The Minnesota Craniofacial Research Training (MinnCResT) Program aims to train the next generation of independent investigators exploring questions in craniofacial, oral health and dental research. Supported by a major grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), the MinnCResT Program scientific and career development programming and full fellowship support for graduate students, DDS/PhD students, and postdoctoral fellows wishing to begin, continue, or expand their research careers. The MinnCResT Program is putting into practice the new National Institutes of Health (NIH) road map by forming cross-disciplinary teams of trainees and mentors from such fields as biology, neuroscience, microbiology, genetics, immunology, engineering, psychology, dentistry, medicine, and other disciplines that contribute to its research training mission. The MinnCResT Program seeks the best and the brightest to contribute to cutting-edge craniofacial, dental and oral health research. MinnCResT Program fellows can look forward to multiple years of support, favorable employment prospects, and fascinating scientific challenges in a community that fosters interdisciplinary research.

Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Symposia- June 24-25, 2009

Cutting edge research in Microbiology and its impact on infectious diseases, biotechnology, and engineering will be the topic of coordinated scientific symposia at the Maguire Translational Research Facility on June 24-25 presented jointly by the Minnesota Craniofacial Research Training Program, Biotechnology Institute, Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Translational Research Center and AHC Infectious Diseases Corridor.  The symposia are free and open to the public with registration on-site.  

“Biofilms: Microbial Sim Cities” will be presented on June 24, featuring presentations by UMN researchers from 4 colleges, 3M, University of Iowa, and Harvard University. All microorganisms on our planet must interact with surfaces. When a microorganism attaches to that surface, biofilm formation begins. Scrape one of your teeth just before you brush them in the morning and say hello to ~ 100 million bacteria that influence tooth decay and bad breath. Bacteria in the environment are thought to spend the majority of their existence attached to surfaces. Harmful microorganisms, at some point in their cycle of pathogenesis, will attach to our body surfaces during infections. Microbial biofilms are tremendously complex, and their ubiquity in nature and medicine has stimulated the interest of researchers from incredibly diverse areas.  This symposium will include a keynote lecture by Dr. Roberto Kolter, Professor of Microbiology at Harvard University and President of the American Society for Microbiology. See the full agenda here.

“Innovative Approaches to Prevent and Treat Infections” will be presented on June 25.  This symposium will further develop the theme of microorganisms in disease, and will explore how our knowledge of the interaction between microorganisms and the host immune system can be exploited to develop new approaches to prevent and treat infectious diseases.  This symposium will include a keynote lecture by Dr. Jack Keene, James B. Duke Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Duke University and 3 scientific sessions related to Host/Pathogen Interactions and Novel Drug Targets, Human and Mucosal Immunology: Novel Vaccine Approaches, and Gene Networks, MicroRNAs and Host-pathogen Interactions. Additional information available at http://www.cidmtr.umn.edu.

Poster sessions will be held on both days.  Faculty or trainees interested in presenting posters should contact Jeff Gralnick <gralnick@umn.edu> or Paul Bohjanen <bohja001@umn.edu>.