Foundation of the Belgian Society for Viruses of Microbes and Meeting Report of Its Inaugural Symposium

Agnieszka Latka; Abram Aertsen; Dimitri Boeckaerts; Bob Blasdel; Pieter-Jan Ceyssens; Abel Garcia-Pino; Annika Gillis; Rob Lavigne; Gipsi Lima-Mendez; Jelle Matthijnssens; Jolien Onsea; Eveline Peeters; Jean-Paul Pirnay; Damien Thiry; Dieter Vandenheuvel; Els Van Mechelen; Jolien Venneman; Gilbert Verbeken; Jeroen Wagemans; Yves Briers

doi:10.3390/v15051213

Viruses (May 2023)

Foundation of the Belgian Society for Viruses of Microbes and Meeting Report of Its Inaugural Symposium

Agnieszka Latka,
Abram Aertsen,
Dimitri Boeckaerts,
Bob Blasdel,
Pieter-Jan Ceyssens,
Abel Garcia-Pino,
Annika Gillis,
Rob Lavigne,
Gipsi Lima-Mendez,
Jelle Matthijnssens,
Jolien Onsea,
Eveline Peeters,
Jean-Paul Pirnay,
Damien Thiry,
Dieter Vandenheuvel,
Els Van Mechelen,
Jolien Venneman,
Gilbert Verbeken,
Jeroen Wagemans,
Yves Briers

Affiliations

Agnieszka Latka: Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, Belgium
Abram Aertsen: Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
Dimitri Boeckaerts: Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, Belgium
Bob Blasdel: Vésale Bioscience, Vésale Pharmaceutica, 5310 Noville-sur-Mehaigne, Belgium
Pieter-Jan Ceyssens: Division of Human Bacterial Diseases, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Abel Garcia-Pino: Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus La Plaine, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Annika Gillis: Laboratory of Food and Environmental Microbiology, Earth and Life Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Rob Lavigne: Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
Gipsi Lima-Mendez: Biology of Microorganisms Research Unit (URBM), Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), Université de Namur ASBL, 5000 Namur, Belgium
Jelle Matthijnssens: Laboratory of Viral Metagenomics, Rega Institute, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Jolien Onsea: Department of Trauma Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Eveline Peeters: Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Jean-Paul Pirnay: Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Technology, Queen Astrid Military Hospital, 1120 Brussels, Belgium
Damien Thiry: Veterinary Bacteriology, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals and Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Dieter Vandenheuvel: Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
Els Van Mechelen: Research Centre Health & Water Technology, University of Applied Sciences, 9000 Gent, Belgium
Jolien Venneman: Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
Gilbert Verbeken: Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Technology, Queen Astrid Military Hospital, 1120 Brussels, Belgium
Jeroen Wagemans: Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
Yves Briers: Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, Belgium

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/v15051213
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 15, no. 5
p. 1213

Abstract

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The Belgian Society for Viruses of Microbes (BSVoM) was founded on 9 June 2022 to capture and enhance the collaborative spirit among the expanding community of microbial virus researchers in Belgium. The sixteen founders are affiliated to fourteen different research entities across academia, industry and government. Its inaugural symposium was held on 23 September 2022 in the Thermotechnical Institute at KU Leuven. The meeting program covered three thematic sessions launched by international keynote speakers: (1) virus–host interactions, (2) viral ecology, evolution and diversity and (3) present and future applications. During the one-day symposium, four invited keynote lectures, ten selected talks and eight student pitches were given along with 41 presented posters. The meeting hosted 155 participants from twelve countries.

Published in Viruses

ISSN: 1999-4915 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Microbiology
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/viruses

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