The 12th International Workshops on Opportunistic Protists (IWOP-12)
Louis M Weiss1, Melanie T Cushion, Elizabeth Didier
1Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. louis.weiss@einstein.yu.edu
The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology
|April 9, 2013
Summary
The 12th International Workshops on Opportunistic Protists (IWOP-12) highlighted progress in understanding opportunistic pathogens. Concerns were raised about declining research funding impacting scientific expertise in these critical areas.
Area of Science:
- Medical Mycology and Parasitology
- Infectious Diseases
- Genomics and Bioinformatics
Background:
- Opportunistic protists are pathogenic eukaryotic microorganisms frequently observed in individuals with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
- Research on these pathogens, including free-living amoebae, Pneumocystis, Cryptosporidium, Toxoplasma, Microsporidia, and kinetoplastid flagellates, is crucial for understanding and treating associated diseases.
- The International Workshops on Opportunistic Protists (IWOP) serves as a primary forum for researchers in this field.
Purpose of the Study:
- To facilitate the exchange of current research findings on the biology, genetics, immunology, pathogenesis, and epidemiology of opportunistic protists.
- To encourage new and young investigators to enter research areas related to immunodeficiency-associated pathogens.
- To address challenges and foster advancements in the study of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases caused by protists.
Main Methods:
- The 12th International Workshops on Opportunistic Protists (IWOP-12) convened researchers to present and discuss their work.
- Discussions focused on basic biology, molecular genetics, immunology, biochemistry, pathogenesis, drug development, therapy, and epidemiology.
- Emphasis was placed on the application of newly generated genomic data for understanding these pathogens.
Main Results:
- Significant progress has been made in understanding the biology of opportunistic protists and their role in disease causation in both immune-deficient and immune-competent hosts.
- Genomic-level information is proving vital for gaining key insights into the fundamental biology of these organisms.
- The meeting underscored the importance of collaborative research and the exchange of data.
Conclusions:
- Advancements in understanding opportunistic protists are being driven by genomic data analysis.
- There is a critical need to address the decline in research funding, which threatens scientific expertise and diversity in this field.
- Continued research and support are essential for combating diseases caused by these emerging and reemerging pathogens.
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