Society for Industrial Microbiology | Upcoming Meetings
RAFT VII
Tradewinds Island Grand Resort
November 4 - 7



Keynote Speaker
Expanding Fermentation Technology with Cell-free Metabolism
Guest Speaker: James R. Swartz, Professor of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University


Banquet Speaker
Guest Speaker: Douglas Cameron, Chief Science Officer, Khosla ventures, CA


Scientific Sessions

1. Advances in microbial hosts and expression systems for human therapeutic recombinant protein production
Chairs: Dr. James M. Cregg, Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences, & Dr. Tillman Gerngross, CSO, Glycofi/Merck
This session focuses on molecular biology and expression system advancement for full-length antibody expression and other large proteins in E. coli, yeast, Fungi and other microbial systems.

2. Physiology and metabolic engineering advancement for protein productivity and process robustness I
Chairs: Dr. Bruce Bishop, Pfizer Global Biologics, & Prof. Ka Yiu San, Rice University

* Prof. A. Villaverde, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, "Recombinant protein quality as modulated by protein and cell features"

This session includes physiology and metabolic studies that may enhance understanding of fermentation process and product quality

3. Fermentation Process and Product Improvement  Advancements in physiology and metabolic studies
Chairs: Trent Carrier, Invitrogen Biologics & Prof. Kristala Jones, MIT
Development of highly productive fermentation processes routinely involves optimization of the cultivation condition, both physical and chemical, for a given organism. Historically, selection of a designated process strain may have been the result of classical mutagenesis and/or traditional screening strategies under pre-determined culture conditions. Advances in molecular biology have resulted in a variety of tools for the analysis of microorganisms at a molecular level and the engineering of strains for improved productivity and/or a robust production processes. This session will focus on methods and methodologies for optimization of fermentation processes using physiology and metabolic design of organisms to achieve improved productivity and/or system robustness. Examples of both cellular analysis used for process optimization and cellular engineering leading to improvements in fermentation processes are sought. Possible areas of interest include, but are not limited to: targeted strain selection using molecular/cellular markers or tools, application of genomic and proteomic tools, identification and characterization of strains with improved phenotypes, use of physiology to improve fermentation process development, and correlation of fermentation-scale observations with molecular (genetic or phenotypic) signatures.

4. Poster session
Chair: Henry Lin, Amgen Inc

5. Quantitative fermentations - metabolic network analysis and metabolic flux balancing applied to antibiotic and protein production
Chairs: Dr. Pim Van Hoek, Amgen
This session discusses applications of metabolic network analysis and metabolic flux balancing applied to antibiotic and protein production.

6. Advances in Microbial Vaccine Process development and Production
Chair: Wayne Herber, Merck Inc
This session covers recent advances in microbial vaccine development and production technology.

7. Practices, challenges and trends in large-scale commodity fermentation and harvest
Chairs: Dr. Anton Woo, Cargill; Dr. Mark Eiteman, University of Georgia
This session aims to discuss large-scale commodity chemicals and nutraceutical production issues, new technology for large-scale and large-volume fermentation, lessons learned from unforeseen challenges, etc.

8. New Technology and Methods
Chair: Jayanth Sridhar, Merck Inc
This session explores advancement in process methods and technologies including disposable fermentors, disposable single-use-sensors and single-use-disposable downstream processing for closed systems.


SIM Meeting Link:
http://www.simhq.org/meetings/07_raft_prog.aspx