Viruses 2020 - Novel Concepts in Virology
Viruses 2020 - Novel Concepts in Virology
Part of the Viruses series
viral replication, Viral Pathogenesis, Antiviral Innate Immunity
Viruses2020 has been a success!
We would like to thank our chairs, speakers, sponsors, and all the attendees for making this a great meeting.
As a summary of these three amazing days, we have prepared a collection of tweets and pictures.
See you at the next edition!
Welcome from the Chairs
Dear Colleagues,
It is with great pleasure that we announce the conference Viruses 2020 - Novel Concepts in Virology to be held in Barcelona, Spain, 5-7 February 2020.
Because of their global impact on human, animal, and plant health and their utility as tractable model systems, viruses continue to play a central role in all aspects of biomedical research, ranging from molecular and cell biology, structural biology, and immunology to evolution, epidemiology, and bioinformatics. This conference will bring together leading virologists from around the world and across the broad field of virology to share results of their recent studies. Meeting participants will have the opportunity to present posters and short talks on their work and discuss their research in a stimulating and collegial environment.
The conference is sponsored by MDPI, the publisher of the open-access journal Viruses and follows the very successful meetings Viruses 2016 - At the Forefront of Virus-Host Interactions held in January 2016 in Basel, Switzerland and Viruses 2018 - Breakthroughs in Viral Replication, held in February 2018 in Barcelona.
We very much look forward to seeing you at this exciting meeting in Barcelona.
Conference Secretariat
Conference Chairs
National Cancer Institute, NIH - Frederick, MD, USA
Website
Enteric Virus Laboratory, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain
Website
Conference Committee
University of Pittsburgh, USA
Montana State University, USA
York University, Canada
University of Pennsylvania, USA
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA
Keynote Speakers
Department of Microbiology Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
The Long Road To A Universal Influenza Virus Vaccine
Peter Palese’s research is in the area of RNA-containing viruses with a special emphasis on influenza viruses. He established the first genetic maps for influenza A, B, and C viruses and was a pioneer in the field of reverse genetics for negative strand RNA viruses. His research is currently focused on the development of a universal influenza virus vaccine. Palese is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Invited Speakers
Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
Honey Bee Viruses, Colony Health, and Antiviral Defense
Michelle Flenniken is an Assistant Professor in the Plant Sciences Department at Montana State University. She is a microbiologist investigating honey bee host–pathogen interactions and Co-Director of the Pollinator Health Center at MSU. Michelle received a B.S. in Biology from the University of Iowa, then was a Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana, before obtaining her Ph.D. in Microbiology from Montana State University. She did postdoctoral research at the University of California, San Francisco prior to becoming a faculty member at MSU. Dr. Flenniken serves as an Editor for Viruses and Apidologie, and reviewer for numerous journals and funding agencies. The Flenniken laboratory is supported by the National Science Foundation CAREER Program, the Montana Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant program, and the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation. Previous support includes grants from the United States Department Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (USDA-NIFA-
Cell Structure Lab, Department of Macromolecular Structures, National Center for Biotechnology, Madrid, Spain
Imaging virus factories
Dr. Cristina Risco is the head of the Cell Structure Lab at the National Center for Biotechnology in Madrid, Spain. She obtained her PhD in biology from the Complutense University of Madrid, conducted postdoctoral research at the National Cancer Institute (USA) and worked as a visiting scientist at the MPI (Germany), the Université P. et M. Curie and the I. Jacques Monod (France). Dr. Risco’s research makes use of current developments in imaging technology to study virus-host interactions.
Department of Microbiology, Perlman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
OAS-RNase L: an antiviral and pro-apoptotic pathway
Susan Weiss obtained her PhD in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Harvard University and did postdoctoral training in retroviruses at Univ of California, San Francisco. She is Professor of Microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her long-term research interest is in coronavirus pathogenesis, with current focus on virus antagonism of the host innate immune response. Additional recent interests include Zika virus-host interactions and pathogenic effects of host endogenous dsRNA.
Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
The immune system of bacteria - CRISPR and beyond
Rotem Sorek is a Professor of microbial genomics and systems biology at the Department of Molecular Genetics, the Weizmann Institute of Science. He studies the interactions between bacteria and the viruses that infect them (phages). The Sorek team discovered that phages can use small-molecule communication in order to coordinate their infection dynamics – representing the first discovery of small molecule communication between viruses. His studies also focus on deciphering the molecular mechanisms providing bacteria with protection against phages, collectively known as the "immune system" of bacteria. Specifically, Sorek discovered key mechanisms in the functionality of the CRISPR-Cas system, which is the adaptive immunity system of microbes, as well as reported a large number of new anti-phage defense systems that are widespread in microbial genomes.
W. Harry Feinstone Dept Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
Alphavirus encephalomyelitis: determinants of outcome
Diane E. Griffin MD, PhD is University Distinguished Service Professor and former Chair of the W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Vice President of the US National Academy of Sciences. She has a BA from Augustana College and MD and PhD from Stanford University. Her research addresses virus virulence and the role of the immune response in pathogenesis of alphavirus and measles virus infections.
Center for RNA Biology, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
Epitranscriptomic Regulation of Flaviviridae Infection
Dr. Stacy Horner is an Assistant Professor at Duke University School of Medicine in the Departments of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology and Medicine. She also serves as the Co-director for the Duke Center for RNA Biology. Dr. Horner received her BA in Biochemistry and Chemistry from Gustavus Adolphus College. She received her Ph.D. in 2007 from Yale University, where she studied human papillomaviruses under the mentorship of Dr. Daniel DiMaio. Her postdoctoral research, sponsored by Irvington Institute Fellowship Program of the Cancer Research Institute, was with Dr. Michael Gale at the University of Washington, and focused on hepatitis C virus regulation of antiviral innate immunity. Dr. Horner joined the faculty at Duke University School of Medicine in 2013. Research in her laboratory is defining the virus-host interactions that control the outcome of infection to hepatitis C virus and other viruses in the Flaviviridae family. She and her team are identifying the molecular mechanisms of how these viruses activate and evade host.
Collusion between temperate phages and their hosts
Diane E. Griffin MD, PhD is University Distinguished Service Professor and former Chair of the W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Vice President of the US National Academy of Sciences. She has a BA from Augustana College and MD and PhD from Stanford University. Her research addresses virus virulence and the role of the immune response in pathogenesis of alphavirus and measles virus infections.
Regulation of RNA Virus Processes by Viral Genome Structure
The White lab studies plus-strand RNA plant viruses in the family Tombusviridae with the aim of understanding gene regulation strategies and mechanisms of genome replication. More specifically, we strive to determine how RNA sequences and structures within these genomes modulate different viral processes. Our ultimate objective is to comprehensively decipher the complex functional RNA networks involved and build dynamic and multi-dimensional models for RNA-based virus regulation.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC , USA
Cell Entry by Naked and Quasi-Enveloped Hepatovirus
Dr. Lemon is Professor of Medicine and Microbiology & Immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his A.B. degree from Princeton University and M.D. from the University of Rochester, followed by postgraduate training in internal medicine and infectious diseases at Chapel Hill. His research interests focus on the molecular virology and pathogenesis of hepatotropic RNA viruses and, in particular, mechanisms by which classically ‘nonenveloped’ viruses such as that responsible for hepatitis A are released from infected cells without cell lysis.
Good and bad neighbourhoods in viral sequence space: predicting, altering, targeting virus populations
Institute of Diagnostic Virology (IVD), Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
Lethal encephalitis of unknown origin - elucidation by metagenomics
Martin Beer was born in Erlangen and graduated in veterinary medicine in 1992 in Munich. In 1995, he received his PhD from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich studying the T-cell immunity against bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). In 2000, Martin Beer moved to the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI) as head of the reference laboratory for bovine herpesvirus type 1 infections and continued his work on BVDV and other pestiviruses. Since 2004, he is head of the Institute of Diagnostic Virology at the FLI, working with transboundary animal diseases, zoonosis and emerging diseases like avian influenza virus, Schmallenberg virus or bornaviruses. A main research focus is modern diagnostic systems including next-generation sequencing technologies.
Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
Development of Structure-Based Interventions for Viral Pathogens
Jason earned a BS in chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Afterward, he obtained his PhD from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland in the laboratory of Dr. Daniel Leahy. He then carried out postdoctoral research at the National Institutes of Health's Vaccine Research Center in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Kwong and in collaboration with Dr. Barney Graham. In the Fall of 2013, he joined the faculty at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth in the Department of Biochemistry, and in January 2018 he moved his laboratory to the University of Texas at Austin and became a member of the Department of Molecular Biosciences. His lab is interested in elucidating the molecular mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions and leveraging the resulting information for the development of vaccines and immunotherapies.
Hepatitis A virus replication stimulates the expression of genes coding for proteins involved in the syndecan-ALIX- mediated exosome biogenesis
Rosa M Pintó was born in Solsona and graduated in Biology in 1985 in Barcelona. In 1990, she received her PhD from the University of Barcelona studying a viral erythrocytic infection of sea bass. Then she moved to the NERC Institute of Virology in Oxford (UK) for a post-doc training in the recombinant baculovirus system. Since 1992, she is working with human enteric viruses, and currently her research is mainly focused in the study of the biology of hepatitis A virus and in the application of this research in the biotechnology field.
Conference Schedule
The detailed conference program of Viruses 2020 - Novel Concepts in Virology is available below. Moreover, you can download the online version of the Conference Proceedings Book inluding all abstracts, and the complete list of posters for both sessions at the following links (last update 4 February 2020):
Viruses 2020 Conference Proceedings Book
Poster Session A (Thursday 6 February 2020)
List of posters 1-73
Poster Session B (Friday 7 February 2020)
List of posters 74-147
General Schedule
Wednesday 5 February 2020: 09:00 - 13:00 / 14:00 - 18:30
Thursday 6 February 2020: 09:00 - 13:00 / 14:00 - 19:00 /Conference Dinner: 20:30
Friday 7 February 2020: 09:00 – 12:30 / 13:30 - 18:00
Detailed Program
Day 1: Wednesday 5 February 2020
08:00–09:00 Check-In
09:00–09:15 Opening Ceremony (Eric Freed and Albert Bosch)
Session 1. General Topics in Virology (Part 1)
Chair: Shan-Lu Liu
09:15–10:00 Peter Palese (Keynote Opening Lecture): The Long Road to a Universal Influenza Virus Vaccine
10:00–10:30 Jason McLellan (Viruses Young Investigator Award Winner 2019): Structure of the RSV Polymerase Complex Reveals a Tentacular Arrangement of the Viral Phosphoprotein
10:30–10:45 Ariane C. Gomes: HCMV gB-MF59 vaccine primes the immune system of seronegative individuals to mount greater immunological responses upon challenge with virus at the time of solid organ transplant
10:45–11:00 Ritu Gaur: Insights into the activity of second-generation maturation inhibitors against HIV clade C
11:00–11:30 Coffee Break
Session 1. General Topics in Virology (Part 2)
Chair: Peter Nagy
11:30–12:00 Graham Hatfull (Invited Speaker): Mycobacteriophages: Diversity, dynamics, and therapy
12:00–12:15 Cristina Howard-Varona: Unveiling infection strategies across diverse marine phage-host systems
12:15–12:30 Hugo Oliveira: Bacteriophage depolymerases: evolutionary insights and antivirulence strategies against bacterial pathogens
12:30–12:45 Tae-Jin Choi: Bacteriophage biocontrol of Acidovorax citrulli, the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch
12:45–13:00 Victor Latorre: Valosin-containing protein (VCP/p97) is a potential antiviral target against Mononegavirales
13:00–14:00 Lunch
Session 1. General Topics in Virology (Part 3)
Chair: Anna Cliffe
14:00–14:30 Michelle Flenniken (Invited Speaker): Honey Bee Viruses, Colony Health, and Antiviral Defense
14:30–14:45 Ioly Kotta-Loizou: A mycovirus mediates the virulence of an insect-killing fungus against the malaria mosquito vector
14:45–15:00 Lotty Birnberg: Small RNAs virome characterization reveals arthropod-associated viruses in Anopheles atroparvus from the Ebro Delta, Spain
15:00–15:15 Maria Vittoria Salvati: The persistent infection of tick cells by Hazara orthonairovirus is mediated by virus-derived DNA forms
15:15–15:30 Candace Fox: Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Enhance Cell Killing and Block Interferon-Beta Synthesis Elicited by Infection with an Oncolytic Parainfluenza Virus
15:30–16:00 Coffee Break
Session 2. Structural Virology Session
Chair: Polly Roy
16:00–16:30 Cristina Risco (Invited Speaker): Imaging Viral Factories
16:30–17:00 K. Andrew White (Invited Speaker): Regulation of RNA Virus Processes by Viral Genome Structure
17:00–17:15 Reidun Twarock: Viral genome conformations and contacts across different life-cycle stages
17:15–17:30 Jamil Saad: Structural basis for Env incorporation into HIV-1 particles
17:30–17:45 Ekaterina Heldwein: Structural basis for capsid recruitment and coat formation during HSV-1 nuclear egress
17:45–18:00 James Munro: Conformational dynamics related to membrane fusion observed in single Ebola GP molecules
18:00–18:45 Selected Posters Flash Presentations
Chair: Jamil Saad
- Alex Compton: The intrinsic link between metabolic and antiviral states of the cell (Poster No. 130)
- Ornela Chase: Deciphering the RNA Silencing Suppressor Function in the Potyvirus SPV2 (Poster No. 52)
- Matthias Götte: Independent Inhibition of the Polymerase and Deubiquitinase activities of the Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Full-Length L-protein (Poster No. 82)
- Jiri Hejnar: CRISPR/Cas9 Editing of Viral Receptors and Biotechnological Approach to Host Resistance (Poster No. 51)
- Shan-Lu Liu: Restriction of HIV by TIM and SERINC and Counteraction by Nef (Poster No. 14)
- Antonio Mas: Usutu Virus NS5: Characterization of Polymerase Activity, Protein-Protein Interaction and Cellular Localization (Poster No. 138)
- Craig McCormick: KSHV activates unfolded protein response sensors but suppresses downstream transcriptional responses to support lytic replication (Poster No. 12)
- Delphine Muriaux: Specific lipid recruitment by the retroviral Gag protein upon HIV-1 assembly: from model membranes to infected cells (Poster No. 121)
- Jack Stapleton: Yellow Fever Virus Vaccine Reduces T Cell Receptor Signaling and the Levels of Phosphatase PTPRE In Vivo (Poster No. 143)
Day 2: Thursday 6 February 2020
Session 3. Antiviral Innate Immunity (Part 1)
Chair: Gregory Melikian
09:00–09:30 Susan Weiss (Invited Speaker): Activation and antagonism of the OAS-RNase L pathway
09:30–09:45 Saguna Verma: Modeling of Zika virus infection and antiviral immunity in 2D and 3D in vitro systems of human testis
09:45–10:00 Linda Brunotte: Human IFN-alpha; subtypes display non-redundant antiviral activities against H3N2 influenza A virus in the human lung
10:00–10:15 Carlos Maluquer de Motes: Poxin/vSchlafen: a novel viral strategy to subvert cytosolic DNA sensing
10:15–10:30 Gregory Melikyan: Mechanism of inhibition of viral fusion by interferon-induced transmembrane proteins
10:30–11:00 Coffee Break
10:30 – 10:35 Conference Group Photograph
Session 3. Antiviral Innate Immunity (Part 2)
Chair: Susan Weiss
11:00–11:30 Stacy Horner (Invited Speaker): A role for the RNA modification m6A at the virus-host interface
11:30–11:45 Idoia Busnadiego: Non-canonical interferon-stimulated pathways in antiviral defense
11:45–12:00 Matthew Murray: Type I interferon activity promotes a cellular environment that supports the establishment of latency by human cytomegalovirus
12:00–12:15 Daniel Blanco-Melo: An inability to maintain the ribonucleoprotein genomic structure results in host detection of negative strand RNA viruses
12:15–12:30 Dong-Yan Jin: Interferon antagonism of Epstein-Barr virus tegument proteins
12:30–12:45 Kevin Groen: Induction of the type-I IFN response by Human Metanpneumovirus lacking SH, G or M2.2 expression
12:45–13:00 Daniela Ribeiro: Peroxisomes as platforms for cytomegalovirus’ evasion from the cellular antiviral signalling
13:00–15:00 Lunch
13:30–15:00 Poster Session A
Session 4. Viral Pathogenesis (Part 1)
Chair: Craig McCormick
15:00–15:30 Rotem Sorek (Invited Speaker): Beyond CRISPR: The immune system of bacteria
15:30–15:45 Sylvie Alonso: Relative contribution of non-structural protein 1 in dengue pathogenesis
15:45–16:00 Autumn LaPointe: Noncapped genomic RNA are critical for Alphaviral infection and pathogenicity
16:00–16:15 Ifeanyi Ezeonwumelu: SAMHD1 is a modulator of nucleos(t)ide analogue efficacy
16:15–16:30 Jonathan Kinder: Examining human metapneumovirus infection and spread in a human airway epithelial model
16:30–17:00 Coffee Break
Session 4. Viral Pathogenesis (Part 2)
Chair: Ioly Kotta-Loizou
17:00–17:30 Martin Beer (Invited Speaker): Lethal encephalitis of unknown origin - elucidation by metagenomics
17:30–17:45 Luca Zaeck: High-resolution 3D imaging of virus infections in solvent-cleared organs; novel insights into virus replication and tropism in vivo
17:45–18:00 Saveez Saffarian: Dynamics in HIV Gag lattice detected by time-lapse iPALM
18:00–18:15 Diego Sebastian Ferrero: From structure to mechanisms of Zika virus induced neurodevelopmental disease
18:15–18:30 Brett Lindenbach: A sensitive Yellow Fever Virus entry reporter identifies valosin-containing protein (VCP/p97) as an essential host factor for Flavivirus uncoating
18:30–18:45 Lingyan Wang: Analysis of Programmed Cell Death Induced by HCV Infection
18:45–19:00 Anna Cliffe: Reactivation of Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) from Latency in Response to Neuronal Hyperexcitability
20:30 Conference Dinner
Day 3: Friday 7 February 2020
Special Session. New Coronavirus Outbreak
Chairs: Eric Freed and Albert Bosch
09:00–09:10 Susan Weiss: Human Coronaviruses as Emerging Pathogens
09:10–09:20 Christine Prat: Latest Virus Outbreaks: nCov2019 and Zika Virus, Preparedness is the Key. Lessons Learnt from the Perspective of the "European Virus Archive Global (EVAG)" EU Funded Research Infrastructure
09:20–09:30 Q&A/Discussion Round
Session 5. Mechanisms of Virus Replication (Part 1)
Chair: Jack Stapleton
09:30–10:00 Rosa Pintó (Invited Speaker): Hepatitis A virus replication stimulates the expression of genes coding for proteins involved in the syndecan-ALIX- mediated exosome biogenesis
10:00–10:15 Selena Sagan: A moonlighting microRNA: mechanism(s) of miR-122-mediated viral RNA accumulation
10:15–10:30 Alexander Rouvinski: Functional and structural characterization of novel insect restricted Negev viruses and their interaction with the host cells
10:30–11:00 Coffee Break
Session 5. Mechanisms of Virus Replication (Part 2)
Chair: Brett Lindenbach
11:00–11:30 Diane Griffin (Invited Speaker): Control of alphavirus replication in neurons
11:30–11:45 Oscar Burrone: Impact of capsid anchor length and sequential processing on the assembly and infectivity of Dengue virus
11:45–12:00 Thejaswi Nagaraju: 4D analyses show that replication compartments are clonal factories in which Epstein-Barr Viral DNA amplification is coordinated
12:00–12:15 Peter Nagy: Exploitation of host factors and cellular pathways by tombusviruses for the biogenesis of the viral replication organelles
12:15–12:30 John Patton: Rotaviruses as Neonatal Vaccine Expression Vectors against Other Enteric Pathogen
12:30–14:30 Lunch
13:00–14:30 Poster Session B
Session 6. Viral Genetics and Evolution (Part 1)
Chair: Alex Compton
14:30–15:00 Eric Freed (Invited Speaker): Mutations in the HIV-1 Envelope Glycoprotein Confer Broad, Multi-Class Drug Resistance
15:00-15:15 Miguel Muñoz-Alía: Defining Measles virus hemagglutinin antigenic drift by systematic B-cell epitope elimination
15:15-15:30 Nancy Beerens: Emergence and selection of a highly pathogenic avian influenza H7N3 virus
15:30–15:45 Matthew Evans: Deep mutational scanning to map how Zika envelope protein mutations affect viral growth and antibody escape
15:45–16:00 Ron Geller: Globally defining the effects of amino acid mutations across a picornavirus capsid
16:00–16:30 Coffee Break
Session 6. Viral Genetics and Evolution (Part 2)
Chair: Nathalie Arhel
16:30–17:00 Marco Vignuzzi (Invited Speaker): Good and bad neighbourhoods in viral sequence space: predicting, altering, targeting virus populations
17:00–17:15 Juan Vicente Bou: Coxsackieviruses undergo intercellular transmission as pools of sibling viral genomes associated to membranes
17:15–17:30 Joanna Kaczorowska: Revolution in evolution of human ”Anellome”
17:30–17:45 Pablo Martinez-Vicente: Divergent traits and ligand-binding features of the cytomegalovirus CD48 gene family
17:45–18:00 Closing Remarks and Awards Ceremony
Follow the conversation on Twitter with #Viruses2020
Instructions for Authors
The conference "Viruses 2020 – Novel Concepts in Virology" will accept abstracts only.
The accepted abstracts will be available online on Sciforum.net during and after the conference. Moreover, participants will have the opportunity to contribute with a full manuscript to the special issue "Novel Concepts in Virology" in the journal Viruses.
Please note that abstract submission and conference registration are two separate processes.
To register for the conference, please follow this link.
To present your research at the event
- Create an account on Sciforum if you do not have one, then click on ‘New Submission’ on the upper-right corner of the window, or by clicking on ‘Submit Abstract’ at the top of this webpage.
- Indicate what thematic area is best suited for your research.
- Submit an abstract in English - the word limits are: minimum 150 words and maximum 300 words.
- The deadline to submit your abstract is 28 October 2019. You will be notified by 2 December 2019 about the acceptance for poster presentation.
- Upon submission, you can select if you wish to also be considered for oral presentation. Following assessment by the Chairs, you will be notified by 2 December 2019 in a separate email whether your contribution has been accepted for oral presentation.
- Please note that, in order to finalize the scientific program in due time, at least one registration by any of the authors, denoted as Covering Author, is required to cover the presentation and publication of any accepted abstract. Covering Author registration deadline is 18 December 2019. Your abstract will be withdrawn if your registration is not complete by this date.
- Authors with multiple contributions: please note that one author registration will cover only ONE accepted contribution. Authors presenting more than 1 contribution during the event will be charged 50 euro per additional abstract (e.g., 1 author with 2 abstracts: registration fee + 50 euro; 2 authors with 3 abstracts: 2 registration fees + 50 euro; etc.).
Oral Presentations
Short talks will be 15 min long including questions (12+3 Q&A). The typical presentation should be up to 10–12-minute talk.
All presentations must be uploaded in advance. Please bring your presentation to the registration desk at least 30 min before the start of your session, or at the end of the previous day for the early morning sessions. A technician will be available to assist you. For talks scheduled during the morning of the first day (5 February 2020), we ask you to please send the presentation by email before the end of Monday 3 February, to avoid any delays.
Poster Information
Maximum poster size limited to A0: 84 x 120 cm / 33 x 47 in (width x height) in vertical orientation (portrait). Please print your poster prior to the conference.
Your poster will be displayed according to the poster number found in one of the lists available at the Conference Schedule section and it will be allocated to one of the two formal poster sessions listed below, during which you are required to stand at your poster:
- Session A (Thursday, 6 February): Posters 1 to 73 (both included). Posters should be set up during the morning and must be removed by 17:00. The posters remaining after this time will be removed and recycled.
- Session B (Friday, 7 February): Posters 74 to 147 (both included). Posters should be set up during the morning and must be removed by 16:30. The posters remaining after this time will be removed and recycled.
Ten posters has been selected by the Scientific Committee to be presented in a 3-min Flash Presentation during a special session on the first day of the conference (please check the list in the Detailed Conference Program). These posters will be also displayed during the Poster Sessions. The Best Poster Award will be selected and granted to one of these ten posters.
Publication Opportunities
- All accepted abstracts will be available online in Open Access form on Sciforum.net.
- Participants of this conference are welcomed to contribute with a full manuscript to our Special Issue "Novel Concepts in Virology" in the journal Viruses.
- The submission deadline for this special issue is 5 June 2020. Conference participants will be granted a 20% discount on the publication fees.
- Viruses is indexed by the Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science), MEDLINE (PubMed) and other databases, and has an Impact Factor of 3.811 (2018).
Registration
The registration fee includes attendance to all conference sessions, morning/afternoon coffee breaks and lunches, conference bag and program book.
Participation to the conference is considered final only once the registration fees have been paid. The number of participants is limited: once the number of paid registrations reaches the maximum number of participants, unpaid registrations will be cancelled.
Please note that, in order to finalize the scientific program in due time, at least one registration by any of the authors, denoted as Covering Author, is required to cover the presentation and publication of any accepted abstract. Covering Author registration deadline is 18 December 2019. Your abstract will be withdrawn if your registration is not complete by this date.
Authors with multiple contributions: Please note that one author registration will cover only ONE accepted contribution. Authors presenting more than 1 contribution during the event will be charged 50 euro per additional abstract (e.g., 1 author with 2 abstracts: registration fee + 50 euro; 2 authors with 3 abstracts: 2 registration fees + 50 euro; etc.)
Certificate of Attendance: Upon request, the participants of the event will receive an electronic Certificate of Attendance by email once the event is concluded.
Conference Dinner: A Gala Dinner will be served on Thursday, 6th February. Please note that the conference fee does not include this social event. Therefore, if you plan to attend the dinner, please make sure you select this extra when registering to the conference (Price per person: €50).
*Members of partnering societies will receive a 20% discount on the registration fees. A list of the partnering societies can be found here.
|
Early Bird Until 5th December 2019 |
Regular Until 23rd January 2020 |
Late From 24th January 2020 |
Supported documents | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic | 600.00 EUR | 700.00 EUR | 800.00 EUR | |
| Student | 400.00 EUR | 400.00 EUR | 500.00 EUR |
Scanned copy or photograph of your current student ID is required |
| Editorial Board Members of Viruses | 350.00 EUR | 450.00 EUR | 550.00 EUR | |
| Non Academic | 900.00 EUR | 1000.00 EUR | 1100.00 EUR |
| Start date - End date | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Conference Dinner | ...-29th January 2020 | 50.00 EUR |
Free Registration Options
| Invited Speakers |
Cancellation policy
Cancellation of paid registrations is possible under the terms listed below:
| > 2 months before the conference | Full refund but 60 EUR are retained for administration |
| > 1 month before the conference | Refund 50% of the applying fees |
| > 2 weeks before the conference | Refund 25% of the applying fees |
| < 2 weeks before the conference | No refund |
Visa Support Letters
- Applicants must have paid for registration and submitted an abstract in order to get a letter of support.
- Applicants must provide us with a scan of their valid in date passport that contains a photo of them.
- Applicants must provide us with an academic CV, two references from their institution (contact information including institutional email and phone) and a letter of support from their institution to confirm that they support the delegate attending the meeting.
- This must be carried in good time before the meeting, “last minute” requests will not be processed.
Disclaimer
We will endeavour to present the program advertised. However, MDPI and its partners reserve the right to alter or cancel, without prior notice, arrangements, timetables, plans, or other items relating directly or indirectly to the Viruses 2020 - Novels Concepts in Virology. MDPI and its partners are not liable for any loss or inconvenience caused as a result of such cancellation. Tours run by third parties may be subject to cancellation or alteration.
Insurance
The organizers do not accept liability for personal accident, loss, or damage to private property incurred as a result of participation in the Viruses 2020 - Novels Concepts in Virology. Delegates are advised to arrange appropriate insurance to cover travel, cancellation costs, medical, and theft or damage of belongings.
Photographs and/or video will be taken during the conference
By taking part in this event you grant the organisers full rights to use the images resulting from the photography/video filming, and any reproductions/adaptations of the images for fundraising, publicity or other purposes. This might include (but not limited to), the right to use them in their printed and online publicity, social media, press releases, etc.
Payment methods
Wire transfer, Credit card
Event Awards
The Sponsors, Microorganisms and Pathogens, offers two awards to our participants at the conference. The nominations will be assessed by the Organizing Committee.
The Awards
Number of Awards Available: 1
500CHFNumber of Awards Available: 1
300CHFVenue, Travel and Accommodation
VENUE
BARCELONA
Barcelona is the capital and largest city of Catalonia and is Spain's second largest city, with a population of over one and half million people.
Located on the northeastern Mediterranean coast of Spain, this city has a rich and diverse history, with its roots dating back to Roman times. The fruitful medieval period established Barcelona's position as the economic and political centre of the Western Mediterranean. The city's Gothic Quarter bears witness to the splendour enjoyed by the city from the 13th to the 15th centuries.
The 20th century ushered in widespread urban renewal throughout Barcelona city, culminating in its landmark Eixample district, which showcases some of Barcelona's most distinctive Catalan art-nouveau, or modernista, buildings. The Catalan Antoni Gaudí, one of the most eminent architects, designed buildings such as La Pedrera, the Casa Batlló and the Sagrada Família church, which have become world-famous landmarks.
In 1992, Barcelona gained international recognition by hosting the Olympic games which brought about a massive upturn in its tourism industry. For visitors, this has translated into the very modern, yet incredibly old city you see now in the 21st century, where new elements work to both preserve and celebrate both the city’s heritage and origins.
Barcelona is plenty of outdoor markets, restaurants, shops, museums, and churches. The city is also very walkable, with an extensive and reliable Metro system for more far-flung destinations.
For a complete overview, see wikitravel.org or visit barcelonaturisme.com.
THE AXA CONVENTION CENTRE
The AXA Convention Centre is located in a vibrant modern zone of the city, next to the main road and with easy access from the airport, as well as the urban and suburban areas.
It is part of the "L'Illa Diagonal", a modern complex which include a shopping centre, two 4-stars hotels, several offices, a sports centre, a public park and a parking with 2500 places.
Address: Avinguda Diagonal, 547, 08029 Barcelona (https://www.google.es/maps/AuditoriAxa)
TRAVEL
BY PLANE:
The international airport of Barcelona is called Barcelona-El Prat and is located 10 km far from the city centre. The airport is well connected to airport hubs in Europe and several locations around the world. For more information about the airport and flights, please visit the official website https://www.aena.es.
Once you get to the airport, you have several options to reach the city centre and/or the conference venue.
To the city centre:
- By shuttle bus: AEROBUS (http://www.aerobusbcn.com). This bus connects Barcelona Airport (Terminal 1 and Terminal 2) with the city center (Pl. Catalunya) in 35 minutes. It runs every day of the year with departures every 5 minutes and cost 5,90 €.
- By train: TRAIN R2 NORD (https://rodalies.gencat.cat). This train connects the Terminal 2 of the airport with the city center (Barcelona-Passeig de Gràcia). It runs every day of the year with departures every 30 minutes and cost 2,20 €.
- By taxi: taxis just outside the arrival area. The taxi from the airport to the city center (Plaza Catalunya) costs approximately 26 € during working days and 30 € during holidays, weekends and nights. Public taxis can apply four types of fares in Barcelona. These fares must be visible inside the taxi, and are usually printed on a sticker over the window. Finally, the amount payable must be indicated on the taximeter.
To the conference venue:
- By metro: LINE L9 (https://www.tmb.cat). This metro line connects Barcelona Airport (Terminal 1 and Terminal 2) with the north-west of the city (Zona Universitària). From here you can take TRAM T1, T2, T3 (get off at L'Illa stop) or bus 7, 67 (get off at Diagonal - Entença stop) (https://www.tmb.cat). The metro from the airport costs 4,50 € and the tram or bus 2,20 €. You can buy the bus/tram ticket at the tram stop or on the bus.
- By taxi: taxis just outside the arrival area. The taxi from the airport to the conference venue costs approximately 23 € during working days and 26€ during holidays, weekends and nights.
BY TRAIN:
Barcelona Sants station is Barcelona's largest train station and provides rail services both in and around Barcelona and for the whole of Spain and beyond. For more information about the station and train service, please visit the official website https://www.renfe.com.
Once you get to the station, you have the following options to reach the conference venue:
- By bus: LINES V7 or 78 (https://www.tmb.cat)
- By taxi: taxis just outside the station. The taxi from the station to the conference venue costs about 8 €.
ACCOMMODATION
We want your stay in Barcelona during the conference to be as good as possible. With that in mind, we have agreed a discounted price with several hotels to make your accommodation choice easier:
- Arenas Atiram: The Arenas Atiram Hotel offers a highly personalized service together with very friendly, elegant facilities, only 1 km away from the conference venue.
- Oriente Atiram and Meson Castilla Atiram: Located in Las Ramblas, have a fantastic central location, next to Plaza Catalunya and the famous Boqueria market, 30 minutes away (by metro) from the conference venue.
- Tres Torres Atiram: Located in the center of one of the best residential neighborhoods of Barcelona, next to the distinguished commercial and leisure districts Diagonal Avenue, 2 km away from the conference venue.
Please add the discount code ‘VIRUSES20’ while making your reservation in any of the Atiram hotels.
- Hostal Aslyp 114: The Hostal Aslyp114 is a cosy hotel with private rooms, located just 10 minutes away from the conference venue. Please add the discount code ‘BCN114’ while making your reservation.
To ensure availability, we encourage you to book your accommodation as soon as possible.
Beware of Unauthorized Registration and Hotel Solicitations
Note that Sciforum is the only official registration platform to register to Viruses2020, and that we are not associated with any hotel agency (other than the listed above). While other hotel resellers and travel agencies may contact you with offers for your trip, they are not endorsed by or affiliated with Viruses2020 or Sciforum. Beware that entering into financial agreements with non-endorsed companies can have costly consequences.
VISA INFORMATION
Visa Support Letters
- Applicants must have paid for registration and submitted an abstract in order to get a letter of support.
- Applicants must provide us with a scan of their valid in date passport that contains a photo of them.
- Applicants must provide us with an academic CV, two references from their institution (contact information including institutional email and phone) and a letter of support from their institution to confirm that they support the delegate attending the meeting.
- This must be carried in good time before the meeting, “last minute” requests will not be processed.
Visa Requirements
Citizens of the EU and the EFTA
Citizens of EU and EFTA countries must present valid personal identification, an ID card or a passport. No visa is required.
Regardless of their citizenship, family members of EU and EFTA citizens must present a valid passport and they must have a specific residence permit from a Schengen country (no visa required). Otherwise, a visa must be obtained.
For more information, see http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/en/ServiciosAlCiudadano/InformacionParaExtranjeros/Paginas/Inicio.aspx.
EU Countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.
EFTA Countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland.
Schengen Countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
Citizens of the USA and Canada
No visa is required for stays of up to 90 days. However, a passport valid for at least 3 months beyond your date of departure is required (6 months recommended). Spanish government regulations may require a return or on-going ticket or proof of funds.
Other Countries
A valid passport is required and in some cases a visa must be obtained prior to entering Spain. For more information, check this link. Or find your nearest Spanish embassy or consulate here.
Travel Insurance
Subscription to an insurance plan to protect you from the high costs of illness or accident during your stay in Spain is a prerequisite for obtaining your visa. You should obtain adequate travel, health and accident insurance before you depart from your country. The organizers are not responsible for personal injuries, or loss of, or damage to, private property belonging to the congress participants.
Conference Dinner
Thursday 6th February, 20:30
50€ per person
We invite you to join us at the Conference Dinner at La Camarga, a cutting-edge restaurant specialized in Mediterranean cuisine with deep gastronomic roots that inspires dishes full of contemporary flavours and textures.
This will be at an additional cost of 50€ and will need to be added to your booking when you register. Please note that the number of seats is limited: once the number of paid registrations reaches the maximum number of participants, unpaid registrations will be cancelled.
La Camarga is located at Carrer d'Aribau, 117, only a few minutes away from Passeig de Gràcia, one of the major avenues in Barcelona and one of its most important shopping and business areas, containing several of the city's most celebrated pieces of architecture (such as La Pedrera or Casa Batlló). You can easily reach the restaurant either by taxi, bus or Metro. If you were to choose the second option, the closest metro stations are "Hospital Clinic" on Line 5 (blue), "Diagonal" on Line 3 (green).
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