MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 MICROBES AND MAN Research Programme

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 Implemented jointly by the Academy of Finland (AF) and the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) Budget: 5,4 million € 15 projects (26 research groups) MICMAN 2 Finland: 4.1 M€ Sweden: 1.3 M€ Finland: 21 groups Sweden: 5 groups

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 OBJECTIVES to increase our knowledge of the interaction between host and microbes to apply this knowledge to the maintenance of health and the prevention and treatment of diseases to generate multidisciplinary networks to promote researcher training and exchange to promote international contacts to strengthen cooperation between universities and research institutes

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 BEFORE Pre-MICMAN planning MICMAN

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 Exploratory workshop Microbes and Man - Health, Nutrition and Environment August 2001 in Gustavelund (near Helsinki) –140 researchers, –Chair: Res.prof. Pentti Huovinen, KTL – Topics for the programme INITIATIVE FOR MICMAN

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 Milestones of preparation Aug 2001Exploratory workshop Nov 2001Decision on the programme by the Academy Dec 2001Negotiations between funding organisations Feb-Mar 2002Programme memorandum April 2002Launch of the programme May 2002Deadline: Plans of intent June 2002Decisions: Plans of intent Sep 2002Deadline: Applications proper Nov 2002Evaluation Dec 2002Decisions on accepted projects Jan 2003The projects start

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 MICMAN proposals PLAN OF INTENT FULL APPLICATIONS FUNDED PROJECTS Finnish groups 5 Swedish groups

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 The steering programme committee Academy of Finland: Prof Marja Makarow, (UH) (chair) Prof Timo Vesikari, (UTa) Prof Annele Hatakka, (UH) Prof Juha Sihvola, (UJy) Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research: Dr. Henryk Wos Prof Olle Stendahl, Lindköping University Prof Hans Wolf-Watz, Umeå University Dr. Olle Edqvist An additional expert: Academician, prof Pirjo Mäkelä, KTL Also participating from the Academy of Finland: Dr. Soile Juuti Dr. Sirpa Nuotio Dr. Tuula Aarnio Prof Marja-Liisa Hänninen, (UH) Res.Prof Tiina Mattila-Sandholm (Valio)

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 DURING THE PROGRAMME MICMAN projects MICMAN

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 MICMAN THEMES MICMAN THEMES Resident microbiota - influence of internal and external factors (host itself, pathogenic and probiotic bacteria) Host-microbe interactions in the development and course of diseases 4 Other - bioinformatics; environmental microbes 2 15 PROJECTS: 5 Finnish-Swedish consortia 2 Finnish consortia 8 Finnish individual projects 9

MICMAN Final Symposium MICMAN PROJECTS 15 MICMAN PROJECTS Consortium: Bacterial-epithelial cross-talk and the establishment of the mucosal immune system Consortium: Microbial factors and host responses discriminating commensals from pathogens Pathogenesis of reactive arthritis: Research of abnormal host- microbe interaction Consortium: A paradox of a microbe and man - what makes Staphylococcus aureus a pathogen? Consortium: Host-microbe interaction in acute and persistent Chlamydia pneumoniae infection Microbes and allergy: From population observations to animal models and prevention products Consortium: Microbial ecology of man in health and disease: Emer- gence, spread and persistence of Antibiotic resistance in the normal Microflora (ESPAR) Microbial pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease Host-microbe crosstalk in infancy: creating a balance between the internal and external environments Consortium: Genetic susceptibility to streptococcal infections DNA microarrays for studying interactions of probiotic, pathogenic and normal gut microbiota bacteria with human intestinal epithelial cells Cyanobacteria and adjacent microbes: causes of acute human intoxications and indicators of water quality Consortium: Reactivation and immune evasion of Borrelia infection Microbial resistance to innate immunity Infectious origins of the human genome. Human endogenous retroviruses in health and disease

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 MICMAN Coordination To advance the objectives of the programme Communication –www-pages, MICMAN News, seminars/symposia/meetings, publicity relations Administrative tasks –Planning, lauching, proposal evaluations, annual reports, final evaluation Researcher training –Graduate school proposals ( InfBio ) (under evaluation) International contacts to other programmes –ERA-NET PathoGenoMics ( ) Programme manager: Soile Juuti, National Public Health Institute Contact person at the SSF: Scientific secretary Henryk Wos

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 TalksParticip. (n) MICMAN Opening Symposium MICMAN Annual Symposium MICMAN Annual Symposium MICMAN Final Symposium MICMAN EVENTS Prof. Volkmar Braun and prof. Pirjo Mäkelä

MICMAN Final Symposium Prof. Seppo Meri

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 TalksParticip. (n) st Finnish Microbial Pathogenesis Day nd Finnish Microbial Pathogenesis Day rd Finnish Microbial Pathogenesis Day 884 Sept th Finnish Microbial Pathogenesis Day MICMAN EVENTS With prof. Mikael Skurnik, Univ. Helsinki “The aim of these seminars is to invite researchers on microbial pathogenesis together and advance scientific discussion between the research groups.”

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 MICMAN Consortia events Open seminars:TalksParticip. (n) Chlamydia pneumoniae research in Finland: Update and future plans Infection, Inflammation and Atherosclerosis 1370 With prof. Pekka Saikku, Univ. Oulu res.prof. Maija Leinonen, KTL doc. Mirja Puolakkainen, KTL

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 Closed seminars:TalksParticip. (n) Reactivation and immune evasion of Borrelia infection MICMAN Consortia events With prof. Sven Bergström, Univ.Umeå prof. Matti Viljanen, Univ.Turku + prof. Seppo Meri, Univ. Helsinki

MICMAN Final Symposium

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 CLOSED SEMINARS:TalksParticip. (n) Bacterial-epithelial cross-talk and the establishment of the mucosal immune system MICMAN Consortia events With prof. William Agace, Univ.Lund prof. Mikael Skurnik, Univ.Helsinki prof. Sirpa Jalkanen, Univ. Turku

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 MICMAN Consortia events - Regular meetings of the consortium Microbial ecology of man in health and disease: Emergence, spread and persistence of antibiotic resistance in the normal microflora (ESPAR) Prof. Charlotta Edlund Karolinska Inst. and Res.prof. Pentti Huovinen KTL - Meetings of other consortia

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 MICMAN travel support Support to doctoral students for short-term visits, 6800 € MICMAN Finland Sweden

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 Other Graduate School in Infection Biology ( ) –Proposal submitted Dec –32 groups from the Universities of Helsinki, Turku and Oulu and the National Public Health Institute –Decision ~May 2006 ERA-NET PathoGenoMics –EU 6thFP project between funding agencies –MICMAN/Academy of Finland as a partner –European research programme on Pathogenomics : Deadline of proposals to the call by –Funding allocated by the Academy ~1,5 Million €

MICMAN Final Symposium

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 AFTER MICMAN evaluation 2006 MICMAN

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 REPORTING Final report AF: The final report of the AF using electronic services SSF: The final report form used by the SSF at <results Self-Evaluation report An abstract, facts and thoughts of the programme Deadline

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 EVALUATION International evaluation panel: Prof. Guy Cornelis, University of Basel, Swizerland (chair) Prof. Robert Sim, MRC Immunochemistry Unit, Oxford, UK Prof. Ann-Mari Svennerholm, University of Gothenburg, Sweden Prof. Gunna Christiansen, Aarhus University, Denmark Based on –E.g. Self-evaluations, final reports, interviews, additional summary material Panel meeting in Helsinki Evaluation report written by the panel Concerns all project groups and coordination

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006 EXPERIENCES Commitment of the researchers to the programme Active participation of the graduate students! Strengthning the Finnish-Swedish collaboration in research Collaboration between the FIN-SWE funding agencies was successful Heritage of MICMAN: Graduate school in Infection Biology ??? ERA-NET PathoGenoMics (?)

MICMAN Final Symposium 2006