

Refreshments and posters

10:30 – 11:15

Oral presentation session II

Chair: Jun-ichi Maruyama (The University of Tokyo, Japan)

Paul Dyer (University of Nottingham, UK): The dynamic idiomorph – a new role in heterokaryon incompatibility and diversification of mating-type regions

Ofer Prinz Setter (University of California, USA): AI-driven optimization of growth factor manufacturing from waste by Aspergillus oryzae

Clara Valero (The University of Manchester, UK): Role of pyrimidines transport in the adaptation to the novel antifungal olorofim in Aspergillus fumigatus

Uxue Perez Cuesta (University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA): The Aspergillus fumigatus growth determinant Afu6g07200 is the first granulin described in fungi

11:15 – 12:00

Tools and Resources

Chair: Amelia Barber (Friedrich Schiller University, Germany)

Grant Nickles (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA): Aspergillus fumigatus Af293/CEA10 community sequencing initiative

Scott Caine (The Pennsylvania State University, USA): BRC Analytics

Omar Harb (FungiDB): FungiDB

12:00 – 12:30

Community discussion and elections

Chair: Mike Bromley (University of Manchester, UK)

12:30 – 13:30

Lunch

Crocker Dining Hall

13:30 – 14:15

Oral presentation session IV

Chair: Kap-Hoon Han

Isha Gautam (Michigan State University, USA): Molecular architecture and dynamic remodeling of fungal cell walls revealed by Advanced Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy

Ken Miyazawa (National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan): FluG confers conidial heterogeneity in Aspergillus fumigatus

Farzana Ehetasum Hossain (Northern Illinois University, USA): Role of the osaA transcription factor gene in development, secondary metabolism and virulence in the mycotoxigenic fungus Aspergillus flavus

Kevin Fuller (University of Pittsburgh, USA): Tissue-dependent role for cell wall regulatory pathways on Aspergillus fumigatus virulence

14:15 – 14:45

Pontecorvo Lecture (sponsored by CropLife International)

Chair: Mike Bromley (University of Manchester, UK)

Gerhard Braus (Göttingen University, Germany): Tête-à-tête with Aspergillus

14:45 – 15:00

Election results and other discussion items

Chair: Mike Bromley (University of Manchester, UK)

Novonesis student poster prize presentation