108th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology

Call for Abstracts - Division Descriptions and Subject Category Lists

You must enter a category into the appropriate field on the Web-Site Submission Form. The selection of this category will be used to direct your abstract to the appropriate group of reviewers. Therefore, please ensure that you give the most appropriate selection from the Subject Category Listings in the pages below.

Div. Group I - (C, F, L, U, Y)

Div. Group II - (A, B, D, E, G, V, Z)

Div. Group III - (I, N, O, P, Q, R, W)

Div. Group IV - (H, J, K, M, S, T, X, AA)

Divisional Group I:
Diagnostic Microbiology and Epidemiology

Abstracts submitted in these subject categories are due no later than January 7, 2008.

Clinical Microbiology (Division C)
Division Description - Involved with methods for detection, isolation, identification, characterization, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of clinically significant microbial pathogens or their products of diagnostic significance, e.g., toxins, antigens, nucleic acids. Also involved with diagnosis-oriented investigations of these microorganisms.

C01 Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Methods - Gram-Positive Molecular
C02 Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Methods - Gram-Positive Non-Molecular
C03 Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Methods - Gram-Negative Molecular
C04 Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Methods - Gram-Negative Non-Molecular
C05 Diagnostic Bacteriology Identification- Gram-Positive Molecular
C06 Diagnostic Bacteriology Identification- Gram-Positive Non-Molecular
C07 Diagnostic Bacteriology Identification- Gram-Negative Molecular
C08 Diagnostic Bacteriology Identification- Gram-Negative Non-Molecular
C09 Diagnostic Mycobacteriology - All Methods and Susceptibility
C10 Diagnostic Mycology - All Methods and Susceptibility
C11 Diagnostic Parasitology - All Methods and Susceptibility
C12 Diagnostic Virology - Molecular Methods
C13 Diagnostic Virology - Non-molecular Methods and Susceptibility
C14 Molecular Typing, Epidemiology and Surveillance - Gram-Negative
C15 Molecular Typing, Epidemiology and Surveillance - Gram-Positive
C16 Molecular Typing, Epidemiology and Surveillance – Other
C17 Laboratory Management and Quality Assurance
C18 Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Pathogens and Methods
C19 Specimen Collection, Transportation and Processing
C20 Unusual Organisms and Case Studies

Medical Mycology (Division F)
Division Description - Encompasses the biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, morphogenesis, pathogenesis, immunology, epidemiology, laboratory identification, in situ detection, and taxonomy of fungi, especially those known to cause disease in man and other animals, and the therapy of those diseases.

F01 Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Genetics
F02 Genomics and Proteomics
F03 Morphogenesis and Cellular Biology
F04 Fungal Pathogenesis, Virulence, and Animal Models
F05 Host Response and Molecular Immunology
F06 Clinical Mycology - Diagnosis, Treatment, Trials, Epidemiology

Healthcare Epidemiology (Division L)
Division Description - Division L encompasses the microbiology and epidemiology and clinical features (including pathogenesis, diagnosis, control and treatment) of healthcare-related and other hospital and institutionally related infections and all levels of basic through applied research and clinical trials of interventions to reduce the occurrence or provide prompt diagnosis and effective treatment of such infections.

L01 Nosocomial Infections
L02 Multiply-Resistant Infections
L03 Epidemiologic Typing of Nosocomial Infections
L04 Clinical Epidemiology

Mycobacteriology (Division U)
Division Description - Composed of members involved with mycobacteria and its diseases, on a research, diagnostic, public health, or teaching basis.

U01 Mycobacterial Detection and Drug Susceptibility Testing
U02 Mycobacterial Epidemiology
U03 Mycobacterial Genetics and Biochemistry
U04 Mycobacterial Virulence and Pathogenesis
U05 Mycobacterial Persistence and Latency
U06 Host Immunity and Vaccines
U07 Field Studies and Clinical Research

Public Health (Division Y)
Division Description - Serves members with a primary interest in public health practice and infectious diseases. Involves the contributions of microbiology to surveillance, epidemic investigations and other public health activities.

Y01 Bioterrorism Preparedness
Y02 Outbreak Investigation: Lab & Epi Response
Y03 Molecular Epidemiology
Y04 Public Health Aspects of STI, HIV, TB and OI
Y05 Public Health Aspects of Diseases Transmitted from Animals to Humans
Y06 Emerging Infectious Diseases

Divisional Group II:
Pathogenesis and Host Response Mechanisms

Abstracts submitted in these subject categories are due no later than January 8, 2008.

Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (Division A)
Division Description - Concerned with the discovery, mode of action, development and use of antimicrobial agents, and the mechanisms by which infective agents develop resistance to these compounds.

A01 Antimicrobial Susceptibility
A02 Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Action
A03 Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Resistance
A04 Experimental Therapeutics
A05 Pharmacology and Clinical Therapeutics
A06 Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance
A07 Methods for the Identification of Novel Therapeutics

Microbial Pathogenesis (Division B)
Division Description - Concerned with understanding (i) the genetic, biochemical, and structural basis of the pathogenesis of bacterial and protozoan diseases (including toxins, colonization, invasion, immunity avoidance, and other virulence mechanisms) and (ii) host factors in the infectious process.

B01 Microbial Adherence
B02 Microbial Interactions with Host Cells
B03 Toxins
B04 Regulation of Virulence Determinants of Pathogenic Microorganisms
B05 Genetic Basis of Virulence of Pathogenic Bacteria
B06 Genetic Organization of Pathogens
B07 Physiology and Metabolism of Pathogenic Microorganisms
B08 Microbial Interactions with Phagocytes
B09 Secreted Proteins of Pathogenic Microorganisms
B10 Microbes and Innate Immunity
B11 Pathogenic Mechanisms of Eukaryotic Microbes

Bacteria of Medical Importance (Division D)
Division Description - Division D is concerned with studies of medically-important bacteria, including the genetics and physiology of pathogens, interactions with the host, and mechanisms that cause disease.

D01 Animal Models and Vaccine Approaches for Pathogenic Bacteria
D02 Immune Responses to Pathogenic Bacteria
D03 Genomic and Proteomic Approaches to Study Bacterial Virulence
D04 Sexually Transmitted Bacterial Pathogens
D05 Oral and Upper Respiratory Bacterial Pathogens
D06 Intracellular Bacterial Pathogens
D07 Streptococci, Enterococci and Staphylococci
D08 Haemophilus, Moraxella and Branhamella
D09 Helicobacter and Campylobacter
D10 Pseudomonas and Burkholderia
D11 Yersinia
D12 Spirochetes and Vector-Borne Bacterial Diseases
D13 Enteric Bacterial Pathogens
D14 Cell Surface Structures of Pathogenic Bacteria
D15 Iron: Binding Uptake and Regulation

Immunology (Division E)
Division Description - Interested in immunity to bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses, cellular and molecular mechanisms of humoral and cellular immunity, phagocytic cells and constitutive host defenses, cytokines, immunomodulation by microbes, microbial products and other factors (e.g. stress, nutrition), adjuvants and vaccine development.

E01 Immunomodulation by Microbial Products
E02 Innate Immunity in Host Defense
E03 Immunity in the Treatment of Infection
E04 Cytokines, Chemokines, and Host Response to Infection
E05 Cellular Immunity to Microbes
E06 Antibodies, B Cells, and Microbial Immunity
E07 Vaccines against Microbial Pathogens
E08 Dendritic Cells and Immune Responses to Microbes
E09 Antimicrobial Peptides and Host Defense
E10 Adhesion Factors and Host Defense
E11 Mucosal Immunity and Host Defense
E12 Intracellular Pathogens and Macrophage Responses
E13 Sepsis, Inflammation, and Toll-like Receptors
E14 Microbial Mimics and Subversion of Immunity
E15 Immunity against Agents of Bioterrorism
E16 Immune Mechanisms in Co-Infections

Mycoplasmology (Division G)
Division Description - Encompasses the genetic, pathogenic, immunogenic, taxonomic, biochemical, and clinical aspects of the animal, human, plant and insect mycoplasmas (Mollicutes).

G01 Molecular and Cellular Biology of Mollicutes
G02 Pathogenesis and Immunology of Mollicutes
G03 Physiology and Phylogeny of Molicutes
G04 Epidemiology and Clinical Disease Associated with Mollicutes

Clinical and Diagnostic Immunology (Division V)
Division Description - (i) Promotes research toward understanding the processes involved in the host immune system and its responses; encourages development and application of antibody, antigen, and molecular-based diagnostic procedures to assess the integrity and functioning of components of the host immune system, and supports clinical approaches to immune-mediated diseases; (ii) promulgates information on antibody, antigen and molecular-based diagnostic procedures, including the significance, interpretation and limitations of these assays; and (iii) encourages standardization and quality control of procedures and reagents used in clinical and diagnostic immunology laboratories.

V01 Assessment of Immunoassays
V02 Cytokines and Microbial Infections
V03 Cytokines and Neoplastic Disease
V04 HIV, Hepatitis Viruses, Other Viral and Mycoplasma Infections
V05 Immunological and Molecular Diagnosis of Bacterial Infections
V06 Immunological and Molecular Diagnosis of Viral Infections
V07 Immunological and Molecular Diagnosis of Fungal or Parasitic Infections
V08 Serological Detection of Microbial Antigens
V09 Immunotherapy of Microbial and Neoplastic Disease
V10 Immunosuppression Due to Microbes, Tumors, or Cofactors

Animal Health Microbiology (Division Z)
Division Description - Forum for investigators whose interests encompass the diseases of animals (e.g. companion, food and exotic) and the control or treatment of those diseases using antimicrobial agents, vaccines, probiotics, etc. Current topics of interest include animal pathogen diagnostics, veterinary or zoonotic pathogen antimicrobial susceptibility testing, surveillance/ epidemiological studies, new technologies to reduce on-farm zoonotic pathogens, immunology and pathogenesis.

Z01 Detection and Characterization of Animal Pathogens (Terrestrial and Aquatic)
Z02 Pathogenic Mechanisms and Disease
Z03 Animal-Origin Microorganisms in the Environment
Z04 Animal-Origin Foodborne and other Zoonotic Pathogens
Z05 Host Immune Response to Disease (vaccines, cytokines, etc.)
Z06 Novel Therapeutics for Animal Health
Z07 Monitoring, Mechanisms, and Epidemiology of Antimicrobial Resistance
Z08 Diagnostic Veterinary Microbiology and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing
Z09 Commensal Bacteria in Healthy Animals

Divisional Group III:
General and Applied Microbiology

Abstracts submitted in these subject categories are due no later than January 9, 2008.

General Microbiology (Division I)
Division Description - Encompasses a diverse range of interests including the growth, development, behavior and ecology of the entire spectrum of microorganisms.

I01 Molecular and General Biology of Archaea
I02 Symbiosis
I03 Anaerobes
I04 Microbial Responses to Stress and Environmental Stimuli
I05 Microbial Development, Cell Division, Cell Cycle and Behavior
I06 Microbes from Diverse Environments
I07 General Microbiology
I08 Microbial Metabolism and Products
I09 Microbial Interactions
I10 Unusual Microorganisms
I11 Chemotaxis and Motility
I12 Techniques
I13 Biogeography of Microorganisms

Microbial Ecology (Division N)
Division Description - Encompasses the ecology of natural microbial assemblages and laboratory approaches that help us understand microorganisms in natural environments, such as water, soils and in higher organisms.

N01 Soil Microbiology - Agronomic
N02 Soil Microbiology - Other
N03 Subsurface Microbiology
N04 Freshwater Microbiology
N05 Marine Microbiology
N06 Extreme Environments
N07 Populations and Communities
N08 Microbe-Microbe Interactions
N09 Microbial Interactions with Plants or Animals
N10 Biogeochemistry
N11 Molecular Microbial Ecology - Communities
N12 Molecular Microbial Ecology - Organisms
N13 Ecological Genomics and Microbial Genomes

Fermentation and Biotechnology (Division O)
Division Description - Serves members with interests in the molecular biology, genetics, biosynthesis, and bioconversions of natural products including antibiotics, xenobiotics, and macromolecules produced by prokaryote and eukaryote microorganisms and animal cell cultures. Programming is directed toward modern molecular aspects of biotechnology and industrial microbiology.

O01 Antibiotics, Antimicrobials and Mycotoxins
O02 Animal and Cell Tissue Culture
O03 Genetics, Gene Expression and Protein Production
O04 Proteomics, Microarray Analysis and Genomics
O05 Emerging Technology and Instrumentation
O06 Fermentations and Bioconversions
O07 Biocatalysis, Biotransformations and Bioremediation
O08 Microbial Based Industry and Biorefiners

Food Microbiology (Division P)
Division Description - Concerned with fundamental and applied microbiology on food-associated organisms: their growth, identification, biosyntheses, control, interaction with hosts, genetics, toxin production, influence on food quality and safety, and application in food fermentations.

P01 Foodborne Pathogens
P02 Virulence Factors and Toxins
P03 Control Mechanisms
P04 Isolation and Detection
P05 General Food Microbiology

Environmental and General Applied Microbiology (Division Q)
Division Description - Serves microbiology from both applied and environmental fields, including the traditional fields (public health microbiology; disinfection; environmental virology; water and wastewater microbiology) and developing fields (biodegradation of xenobiotics; corrosion; microbial interactions with metals; biofouling; aerosolized microorganisms; environmental considerations for genetically engineered microorganisms; soil and subsurface microbiology).

Q01 Aerosols and Air Quality
Q02 Biodegradation of Halogenated Compounds
Q03 Biodegradation of Heterocyclics and Aromatic Compounds
Q04 Biodegradation of Lignin and Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons
Q05 Biodegradation of Petroleum and Petroleum By-Products
Q06 Biodegradation: Methodology and Miscellaneous
Q07 Physiology and Genetics of Biodegradation
Q08 Biofilms, Biofouling, and Corrosion
Q09 Biotransformation of Metals and Bioremediation of Metal-Contaminated Soils
Q10 Microbiology of Wastes and Waste Treatment
Q11 Pathogens in Environmental Sources
Q12 Indicators of Fecal Pollution
Q13 Viruses in Water
Q14 Microorganisms in Marine Environments and Shellfish
Q15 Disinfection and Sterilization
Q16 Methods in Environmental Microbiology
Q17 General Environmental Microbiology

Evolutionary and Genomic Microbiology (Division R)
Division Description - A forum for the study of microbial diversity and systematics, and development of the laboratory, bioinformatic and conceptual tools required to characterize and understand the evolution of genes, genomes and organisms.

R01 Mechanisms of Microbial/Molecular Evolution
R02 Symbiosis: Parasites, Commensals and Mutualists
R03 Comparative and Evolutionary Genomics
R04 Bioinformatics and Databases
R05 Computational Genomics, Bioinformatics, and Databases
R06 Systematics, Taxonomy, and Culture Collections
R07 Novel Organisms

Microbiology Education (Division W)
Division Description - Provides a forum for members interested in microbiology education at all levels, including pre-college, college and university, and health professional curricula.

W01 Enhancing Learning in the Undergraduate Lecture
W02 Innovative Strategies for the Undergraduate Laboratories
W03 Using Inquiry to Foster Learning for Major and Non-Majors
W04 Microbiology for Pre-College Learning

Divisional Group IV:
Molecular Microbiology, Physiology, and Virology

Abstracts submitted in these subject categories are due no later than January 10, 2008.

Genetics and Molecular Biology (Division H)
Division Description - Encompasses genetic and molecular biological studies of the regulation and detailed mechanisms of transcription, translation, and replication in microbial systems.

H01 Transcription Control
H02 Gene Expression I: Responses to the Environment
H03 Gene Expression II: Regulatory Networks
H04 Post-Transcriptional Regulation, Translation and Ribosome Biogenesis
H05 Gene and Genome Structure
H06 DNA Repair, Recombination and Replication
H07 Plasmid Structure and Propagation
H08 DNA Transformation, Genetic Tools and Mutagenesis
H09 Transposable Elements
H10 Cell Division and Cell Cycle
H11 Protein Structure and Function

Cell and Structural Biology(Division J)
Division Description - Concerned with ultrastructural analyses of microbial cells and of communities of microbial cells adherent to surfaces using biochemical, genetic, and microscopical techniques which yield information concerning organization on the molecular, cellular, and community levels.

J01 Microbial Cell Walls, Membranes, and Surfaces
J02 Biofilm Structure and Function
J03 Intracellular Organization, Cell Growth, and Differentiation
J04 Analyses of Microbial Structures

Microbial Physiology and Metabolism (Division K)
Division Description - Encompasses the integration of biophysical, biochemical, molecular biological, genetic and other approaches to understanding structure/function relationships of diverse microorganisms. Microbial physiology includes the study of microbial metabolism, enzymology, cell envelopes, transport, responses to environmental fluctuations, growth, differentiation, and other related processes.

K01 Cell Walls and Cell Membranes: Structure and Function
K02 Bacterial Stress Responses
K03 Membrane Transporters
K04 Metabolism and Enzymology
K05 Cell-Cell Communication
K06 Genetic & Biochemical Regulation of Metabolic Pathways
K07 Ecology, Physiology, and Molecular Biology of Archaea
K08 Functional Genomics

Bacteriophage (Division M)
Division Description - Composed of researchers dedicated to the study of bacterial viruses. Current topics of interest are: assembly and structure, genome structure, initiation of infection, regulation of transcription and translation, replication, recombination, repair, viral-host interactions, new phage systems and molecular cloning technology.

M01 Phage-Host Interactions and Pathogenesis
M02 Vectors and Biotechnology
M03 Ecology, Evolution and Genomics
M04 Replication, Repair, Recombination, and Transposition
M05 Transcription and RNA Processing
M06 Translation and Protein Processing
M07 Structure and Morphogenesis
M08 Phage in the Environment
M09 Phage Therapy and Phage-Derived Therapeutics

DNA Viruses (Division S)
Division Description - Concerned with basic and applied microbiology of animal viruses with DNA genomes.

S01 DNA Virus Structure and Replication
S02 DNA Virus-Host Interactions
S03 DNA Virus Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Treatment

RNA Viruses (Division T)
Division Description - Represents all ASM members interested in the structure replication, pathogenesis, and epidemiology of RNA-containing viruses of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

T01 Pathogenesis and Animal Models
T02 Vaccines and Antivirals
T03 Virus Replication and Host Cell Interactions
T04 Virus Evolution and Adaptation to New Hosts

Molecular, Cellular, and General Biology of Eukaryotes (Division X)
Division Description - Encompasses researchers dedicated to the study of nucleated cells of both microbial and higher organisms. Current topics of interest include molecular mechanisms of basic cellular processes, structure and function of subcellular oganelles, and evolutionary biology and ecology of eukaryotic microbes.

X01 Molecular Biology of Eukaryotic Microorganisms
X02 Genetics of Eukaryotic Microorganisms
X03 Cell Biology of Eukaryotic Microorganisms
X04 Physiology of Eukaryotic Microorganisms
X05 General Biology of Eukaryotic Microorganisms

Free-Living, Symbiotic, and Parasitic Protists (Division AA)
Division Description - Division AA's purpose is to bring together those with interests in all aspects (e.g., behavior, biochemistry, cell biology, chemotherapy, cultivation, ecology, evolution, genetics, life cycle, molecular biology, morphogenetics, natural history, pathogenesis, parasitology, phylogenetics, physiology, systematics, taxonomy, and ultrastructure) of eukaryotic microbes that include those known as the "single-celled, unicellular or acellular organisms," protozoans, the lower algae, and the lower fungi.

AA01 Drugs – Susceptibility/Resistance; Drug Discovery
AA02 Epidemiology
AA03 Genetics and Biochemistry
AA04 Cell Biology of Pathogens and Host-Pathogen Interactions
AA05 Immunity
AA06 Antigens and Vaccines
AA07 Virulence and Pathogenesis
AA08 Bioinformatic and Systems Analyses
AA09 Vector and Environmental Interactions