BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Drupal iCal API//EN X-WR-CALNAME:Events items teaser X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Toronto BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Toronto X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Toronto BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZNAME:EDT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZNAME:EDT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZNAME:EDT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZNAME:EDT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 DTSTART:20230312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZNAME:EST TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:STANDARD TZNAME:EST TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:STANDARD TZNAME:EST TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 DTSTART:20231105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:STANDARD TZNAME:EST TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 DTSTART:20221106T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a2a8cf406f34 DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260707T133000 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:TRANSPARENT DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260707T143000 URL:https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-centre-microbial-research/events/wcmr-res earch-talk-prof-david-stuart-university-alberta SUMMARY:WCMR Research Talk: Prof. David Stuart\, University of Alberta CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:Tuesday July 7\, 2026\n\n1:30 pm\n\nDC 1302\n\n\"ENGINEERING MI CROBIAL CELLS FOR APPLICATION AS LIVE CELL\nTHERAPEUTICS\"\n\nThe ominous rise in the frequency of antibiotic resistant microbial\ninfections poses a global threat to human health. This threat comes in\nthe direct form of disease related to infection of humans but also\nindirectly in the form of challenges to food security through loss of\nagricultural crops and anima ls to disease. The development of\nantibiotic drugs in previous decades w as transformational\, providing\ncheap\, effective treatment for what woul d otherwise would be a lethal\ninfection. As microbial strains resistant t o our front-line antibiotic\ndrugs have emerged\, there is an urgent need  to develop new\ntherapeutic strategies and tools. Synthetic biology a nd metabolic\nengineering can be applied to generate \"weaponized\" live c ell\ntherapeutics providing new means to combat the rapidly evolving threa t\nof microbial pathogens. In this presentation\, I will highlight\nprogre ss from my laboratory in engineering probiotic microbial cells\nthat have been endowed with functionalities derived from\nbacteriophages and synthet ic nanobodies allowing them to inhibit\nmicrobial toxins\, kill microbial pathogens and deliver therapeutic\nmolecules. The potential benefits of en gineered probiotics are\nhighlighted along with the challenges that must s till be met before\nthese intriguing new therapeutic tools can be widely d eployed. DTSTAMP:20260611T102452Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a2a8cf40e78a DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260615 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:TRANSPARENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260618 URL:https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-centre-microbial-research/events/synbio80 -june-15-17-2026 LOCATION:E7 - Engineering 7 200 University Ave West Waterloo ON N2L 3G1 Can ada SUMMARY:SynBio8.0 - June 15-17\, 2026 CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:WCMR will host SynBio8.0 June 15-17\, 2026 in the Pearl Sulliv an\nEngineering Building (E7)\n\nTo register\, learn more about accommodat ions and find out how to\nsubmit your research paper\, please visit SynBi o8.0\n[https://www.synbiocanada.org/synbio8].\n\nPlease let us know\n[http s://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-centre-microbial-research/form/volunteer-for-syn bio8-0]\nif you are interested in volunteering at the event.  X-MICROSOFT-CDO-ALLDAYEVENT:TRUE DTSTAMP:20260611T102452Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a2a8cf4131da DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251204T110000 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:TRANSPARENT DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251204T120000 URL:https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-centre-microbial-research/events/wcmr-tal k-evelien-adriaenssens LOCATION:DC - William G. Davis Computer Research Centre 200 University Aven ue West Waterloo ON N2L 3G1 Canada SUMMARY:WCMR Talk: Evelien Adriaenssens CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:Join us for a WCMR special seminar given by guest speaker Evel ien\nAdriaenssens on \n\nThursday\, December 4 at\n\n11:00 am\n\nDC 1304\n \nPlease register\n[https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-centre-microbial-researc h/form/register-for-evelien-adriaenssen]so\nwe can contact you as details are solidified.\n\nDr. Adriaenssens will talk about her work on investigat ing the virome\nin early life and on bacteriophages associated with import ant\ncommensal organisms. DTSTAMP:20260611T102452Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a2a8cf4141c6 DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260707T130000 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:TRANSPARENT DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260707T170000 URL:https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-centre-microbial-research/events/2nd-annu al-wcmr-research-symposium LOCATION:DC - William G. Davis Computer Research Centre 200 University Aven ue West Waterloo ON N2L 3G1 Canada SUMMARY:2nd Annual WCMR Research Symposium CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:The 2026 WCMR Research Symposium event will take place on July 7.   DTSTAMP:20260611T102452Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a2a8cf4151ac DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250313T130000 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:TRANSPARENT DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250313T143000 URL:https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-centre-microbial-research/events/how-shou ld-we-use-ai-antibiotic-discovery LOCATION:DC - William G. Davis Computer Research Centre 200 University Aven ue West Room 1302 Waterloo ON N2L 3G1 Canada SUMMARY:How should we use AI for antibiotic discovery? CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:WCMR invites Jon Stokes\, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry a nd\nBiomedical Sciences at McMaster University\, to talk about the use of\ nAI in antibiotic discovery.\n\nJoin us in DC 1302 on Thursday\, March 13 at 1 p.m. DTSTAMP:20260611T102452Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a2a8cf4161bd DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241022T150000 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:TRANSPARENT DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241022T163000 URL:https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-centre-microbial-research/events/2024-gai rdner-national-lecture-dr-christian-landry LOCATION:EV3 - Environment 3 Room 4412 200 University Avenue West Waterloo ON N2L 3G1 Canada SUMMARY:2024 Gairdner National Lecture: Dr. Christian Landry CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:The 2024 Gairdner National Lecture with Dr. Christian Landry: T owards\na Complete Understanding of Drug Resistance in Pathogenic Fungi DTSTAMP:20260611T102452Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a2a8cf4172e5 DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240628T120000 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:TRANSPARENT DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240628T130000 URL:https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-centre-microbial-research/events/wcmr-spr ingsummer-2024-open-house LOCATION:DC - William G. Davis Computer Research Centre 200 University Aven ue West Room DC 1301 Waterloo ON N2L 3G1 Canada SUMMARY:WCMR Spring/Summer 2024 Open House CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:Event page for S2024 WCMR Open House DTSTAMP:20260611T102452Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a2a8cf41818c DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240423T130000 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:TRANSPARENT DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240423T143000 URL:https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-centre-microbial-research/events/wcmr-mon thly-meetup-2 LOCATION:Universtity of Waterloo 200 University Avenue West B1-266 Waterloo ON N2L 3G1 Canada SUMMARY:WCMR Monthly Meetup CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:> SHIRLEY WONG\, POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW PRESENTS:\n> \n> TO WARDS VALORIZATION OF FOOD WASTE TO BIOPLASTIC IN _PSEUDOMONAS\n>  ALLOPUTIDA_ \n> \n> ABSTRACT: \n> \n> Annually\, over a billion  tonnes of food is wasted\, where it largely\n> ends up in lan dfills and massively contributes to the emission of\n> greenhouse  gases. To improve global sustainability\, this low-value\n> carbo n resource can instead be converted into high-value bio-based\n>  products. Microbial valorization of food waste has been validated\ n> for many applications\, from biofuels to bioplastic polymers l ike\n> polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). Much effort has gone into pro cessing\n> heterogenous food waste towards such applications\, such  as anaerobic\n> digestion to produce short-chain fatty acids (sc FAs)\, a group of\n> industrially-relevant fatty acids that can b e used as building\n> blocks for other bioproducts. _Pseudomonas  alloputida_ is a highly\n> promising PHA producer but its ability  to metabolize scFAs is\n> limited.\n> \n> To improve the capaci ty of PH production on scFAs and\, therefore\,\n> enable its upc ycling of food waste into high-value bioplastic\, we\n> are using  functional metagenomics to mine exogenous carbon\n> utilization p athways from the environment. Environmental microbial\n> communities  represent rich\, untapped reservoirs of novel genes and\n> metab olic pathways. Here\, we present community analyses of compost\n>  and soil microbiomes enriched for utilization of short (C2-C5)\n > versus medium chain fatty acids (C8 and C9) under conditions\n > conducive to PHA accumulation. We are furthermore constructing\n > metagenomic libraries from the enriched cultures using the\n> b road-host-range cosmid pJC8\, with an average insert size of 33  kb.\n> The metagenomic libraries will enable us to functionally s creen for\,\n> identify\, and isolate exogenous metabolic pathways  that could\n> support scFA-PHA conversion by _P. alloputida_. Ad ditionally\, we\n> further characterize the ability of engineered  _P. alloputida_ to\n> use VFAs in bioplastic production\, demonstr ating its use in food\n> waste valorization. DTSTAMP:20260611T102452Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a2a8cf419260 DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240326T130000 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:TRANSPARENT DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240326T143000 URL:https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-centre-microbial-research/events/wcmr-mon thly-meetup-1 LOCATION:AL - Arts Lecture Hall 200 University Avenue West AL-113 Waterloo ON N2L 3G1 Canada SUMMARY:WCMR Monthly Meetup CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:> METATRANSCRIPTOMICS IDENTIFIES PATHOGENS AND HOST RESPO NSES\n> ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE SINUSITIS IN CHILDREN\n> \n> ABSTRAC T: Acute sinusitis (AS) is a frequent cause of antibiotic\n> pre scriptions in children. Distinguishing bacterial AS from common\n>  viral upper respiratory infections is crucial to prevent unneces sary\n> antibiotic use. We performed RNA-seq of nasopharyngeal sam ples from\n> 221 children with AS to better understand the etiol ogy of AS and the\n> impact of bacterial and viral infections o n host immune responses.\n> Metatranscriptomics detected three AS-a ssociated bacterial pathogens\n> with 87%/81% sensitivity/specificity  (sens/spec) compared to\n> culture\, and 12 respiratory viruses  with 86%/92% sens/spec compared\n> to qRT-PCR. Metatranscriptomics  also detected 22 additional\n> pathogens not tested for in the c linical panel\, and facilitated\n> assembly of 205 viral genomes  including new strains of\n> coronaviruses\, respiratory syncytial v irus\, and enterovirus D68.\n> Lastly\, metatranscriptomic analysis  identified distinct host immune\n> responses in individuals with  bacterial versus viral infections. Our\n> study demonstrates the  power of metatranscriptomics for\n> comprehensive analysis of AS  etiology\, and reveals host responses\n> that could enable new  diagnostic approaches. DTSTAMP:20260611T102452Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a2a8cf41a16b DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20231024T130000 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:TRANSPARENT DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20231024T150000 URL:https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-centre-microbial-research/events/monthly- microbiology-meetup LOCATION:HH - J.G. Hagey Hall of the Humanities 200 University Avenue West Room HH 2107 Waterloo ON N2L 3G1 Canada SUMMARY:Monthly Microbiology Meetup CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:In the first monthly microbiology meetup\, WCMR presents \"Anci ent\nClostridium DNA and variants of tetanus neurotoxins associated with\n human archaeological remains\" by Harold Hodgins from the Doxey lab.\n\nTU ESDAY OCTOBER 24\, 2023\n\n1-3 P.M. IN HH 2107\n\nOpen to all faculty\, st udents and postdocs who are interested. DTSTAMP:20260611T102452Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR