 Maritimes Protistology Conference - 2005
The Maritime Provinces of Eastern Canada harbour a broad and deep expertise on many aspects of the biology of protists, ranging from phylogeny and evolutionary genomics, through to oceanography, parasitology and soil ecology. On August 26-27, nearly 50 researchers representing half a dozen different institutions met at Dalhousie University for the first regional conference on protistology. Since several of the research groups in the region have started up within the last three years, the conference was the first opportunity for many of these groups to meet professionally and discuss common interests.
The full day-and-half of presentations covered the full range of regional expertise (see below for titles of talks and posters). About 2/3rds of the talks and posters were by graduate students, and were of excellent quality. Prizes for the best student presentations were awarded to Aaron Mills (Dalhousie University) and Tia Silver (Acadia University, currently Dalhousie University), with a special mention for Michael Charette (Dalhousie).
With an attendence considerably higher than predicted, it is clear that the protistology is a research strength in the region, sufficient to merit a specialist regional meeting every two years. Hope to see you all in the summer of 2007!
Special thanks are due to Sina Adl (Dalhousie University) for organising the conference almost single-handed. Thanks also to John Archibald for the photos.
Deep discussions at the poster session
Kyle Phipps (Dalhousie) explains nucleomorph diversity in cryptophytes
Bob Lee (Dalhousie) explains mitochondrial genome evolution to a clearly skeptical Andrew Irwin (Mount Alison)
Kyle and Todd Smith (Acadia University)
Best student presenters - Tia Silver, Michael Charette, and Aaron Mills - with Sina Adl and Alastair Simpson.
ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Soil food web dynamics and community structure: long-term effects of management on biodiversity. Sina Adl (1) and David Coleman (2). 1- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada; 2- Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens GA, USA.
Nucleus-encoded genes for plastid-targeted proteins in the green algae Prototheca wickerhamii and Polytomella parva reveal multiple metabolic roles for their non-photosynthetic plastids. Tudor Borza and Robert W. Lee. Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS Canada.
Molecular Quest for a Diagnostic Target for Neoparamoeba pemaquidensis. Charles Caraguel, Richard J. Cawthorn and Spencer J. Greenwood. AVC-Lobster Science Centre and Dept. of Pathology & Microbiology, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada.
Euglena gracilis U3 snoRNA Genes are Multi-Copy and Frequently Linked to U5 snRNA Genes. J. Michael Charette and Michael W. Gray. Evolutionary Biology Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
How many species in the red algal genus Meiodiscus are there: one, two, three, four or more? Susan L. Clayden and Gary W. Saunders. Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada.
Neoparamoeba pemaquidensis, causative agent of amoebic disease in finfish and invertebrates: transmission study and in vitro efficacy screening of amoebicidal compounds. Nathanaelle Donay and Richard J. Cawthorn. AVC-Lobster Science Centre and Dept. of Pathology & Microbiology, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada.
Climatically-driven macroevolutionary change in the size of marine planktonic diatoms. Zoe V. Finkel, Environmental Sciences Department, Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB Canada.
Predicting chlorophyll in the global ocean. An empirical data-driven model. Irwin, A. J. Dept of Mathematics & Computer Science, Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB, Canada.
Host nuclear genome survey of the cryptomonads Rhodomonas salina and Cryptomonas paramecium. Hameed Khan (1), Christopher E. Lane (1), Catherine Kozera (2), Bruce Curtis (2), Byron Parsons (2), Sharen Bowman (2) and John M. Archibald (1). 1 - Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada; 2 - The Atlantic Genome Centre, Institute for Marine Biosciences, Halifax, NS, Canada.
The phylogenetic position of enteromonads: a challenge for the present models of diplomonad evolution. Kolisko M., Cepicka I., Hampl V., Kulda J., Flegr J. Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Czech Republic.
New insights into nucleomorph genome evolution in cryptomonads. Christopher E. Lane, Melissa MacKinnon, Hameed Khan, Anna Fong, and John M. Archibald. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Interaction of fungi and other soil fauna in managed pasture ecosystem. A.R. Maharning and S.M. Adl. Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Links between protist diversity and plant diversity in grassland soils. Michel McElroy (1), Sina Adl (1) and Youssef Papadopoulos (2). 1- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada; 2- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Crops and Livestock Research Centre, Truro & Charlottetown, Canada.
Pasture management effects on soil biodiversity and agro-ecosystem productivity. Aaron Mills and Sina Adl. Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
The phylogenetic position of Andalucia - a novel clade of jakobids (Jakobida, Excavata). Thomas A. Perley, and Alastair G.B. Simpson. Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Nucleotide substitution rates decrease with gene expression level in Chlamydomonas. Cristina E. Popescu (1), Tudor Borza (1), Joseph P. Bielawski (1,2), and Robert W. Lee (1). 1- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. 2- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Capsaspora owczarzaki and the origin of multicellular animals. Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo and Andrew J. Roger. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS Canada.
Intracellular fate of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes internalised by macrophages. Tia Silver and Todd Smith. Department of Biology, Acadia Universtiy, Wolfville, NS, Canada.
The mysterious organelle of Blastocystis hominis. Alexandra Stechmann and Andrew Roger. Dalhousie University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Does nematode fungivory alter mycorrhization of Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)? Melanie Wilson and Sina Adl. Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Diversity and Phylogeny of Malawimonas Examined by Multi-protein Phylogenetics. Zahra Daftarian and Alastair G.B. Simpson. Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Differential phagocytosis of erythrocytes infected with clones of Plasmodium falciparum. Amy Ellis and Todd Smith. Department of Biology, Acadia Universtiy, Wolfville, NS, Canada.
Pollution tolerances and biology of marsh Foraminifera. Jen Frail (1), David Scott (1) and Sina Adl (2). 1- Centre for Environmental and Marine Geology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; 2- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Hierarchical likelihood-ratio tests for congruence in multiple-gene phylogenies. Jessica Leigh, Edward Susko and Andrew J. Roger. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Mitochondrial genome diversity in the Polytomella genus. Martin Mallet and Robert W. Lee. Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
Bioindicators of soil quality in organic and conventional potato fields in the Maritimes. Nesbitt, J.E. (1) and Adl, M.S. (2) . 1- School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada; 2- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Nucleomorph genome diversity in Cryptophyte algae: a preliminary investigation of the genus Cryptomonas. Kyle Phipps, Christopher E. Lane and John Archibald. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Conformation and partial sequence analysis of the Chlamydomonas culleus and Chlamydomonas segnis mitochondrial genomes. Erin Redmond, Tudor Borza, and Robert W. Lee. Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Temperature adaptations of protists from desert and arctic soils. Yassein Shamout, Amr Mahmout, Sina Adl. Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
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