Welcome from the Conference Committee

On behalf of the organising committee, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 14^th Molecular Biology of Bacterial Pathogens conference in Hahndorf, South Australia.

The BacPath conferences are the premiere biannual molecular bacteriology meeting held in Australia and each iteration of the meeting has gain increased international acclaim for its focus on the full spectrum of Australian molecular microbiology research, spanning from fundamental studies to translational applications. This will be one of the largest BacPath meetings yet, with more 170 registrants from across the country. We have invited an array of prestigious international Keynote speakers including; Tim Mitchell (The University of Birmingham, UK), Shelley Payne (University of Texas, USA) and William Shafer (Emory University School of Medicine, USA). We are also delighted to host Ruth Hall (University of Sydney) as our Keynote Australian speaker. Importantly, the meeting also includes more than 40 short oral presentations and 80 posters highlighting the international quality of Australian research from molecular bacteriologists of all disciplines and career stages.

As the conference unfolds over the next four days you will see a diverse range of topics discussed, including plasmid biology, bacterial genomics, host-pathogen interactions, pathogenic mechanisms, bacterial gene regulation, virulence factors, bacterial cell-surface and adhesion molecules, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, bacterial membrane proteins, vaccines and drug development. Please take every opportunity to immerse yourself in the high-quality science on offer; talk with the speakers and, importantly ask questions. BacPath meetings are well known for the open and collegial social interactions as well as the high quality of the science presented in the talks and poster sessions. On behalf of the entire organising team, I encourage you to use this meeting and the social program to catch up with friends and colleagues and to establish new collaborations. However, most importantly I hope that you have a fun and memorable four days in the Adelaide Hills.

Christopher McDevitt

BacPath 14 Organising Committee

Co-Convenors

Associate Professor Christopher McDevitt (University of Adelaide)

Professor Melissa Brown (Flinders University)

Associate Professor Renato Morona (University of Adelaide)

Committee Members

Associate Professor Geraint Rogers (South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute)

Professor Darren Trott (University of Adelaide)

Dr Rietie Venter (University of South Australia)

Early Career Researcher Committee Members

Dr Stephanie Begg (University of Adelaide)

Dr Bart Eijkelkamp (University of Adelaide)

Dr Alistair Standish (University of Adelaide)