Cystic Fibrosis, Part I: Ecology, Evolution, and Eradication

Andrea Hahn — ALHahn@childrensnational.org

Robert Quinn — quinnrob@msu.edu

The development and application of culture-independent approaches (i.e. high throughput sequencing of bacterial and viral community DNA) has generated a profound shift in our understanding of chronic respiratory infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. We now recognize the importance of polymicrobial interactions, environmental conditions and evolutionary adaptations in the progression of CF disease. Yet, a lack of ecological perspective has limited the translation of bench research into effective therapeutic strategies. For example, how do you describe the response of a bacterial community to an environmental condition, without direct measurements of these conditions in vivo? Recently, applications of integrated omics approaches (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomic profiling) have shed light on the ecological dynamics of CF bacterial communities, though many outstanding questions remain. This will be the 6th bi-annual meeting of the TSRC CF workshop, which began in 2009 with the goal of building theoretical models of CF lung physiology to identify ecological and evolutionary instabilities. We will explore ecological and evolutionary approaches to modeling the CF lung environment and the microbiota that resides there, with the ultimate goal of devising more effective clinical therapies. In addition to a review of the last few TSRC CF meetings, talks from both basic scientists and clinicians will emphasize new tools and hypotheses about the CF bacterial ecosystem and its relation to disease progression. One-hour talks have been known to last an entire afternoon due to intensive probing from the audience. Come prepared to give chalk talks and/or show slides and plots about your work, anything that you feel is important!

We wish to ensure an intimate workshop setting, with no more than 20 to 25 participants. If you are interested in attending but have not received an invitation, please contact the workshop organizer before registering.

Sessions typically run mornings and late afternoons, leaving mid-day free for informal collaboration.

Travel to Telluride can be expensive; please assess your own potential travel costs before registering.

Please book your travel plans! The Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ) is the most reliable and convenient airport for Telluride.

Telluride Science can provide lodging starting as low as $215/night during off-peak weeks and as low as $250/night during peak-season at the Mountainside Inn. These affordable lodging options are limited and available first-come, first-serve. To encourage participants to secure affordable lodging, we offer a $100 discount on lodging provided through Telluride Science that is secured before the Early Bird deadline. Additionally, we work with many lodging providers in Telluride and Mountain Village to offer discounts between 10-15% off your total lodging balance. Additional information provided with registration.

If you have more questions about lodging, reach out to Sara at sara@telluridescience.org.

Registrations may be refunded less a $25 cancellation fee. If cancelled before the lodging cancellation deadline, lodging payments are refundable less a $100 cancellation fee. It is each participant's responsibility to confirm and understand their own lodging cancellation deadline. Travel insurance is highly recommended.