Day 2 :
Keynote Forum
Dr. Behnam Khatabi
University of Maryland Eastern Shore, USA
Keynote: Study of impact of phyobiome on plant health and future biocontrol trends
Time : 09:45-10:30
Biography:
Behnam Khatabi is an Assistant Professor of plant-microbe interactions at the University Of Maryland Eastern Shore, Maryland, USA. He obtained his Ph.D. in Biology from the University Of Giessen, Germany in 2009 investigating the molecular mechanism of host compatibility during root fungal endophyte. Dr. Khatabi’s research program provides novel insights into host adaptation to environmental stresses induced by plant microbial communities (phytobiome). Dr. Khatabi incorporates a variety of molecular, cellular and genetic approaches, coupled to high-throughput sequencing to characterize genes and proteins regulating plant defense response to plant pathogens and beneficial microorganisms.
Abstract:
In response to the critical need for environmentally sustainable agriculture, alternatives to reduce chemical products are being sought actively. Several pioneering researches have been carried out to improve plant health using microbial-derived products. It is now clearly established that plant-associated microbial communities, phyto-microbiome, perform complex interactions with their host and carry out various plant beneficial activities including suppression of plant pathogens, promotion of plant growth and adaptive advantage to plants. In addition, beneficial microbes have profound effects on seed germination, seedling vigor, nutrition, plant health, and development of the innate immune system. It is noteworthy that the composition of phyto-microbiome is host-specific and related to its health status. Therefore, analysis of plant microbiome data provides advance understanding of its role in plant health and enhanced disease resistance by biological control of plant pathogens. Understanding the structural and functional responses of microbial communities goes far beyond characterizing their diversity. Multi-omics technologies allow much deeper insights into the function, structure, dynamics and significance of plant-associated microbial communities in both natural and manmade environments. This in turn will allow us to explore functional signaling molecules active within natural habitats, and thus better understand symbiotic relationships. We see a sustainable future for agriculture through restoring or retaining the health of the plants and those bio-based solutions including probiotics, synbiotics and biocontrol agents which could support the pathogen-suppressing ability of the plants' native microbiome. Bioengineering of the phyto- microbiome enables scientists to affect plant health and presents a feasible strategy for future biocontrol trends in an eco-friendly way.
Keynote Forum
Dr. Hiroshi Ohno
RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Japan
Keynote: Impact of gut microbiota on autoimmune diseases
Time : 10:50-11:35
Biography:
Hiroshi Ohno has obtained M.D. from School of Medicine, Chiba University in 1983, and completed his PhD at the Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University in 1991. After postdoctoral studies at NIH, USA, he was appointed as a professor at the Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University in 1999, and fhas been a team leader at RIKEN since 2004. His research interest is host-gut microbiota interaction as well as intestinal immunology. He has published more than 150 original articles. He is now the president of the Japanese Society for Cell biology, and a board member of the Japanese Society for Immunology.
Abstract:
Along with the westernization of the lifestyle, prevalence rate has been rapidly increasing for some
diseases, including autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). This is considered to be attributable to environmental factors. A major environmental factor is gut microbiota. Recent progress in the gut microbiota research, mainly with metagenomic analysis, dysbiosis, such as the loss of diversity in gut microbiota, is associated with many of these diseases. By employing germ-free/gnotobiotic mice models with transferring fecal microbiota from disease patients and model mice, disease-associated dysbiosis could reproduce symptoms. On the other hand, healthy fecal microbiota transplantation can cure refractory Clostridium dificile infection. Thus, dysbiosis in gut microbiota is causative role in the pathogenesis of diseases.
MS is a demyelinating disease caused by autoimmunity toward myelin sheath. By using experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice, an animal model of MS, we have found that small intestinal microbiota is critically involved in its pathogenesis. It seems that two distinct bacteria, providing autoantigen mimicry and T-cell adjuvanticity, are responsible for EAE exacerbation.
We are also investigating the role of gut microbiota in T1D, an autoimmune disease destroying insulin-producing pancreatic ï¢-cells.. Employing streptozotocin-induced T1D mice model, we have found that Heligmosomoides polygyrus-derived trehalose ameliorates T1D and affects gut microbiota, which could result in the increase in Foxp3+CD8+Treg cells in the spleen. Treharose increases Ruminococcus species in the gut, implicating its involvement in suppressing T1D pathogenesis.
Keynote Forum
Ms. Mozhgan Sepehri
Shiraz University, Iran
Keynote: Plant stress tolerance by fungal endophytes; what have we learned from multifaceted plant endophytes interactions?
Time : 11:35-12:05
Biography:
Dr. Mozhgan Sepehri is an Assistant Professor of plant-microbe interactions at Shiraz University, Iran. Dr. Sepehri’s research program provides novel insights into host adaptation to environmental stresses induced by plant microbial communities. She incorporates biotechnological approaches such as proteomics and metabolomics to decipher the molecular mechanisms of induced abiotic stresses in plants by beneficial microorganisms. She seeks a fuller understanding of the phytobiome as a natural supply of bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms with the individual or collective capacity to promote plant health.
Abstract:
Abiotic stresses are the the most important challenges facing agriculture, due to preventing plants from realizing their full genetic potential for growth and reproduction. Hence, improving plant growth and productivity under stress conditions has gained high agricultural priority worldwide as the environmental stresses persistently limit choice of crops and agricultural production in many areas of the world. Over the past decades, advanced molecular techniques have been used to develope new crop varieties with enhanced stress tolerance. Benefits aside, molecular breeding as an effective trait in improvement of several crops comes with many potential drawbacks which significantly limit its potential outcomes. The application of some plant-associated microorganisms, including endophytic fungi opened up new possibilities for improving stress adaptation of the host plants growing under environmental stresses. In recent years, several studies have been carried out to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying endophytes-mediated stress tolerance in agriculturally important plants. In the postgenomic era, omics-based approaches including genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics have been widely used as powerful techniques in the field of abiotic stress tolerance in crops; since they allow rapid identification of specific genes, proteins and metabolites that contribute to better plant performance under stress conditions. Also, plant endogenous small RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNA (siRNAs) play an important role in regulating plant defense machinery against environmental stresses. New information about the role of miRNAs during plant-microbe interaction led to exploiting the novel miRNAs and their targeted genes to generate stress-tolerant crops in future.
Keynote Forum
Clara Desvignes
Voisin Consulting Life Sciences, France
Keynote: Microbiome health products: Drugs or foods? Pros and cons of each route, constraints and advantages
Biography:
As a senior regulatory scientist at VCLS, Clara is involved in the development of microbiome-related health products, both in the medical and food area. Clara earned an engineering degree majoring in Sciences and Technologies of human biology, nutrition and food, at AgroParisTech, France. She also studied specialized food products in the University of Milan, Italy, as part of her engineering’s degree. Prior to joining VCLS, and as part of her engineering degree, Clara worked for 6 months at RNI-Consulting (Angers, France), where she gained particular experience in the areas of for nutritionals and nutraceuticals.
Abstract:
Microbiome based health products may vary a lot in its nature and aims, from the dietary supplementation for maintenance of a healthy status to the curative medicinal formulation (drug). Foods and drugs developments individually present benefits and constraints that should be carefully considered:
- Whereas food claims must be individually approved by the competent Authority, there are no “pre-approved” drug claims which have to be individually assessed during the market access procedure. Foods claims may be easier to use than medicinal claims, however their extent is much more limited.
- The regulatory process for market access can be very simple for food products, where for drugs it is more complex, long and expensive.
- During development, for drugs, nonclinical and clinical data should mandatorily be provided to support the related dossier. Such data are not an absolute requirement in the development of a food product: the lack of clear requirements can make it difficult to satisfy the Authority’s expectations.
- Microbiome health products can benefit from specific competitive advantages in the form of market exclusivity and data protection periods. Such protections are not systematic but can present a real competitive advantage on the market.
- Post-market surveillance has to be implemented in both food and drug cases, although a full pharmacovigilance system with mandatory serious event reporting is much more burdensome in the case of drugs.
The development process for a drug can be much more burdensome, long and expensive than development for food; however it gives access to a wider range of applications, is the opportunity to tackle more specific health issues and provides access to a market with less competition. The more relevant status should be anticipated and carefully determined, to capitalize on this emerging field as an opportunity to stand out by harnessing the associated benefits and constraints rather than enduring them.
- Probiotics Microbiome in Drug Development-bugs as drugs | Commercialization of Probiotics in Market Development Perspectives | Bacterial physiology | Beneficial Soil Microbes | Beneficial Microbes in Food and Dairy Industry | Worldwide safety and regulatory issues
Location: Park Inn By Radisson Toronto Airport West, Canada
Chair
Yasuhiro Koga
Tokai University School of Mediciner, Japan
Co-Chair
Mozhgan Sepehri
Shiraz University, Iran
Session Introduction
Mohammed Wali Rahimi
SRL Diagnostics, Afghanistan
Title: Prevalence of symptomatic urinary tract infections and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in Kabul region of Afghanistan
Time : 12:05-12:35
Biography:
Abstract:
Abstract: This cross sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of UTI among population visiting Antani Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan to identify microorganisms responsible for UTI to explore susceptibility patterns of identified microorganisms to certain antibiotics used in the cure of UTI. This study included 650 samples of 20-80 years age groups that conducted in SRL Diagnostics of Afghanistan, Kabul city, Afghanistan. Midstream urine samples were collected from patients of both genders. All samples were cultured aerobically in Blood agar, MaCconkey agar and CLED medium. The identification of isolated bacteria were performed using manual biochemical tests. All uropathogenic isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The prevalence of UTIs were 15.8%. The frequency of UTIs was 11.7% in males and 17.6% in females. Out of total positive cultures, 25.5% (30/85) were Gram positive bacteria and 74.5(55/85) were Gram negative bacteria. Escherichia coli were the most predominant uro-pathogen with 42 (49.4%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae 16 (18.8%) and Proteus mirabilis 12(14.1%). Most lactose fermenter Gram-ve bacteria were sensitive to Cefepime and all Gram positive isolates were sensitive to Meropenem. In this study, it was concluded that there is marked variation in the prevalence of UTIs (between males and females) and antibiotics susceptibility patterns of uropathogens. Meropenem is appropriate antibiotics to treated UTIs causes by Gram positive bacteria. These data demonstrate that future studies should be focused on the causes of antibiotics resistance to solve this problem.
Dr. Ikram ul Haq,
Government College University Lahore
Title: Optimization of cultural conditions for the production of endoglucanase using lab scale fermenter
Time : 16:05-16:35
Biography:
Eminent scientist Prof. Dr. Ikram-ul-Haq who was honored as Professor Emeritus in 2015 and Distinguish National Professor in 2017 by Higher Education Commission, Pakistan engaged in pedagogy after completing post-doctoral study in Cornell University, New York, USA as a Fulbright Scholar. He established a well-equipped Institute of Industrial Biotechnology (IIB) in GCU Lahore where Ph.D, M.Phil and B.Sc students are working in the fields of Tissue culture, Enzymology, Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Fermentation, and Microbiology. In addition to publishing 332 research papers, cited by more than 2658 scientists, he has also filed one international and five national patents for industrially important enzymes. Recently developed products include Glucose oxidase enzyme and biodiesel produced from acid oil. He has successfully completed 15 projects, sponsored by various national research organizations such as PSF, PAEC, HEC, GCU & Ministry of Science and Technology and presently, heading one research projects sponsored by Pakistan academy of Science. He has supervised 25 Ph.D, 100 M.Phil, 105 M.Sc and 37 B.Sc students in their research dissertations
Abstract:
Endoglucanases are one of the most significant industrial enzymes and have diverse applications. Various endoglucanases are commonly produced by archaea, bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals that differ in their mode of action. Present study was aimed to optimize different cultural conditions i.e. incubation time, media, temperature, pH and inoculum size, for maximum endoglucanase production using recombinant E.coli strain by means of lab scale fermenter. Genetically modified E.coli contained gene for endoglucanase from Thermotoga petrophila. Maximum endoglucanase activity observed was 12.56 U/mg. Fermentation kinetics was also applied and specific yield product coefficient was revealed as 3.923781/U/ml/h. Best results were obtained after 24 hours of incubation time at a temperature of 37oC and pH 7.0 when 1% inoculum was added to ZYBM9 media)
Sipra Mohapatra
Ehime University, Japan
Title: Sex and sex steroids are eminent regulators of fish autophagy
Biography:
Sipra Mohapatra has completed her PhD from Central Institute of Fisheries Education (Mumbai, India) in 2010. She has done her postdoctoral studies from Southwest University (China), and Ehime University (Japan) and is at present working as an Assistant Professor at Ehime University, Japan. She has published 19 peer-reviewed articles and written 2 book chapters and is a reviewer in 4 reputed journals. She is the recipient of more than 5 awards and scholarships and has worked as lead/co-lead in over 10 projects.
Abstract:
Autophagy is a cellular process that delivers cytoplasmic material to the lysosome for recycling. It is stimulated above the basal or resting rate when nutrients are scarce, cells are under stress, or damaged organelles need to be degraded. High throughput transcriptional profiling suggested that autophagic involvement in early disease resistance and stress management differed between male and female fish. Since, sex steroid and their responsive receptors, especially estrogen and estrogen receptors (ERs), abundances are sexually dimorphic, we deduced that sex-biased autophagy may be regulated by ERs. To prove that, we used ERa and ERb2 knockout (KO) medaka and analyzed the alterations in the autophagic genes and protein expression in the liver and gonad. We found significantly increased mTOR expression in ERa-KO, but not in ERb2-KO female fish. This suggested differential involvement of ERs in autophagic regulation, which was further confirmed by ULK and Beclin transcription, and mitochondrial population. Interestingly, the LC3 (the last major autophagy factor) contents/cell and LC3 positive cells were increased significantly in ER-KO fish. In-depth analysis showed that LC3 nuclear-cytoplasmic transports were partially (ERb2-KO) or completely (ERa-KO) compromised due to SIRT/DOR protein regulation in the nucleus. We also found that autophagy is not only instrumental in germ cell degeneration but also important for oocyte and sperm formation/development in the ER-KO fish. Cumulatively our data highlights the sex-biased autophagy and ER association, stress-influenced apoptosis/autophagy cell fate decision, and the immense significance of autophagy in fish liver and gonad physiology.
Sivan Klas
ORT Braude College of Engineering, Israel
Title: Groundwater desalination brine: A new water source for aquaculture in arid areas
Biography:
Sivan Klas has completed his PhD in Environmental Engineering from the Technion IIT (2010) and postdoctoral studies in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto (2012). He has published more than 10 papers in reputed journals. He is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Biotechnology Engineering, ORT Braude College of Engineering and a Management Committee member in a European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action.
Abstract:
Construction of groundwater desalination plants in arid and semi-arid areas is increasing. Already in Israel, millions of cubic meters of brine are produced each year and more are expected shortly. This brine may be used as a new water source for aquaculture, and draws high interest by Israeli inland fish farmers, due to its low cost, constant temperature and pathogen-free characteristics, as well as the opportunity of growing marine species inland. The experience in using groundwater desalination brine for aquaculture is, however, very limited. In unpublished experience, scale formed on essential organs and led to fish mortality. In the current study, sea-bass survival in brine that was pretreated by aeration to reduce calcium concentrations ("softening") was investigated. Kinetics of the softening process were also studied to assess design criteria for commercial application. Results suggested that under very low water exchange rates, fish can survive even in untreated brine. Over 70% of calcium can be removed in the process, at a hydraulic retention time of several hours. CaCO3 was found to be the dominant precipitant, at up to 1.5kg m-3. The aeration rate was found to have a much stronger effect on kinetics, compared with seed concentration. It was concluded that fish rearing in desalination brine may be feasible and economic, although care must be taken about the exchange rate and biofiltration. A pilot system is planned to operate during 2019 near Kfar Massarik desalination plant in northern Israel.
Nandiyeh rouhi
Tarbiat Modares University, Iran
Title: Fish oil extraction and qualification form precooked and non-precooked longtail tuna heads by hot air
Biography:
Nadiyeh Rouhi doing her PhD at Tarbiyat Modares University. She also is fisheries expert at Chabahar Free zone organization and consulting fisheries investors. she is an active, intelligent and goal-oriented individual; she revealed diligence and accuracy along with satisfaction by her work. The aforementioned characteristics can be well manifested on the grade of their final thesis. In addition to academic and research abilities, she has excellent communication skills so she can easily work and cooperate with her coworkers. She has been independently conducting her main research in addition to collaboration with other research fellows on the other related projects.
Abstract:
In this study, fish oil was extracted from precooked and non-precooked longtail tuna (Thunnus tonggol) heads using hot air cooking at 80ËšC for 30min and extraction yield was measured. To determine fish oil quality, peroxide value (PV), thiobarbituric acid (TBA), free fatty acids FFA), conjugated dienes (CD), and fatty acid composition was measured in the treatments. The results showed the highest yield in non-precooked heads. Oils obtained from the non-precooked heads showed lower PV, TBA, FFA, and CD compared to the precooked heads. However, a higher amount of DHA polyunsaturated fatty acid (27.50%) was found in oils obtained from precooked heads in comparison with non-precooked heads (18.52%). Crude oil samples were obtained from both the precooked and non-precooked heads contained high levels of palmitic acid (C16:0), oleic acid (C18:1), DHA (C22:6), meristic acid (C14:0), palmitoleic acid (C16:1), stearic acid (C18:0), behenic acid (C22:0). In conclusion, oils obtained from the non-precooked samples had higher yields and better quality while the DHA was higher in the oils obtained from precooked samples.
Tapas Chakraborty
Ehime University, Japan
Title: Comparative transcriptomics and Edwardsiella detection in fish: A study using medaka and red sea bream
Biography:
Tapas Chakraborty has completed his PhD at the age of 28years from Central Institute of Fisheries Education (Mumbai, India) and National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB, Japan) in 2010. He has done his postdoctoral studies from NIBB and Ehime University (Japan) and is presently working as an Assistant Professor at Ehime University, Japan. He has published more than 22 papers in reputed journals, obtained 2 patents and has been serving as an editorial board member of repute in several esteemed journals. He has received more than 10 awards and scholarships and has worked as lead/co-lead in 10 projects.
Abstract:
Fish has been recognized as the most promising and sustainable source of future food security. However, disease outbreak and slow and improper diagnosis often hinder the profitable blue-crop. Interestingly, global diseases like Edwardsiella affects much commercially important fish. To find common remedial measures to curb Edwardsiella infection in fish, a general idea of how the infection affects an individual, especially during early stages is highly essential. Using several in vivo experiments, we have previously shown that Hepcidin1, a gene critically involved in the starvation associated disease management, is a critical biomarker for E. tarda infection in Pagrus major. Owing to E. tarda’s vast infection terrain and enormous host susceptibility, in the present investigation, we aimed to determine the early molecular pathogenesis of E. tarda in a model (medaka) and commercially important (Red sea bream) fish. To achieve our goal, we infected medaka and red sea bream with E. tarda (@109CFU/ml water) and performed comparative transcriptome analysis using 6 and 24hours post infected liver samples. We found that infection altered the complement system gene expression, vitellogenin production, translation initiation, energy metabolism, cell death, iron homeostasis, ion balance pathways. Further real-time PCR analysis confirmed that several genes especially Hepcidin1, Ubiquitin1 (Autophagy regulator), HSP70 (stress management), SDF2 (cell maintenance), SLC41a (Ion balance) and EIF3d (translation initiation) were altered in a time-dependent manner. Although more thorough investigations are pertinent, our present data suggest the possibility of a general E. tarda molecular pathophysiology in fish.