Jingqi Chen: University of Groningen, Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen, the Netherlands Meeting: 4th International conference on post-translational modifications in Bacteria (PTMBact 2022), Copenhagen, Denmark Dates: 5 - 6 May 2022 FEMS Member Society Membership: Royal Netherlands Society for Microbiology (KNVM) ‘‘I am a postdoctoral researcher at University of Groningen. I am passionate about scientific research, especially when it comes to antimicrobial peptides and how they can be used to combat multi-drug resistant bacteria. During past five years, I mainly worked on understanding and engineering the biosynthesis of ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides (RiPPs). With their structural diversities, RiPPs often display potent antimicrobial properties, and are being regarded as powerful candidates for developing next generation therapeutics. With the deepening knowledge of RiPP biosynthesis, I seek to discover and design novel antimicrobial peptides employing peptide engineering and synthetic biology principles. The 4th International Conference on Post-translational Modifications (PTMs) in Bacteria took place in Copenhagen, Denmark on May 5th - 6th, 2022. The meeting topics involved all known bacterial PTMs, including protein phosphorylation, uridylation, acetylation, glycosylation, pupylation, targeted degradation, RiPP biosynthesis and other modifications, as well as the methods used to study them. It was a strong mix of keynotes, presentations, and networking opportunities, which greatly expanded my horizon. My poster presentation also attracted much attention, and I had a lot of discussion with people there. Overall, I really enjoyed this conference. With the help of the FEMS Meeting Attendance Grant, I was able to attend the PTMBact 2022. By presenting my study on the LanBTC complex, I had the opportunity to discuss with the experts in the PTM field. I learned new strategies to investigate the details of protein-protein interactions in bacteria. The FEMS Meeting Attendance grant allowed me to be able to participate in the PTMBact 2022 in Denmark. Without it, my attendance to this meeting would have been difficult. I hereby extend my gratitude to FEMS for granting me! FEMS organizes a series of excellent events every year. I hope to enrich my knowledge and network through participating, such as the FEMS Conference on Microbiology and the FEMS Summer School for Postdocs, etc.’’ |
