WORKSHOPS

Attendance to all workshops are included in your registration fee, however, please indicate your attendance on the registration site or email Corné Engelbrecht at [email protected]

FRIDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2023

WORKSHOP 1
08:30-12:00
Pushing boundaries in veterinary immunology – A new era of NGS, with single cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics (Facilitators: Diagnostech)

Redefining NGS, one cell at a time. Join us for a half day workshop at IVIS and learn how single cell sequencing is changing the future and leading to fundamental discoveries across multiple areas of biology, including oncology and immunology.

Every day, immunologists deepen our understanding of the immune system’s intricate network of responses and interactions. Learn how single cell and spatial multiomics are empowering exciting new research into autoimmunity, immuno-oncology, vaccine development, and beyond.

Explore methods that let you uncover molecular insights, dissect cell-type differences, detect novel cell subtypes and biomarkers, define gene regulatory interactions, and decipher spatiotemporal gene expression patterns.

This workshop will be hosted by renowned researchers in veterinary immunology, Prof Christine Maritz-Oliver and Prof Crystal Loving, as well as supported by Diagnostech and 10x Genomics experts.

We will cover topics like:

  • What is Single Cell Sequencing and why are we heading in this direction?
  • What is the technology, and what are the limitations?
  • How can you successfully design a project using these technologies, and get workable results to publish?
  • Bioinformatics, computational difficulties and what to master early on
  • Discussion with the experts

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WORKSHOP 2
12:30-16:30
Novel approaches to the development of veterinary vaccines to control bacterial infections (Facilitators: Gary Entrican and STAR-IDAZ)

This workshop will review vaccine platform technologies that can be deployed for development of veterinary bacterial vaccines through short presentations by expert speakers followed by breakout discussions in small participant groups. The breakouts are designed to identify gaps in bacterial vaccine development and discuss how these gaps can be addressed using novel vaccine platform technologies. The focus will be on development of fit-for-purpose vaccines with a target product profile that meets the needs of the relevant end-users, including vaccines that will be deployed in LMICs. The outcomes of the individual group discussions will be presented back to the whole workshop delegation in a final Q&A session. The workshop findings will be summarised in a report that can be used to inform on future directions for veterinary bacterial vaccinology research.

This workshop is supported by UKRI BBSRC, STAR-IDAZ, The Methane Hub, Defra, IUIS VIC and the Vaccinology Networks IVVN, VALIDATE and BactiVac. 

Draft Programme

12.30:  Introduction and Aims (Chairs: Jayne Hope and Gary Entrican)
12.40:  Short Presentations on Vaccine Development and Vaccine Platform Technologies
12.40: Importance of designing the vaccine TPP for translational research (Paul Wood, Monash University, Australia)
12.50: Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) for bacterial vaccinology (Adam Cunningham, BactiVac, UK)
13.00: Bacterial glycoconjugate vaccines (delivered by the panel) (Brendan Wren, LSHTM, UK)
13.10: Viral vectors for veterinary vaccinology (Michael Jarvis, The Vaccine Group, UK)
13.20: Helba Bredell (Afrigen, SA): mRNA platforms for veterinary vaccinology 
13.30: STAR-IDAZ vaccine roadmaps (Gary Entrican , University of Edinburgh, UK) 
13.40: DISCONTOOLS bacterial vaccines gaps (Johannes Charlier, Kreavet, Belgium)
13.50:  Initial Q&A, format of Breakout Groups, Assembly and Begin Discussions (All, Rapporteurs and Questions TBC*)
14.10:  Coffee/Networking/Opportunity for Initial Informal Feedback (All)
14.30:  Breakout Discussions (50min)
15.10:  Rapporteur Summaries
15.40:  Panel Discussion with Speakers and Chairs
16.10:  Capture the Agreed Workshop Outcomes, Final Comments and Close (Chairs)

Expected Outcomes:

  • Identify gaps in veterinary vaccinology for bacterial diseases
  • Comments that inform on functionality of STAR-IDAZ roadmaps
  • Highlight opportunities to address these gaps using novel vaccine platform technologies with a One Health approach
  • Maintain awareness of the TPP at all stages of research to develop vaccines that meet end-user needs (especially for LMICs)
  • Prepare an informed, positional report that informs funders and networks on areas for funding future research

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SUNDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2023

WORKSHOP 3 (Parallel Session)
08:30-10:00
VIC Immunological Toolkit Session

The Immunological Toolkit session will provide an overview of ongoing work in reagent development and novel technologies and techniques. These will be followed by a discussion session to discuss future priorities and gap analyses in reagent and technology development.

Draft Programme
08h30:
(071) CD38 expression on porcine αβ-T-cell subsets and its role in T-cell activation (Benjamin-Layla Hamid)
08h40: (037) The Immunological Toolbox: Advancing veterinary immunology research through the generation of novel reagents (Inga Dry)
08h50: (147) A customizable suite of methods to sequence and annotate cattle antibodies (Marie Di Placido)
09h00: Recombinant antibodies driving immunological research (Gary Entrican)
09h10:  The future of the Toolbox (John Hammond)
09h20: Round Table facilitated discussions with pre-shared questions
09h50: Feedback from discussions via rapporteurs

WORKSHOP 4 (Parallel Session)
10:30-12:00
VIC MHC

Draft Programme
10h30:
(020) Comparative analysis of swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) gene diversity in Göttingen Minipigs (Sabine E. Hammer)
10h48: (067) Role of nonpolymorphic MHC-I and innate-like T cells in resistance and tolerigenic neonatal immunity to mycobacteria (Jacques Robert)
11h06: (129) A revised view of putative functional histocompatibility genes in the SLA complex (Claire Rogel-Gaillard)
11h24: (126) Haplotypic and allelic diversity of non-classical MHC class I in ruminants (John C. Schwartz)
11h42: An update on species and tools on IPD-MHC (John Hammond)

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TUESDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2023

Workshop 5
11:00-12:30
Supporting early career researchers in veterinary immunology and vaccinology research (Facilitators: International Veterinary Vaccinology Network (IVVN))

This workshop, hosted by the International Veterinary Vaccinology Network (IVVN), will focus on ways in which we can support early career researchers working in veterinary immunology and vaccinology research. The workshop will be facilitated by a group of IVVN ECR members who will present a white paper which outlines the challenges faced by early career researchers and potential solutions to mitigate these challenges. In addition, there will be presentations from representatives of Afrique One Aspire, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA). All early career researchers, and those who are keen to support the next generation of veterinary immunologists and vaccinologists, are very welcome to join.