Keeping fungal diseases
under control
Pest Management and Bioactive
Science groups Anti-fungals: discovery and mode of action Cambridge,
3–6 April 2005
 The
media seldom devotes attention to fungal diseases, despite
the fact that they can cause rapid deaths in humans and extensive
losses in food and fibre crops, which inevitably affect commodity
prices. The problem of resistance is as important as the headline-grabbing
MRSA bacterial infections and, together with the need to combat
emerging diseases, drives programmes to discover and develop
new anti-fungal agents.
Following a successful SCI anti-fungal meeting in 1995, the
Pest Management and Bioactive Science groups see it as very
timely to review recent developments, especially in the context
of opportunities created by the ‘omics’ revolutions.
Consequently, a meeting entitled ‘Anti-fungals:
Discovery and Mode of Action’ will be held at Churchill
College, Cambridge, UK from 3–6 April 2005.
The programme begins with tools for target-site discovery
and evaluation. The first day will end with an appraisal of
animal infection models and predictive toxicology, which may
provide clues to why the search for novel agricultural fungicides
has been more successful than that for anti-fungal drugs.
The second day will examine some new modes of action, and
evaluate novel opportunities in existing target areas such
as sterol metabolism. As more is uncovered about the signalling
pathways involved in host pathogen recognition and early infection
events, evidence will be presented of novel chemistry targeting
this area.
The final day focuses on alternatives to small molecule chemistry
through attempts to mimic and enhance natural defence mechanisms.
Resistance issues are also tackled, together with accurate
diagnostic methods which improve trials data, and a glimpse
of future problems from emerging diseases.
This broad programme provides an ideal framework for researchers
from industry and academia to come together, and initiate
collaborations leading to the novel modes of action needed
to sustain future anti-fungal control.
For more information contact
Events Team, T: +44 (0)20 7598 1500, F: +44 (0)20 7235 7743, E: conferences[ at]soci.org
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