Mark your calendars! #mmpc2026 The 2026 Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference will be take place September 25-27, 2026 at the University of Minnesota! We are excited to welcome keynote speaker Dr. Andy Camilli. Give us a follow and watch for important information here ➡️ mmpc2026.umn.edu
Posts by Abby Kroken, PhD
The registration deadline for MMPC 2025 has been extended to Friday September 5!
www.mmpconference2025.com/registration
Did you miss the opportunity to submit an abstract to MMPC?
We have extended the deadline to August 25! Please consider sharing your latest and greatest research!
www.mmpconference2025.com/submit-an-ab...
Chris Corcoran was the first student to ask me to be on a PhD thesis committee, so I've been privileged to watch this super cool story unfold over the last couple years! I got to play a small part in helping Chris do some live microscopy of ArcI expression and localization in response to glyoxal.
I’m really proud of this collaboration with the Visick lab, and have enjoyed my introduction to the world of biofilms and their regulation!
Developing a new live imaging assay is not trivial—it requires a major time investment and a lot of refinement. But Jeremy remained persistent. He found that calcium concentration and the ability to sense calcium through CasA controls this both biofilm formation dynamics and dispersal timing.
I have accidentally become a marine biologist! (sort of...)
Jeremy Esin from Karen Visick’s lab (@microklv.bsky.social) approached me to develop an imaging-based biofilm dispersal assay of Vibrio fischeri. It provides luminescence for Hawaiian bobtail squid.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
MMPC was the first conference I attended as a new graduate student. Hard to believe I'm serving as a co-chair for it this year! Hoping Jon Allen and the rest of our micro faculty here at Loyola can put on a great event for all of you... and that future MMPC chairs are among the attendees! 😊
Consider a specific example such as merging the National Eye Institute into a larger brain institute. Are eyes part of the brain? Absolutely. Are there different concerns and difficult pools of grantees for eyes compared to other parts of the brain? Most definitely
What are benefits and costs?
1/n
The 2025 Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference, hosted by Loyola University Chicago, will be held October 3-5. We have a website where you can find additional information and begin making your plans! www.mmpconference2025.com
Lots of firsts for me at #MMPC2023 !
Speaker ribbon 😊
I'm still figuring out where my online science community is, and for the time being, will try to crosspost in a few places and see what sticks.
Twitter/X: krokenlab
Blue Sky: akroken.bsky.social
Mastodon: akroken@mstdn.science