1st International Diplonemid Conference iDIPCON

2 - 3 April 2025

Virtual event

General Information

This is the first international conference to gather researchers working on diplonemids - one of the most abundant and diverse marine micro-eukaryotic groups known today.

The conference is held virtually, allowing a geographically-broad audience to participate and promoting inclusivity, accessibility, and sustainability.

Presentations cover four different research fields, each forming one session:

Mitochondrial Proteome & Macromolecular Complexes
Ecology & Evolution
Phylogeny, HGT & Symbiosis
Metabolic Pathways, Physiology, Morphology

Speakers

Fourteen renowned speakers have been invited. Additional ~15 will be selected based on their submitted abstracts.

CLICK to see speakers abstract >>
Drahomira Faktorova
Drahomira Faktorova
Czech Academy of Sciences
Czech Republic
Michael W Gray
Michael W Gray
Dalhousie University
Canada
Ales Horak
Czech Academy of Sciences
Czech Republic
Yuji Inagaki
Yuji Inagaki
University of Tsukuba
Japan
Gordon Lax
Gordon Lax
University of British Columbia
Canada
James Anthony Letts
James Anthony Letts
University of California, Davis
United States
Purificacion Lopez-Garcia
Purificacion Lopez-Garcia
CNRS & Université Paris-Saclay
France
Ramon Massana
Ramon Massana
CSIC - Spanish National Research Council
Spain
Paul AM Michels
Paul AM Michels
University of Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Ingrid Skodova-Sverakova
Ingrid Skodova-Sverakova
Comenius University
Slovakia
Daria Tashyreva
Daria Tashyreva
University of Warsaw
Poland
Matus Valach
Matus Valach
Université de Montréal
Canada
Jeremy Wideman
Jeremy Wideman
Arizona State University
United States
Akinori Yabuki
Akinori Yabuki
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
Japan

Program & Schedule

Click on your time zone below

Day Session
(Chair)
From To DurationSpeaker Title

Wed 2 Apr 2025

Metabolism, Physiology, Morphology
(I Skodova-Sverakova)
10:00 10:10 0:10 G Burger Welcome
10:10 10:40 0:30 D Tashyreva 3D reconstruction of a diplonemid: ultrastructure of cell division
10:40 11:00 0:20 B Akiyoshi Unique mitotic mechanisms in diplonemids
11:00 11:20 0:20 DW Shin* Large scale diplonemid cultures for organelle isolations
11:20 11:30 0:10 Break
11:30 12:00 0:30 PAM Michels Insights into the diplonemid intermediary metabolism
12:00 12:30 0:30 I Skodova-SverakovaPowering the protist: ATP production in P. papillatum
Mitochondrial Proteome & Complexes
(M Valach)
13:30 14:00 0:30 MW Gray Conserved and novel aspects of the Diplonema mitoproteome
14:00 14:20 0:20 R Tarabuta* The search for the hypothetical RNA joinosome
14:20 14:50 0:30 M Valach Proteomics of diplonemid mitochondrial complexes
14:50 15:00 0:10 Break
15:00 15:20 0:20 M Hammond* The subcellular proteome of the diplonemid model species
15:20 15:50 0:30 JA Letts 3D structure of mitochondrial (super)complexes in Diplonema

Thu 3 Apr 2025

Phylogeny & Gene transfer
(G Lax)
10:00 10:30 0:30 A Yabuki Discovery of new diplonemids using Hemi-medium
10:30 11:00 0:30 Y Inagaki Origins of family A DNA polymerases in Euglenozoa
11:00 11:20 0:20 SB Malik Ancient gene duplications and HGTs from bacteria to eukaryotes
11:20 11:30 0:10 Break
11:30 12:00 0:30 G Lax Phylogenomics of the abundant and diverse eupelagonemids
12:00 12:30 0:30 D Faktorova Transformation of (Para)diplonema papillatum
Ecology & Evolution
(P Lopez-Garcia)
13:30 14:00 0:30 R Massana Spatial and temporal surveys of marine protist diversity
14:00 14:20 0:20 O Iorillo* Evolution of the spliceosome in Euglenozoa
14:20 14:30 0:10 Break
14:30 15:00 0:30 A Horak Eupelagonemids and their place in the global ocean
15:00 15:30 0:30 P Lopez-Garcia Endosymbiosis and gene transfer in the evolution of eukaryotes
15:30 15:40 0:10 J Lukes Closing remarks
*Eligible for the best-talk award.
Day Session
(Chair)
From To DurationSpeaker Title

Wed 2 Apr 2025

Metabolism, Physiology, Morphology
(I Skodova-Sverakova)
07:00 07:10 0:10 G Burger Welcome
07:10 07:40 0:30 D Tashyreva 3D reconstruction of a diplonemid: ultrastructure of cell division
07:40 08:00 0:20 B Akiyoshi Unique mitotic mechanisms in diplonemids
08:00 08:20 0:20 DW Shin* Large scale diplonemid cultures for organelle isolations
08:20 08:30 0:10 Break
08:30 09:00 0:30 PAM Michels Insights into the diplonemid intermediary metabolism
09:00 09:30 0:30 I Skodova-SverakovaPowering the protist: ATP production in P. papillatum
Mitochondrial Proteome & Complexes
(M Valach)
10:3011:000:30 MW Gray Conserved and novel aspects of the Diplonema mitoproteome
11:0011:200:20 R Tarabuta* The search for the hypothetical RNA joinosome
11:2011:500:30 M Valach Proteomics of diplonemid mitochondrial complexes
11:5012:000:10 Break
12:0012:200:20 M Hammond* The subcellular proteome of the diplonemid model species
12:2012:500:30 JA Letts 3D structure of mitochondrial (super)complexes in Diplonema

Thu 3 Apr 2025

Phylogeny & Gene transfer
(G Lax)
07:00 07:30 0:30 A Yabuki Discovery of new diplonemids using Hemi-medium
07:30 08:00 0:30 Y Inagaki Origins of family A DNA polymerases in Euglenozoa
08:00 08:20 0:20 SB Malik Ancient gene duplications and HGTs from bacteria to eukaryotes
08:20 08:30 0:10 Break
08:30 09:00 0:30 G Lax Phylogenomics of the abundant and diverse eupelagonemids
09:00 09:30 0:30 D Faktorova Transformation of (Para)diplonema papillatum
Ecology & Evolution
(P Lopez-Garcia)
10:3011:000:30 R Massana Spatial and temporal surveys of marine protist diversity
11:0011:200:20 O Iorillo* Evolution of the spliceosome in Euglenozoa
11:2011:300:10 Break
11:3012:000:30 A Horak Eupelagonemids and their place in the global ocean
12:0012:300:30 P Lopez-Garcia Endosymbiosis and gene transfer in the evolution of eukaryotes
12:3012:400:10 J Lukes Closing remarks
*Eligible for the best-talk award.
Day Session
(Chair)
From To DurationSpeaker Title

Wed 2 Apr 2025

Metabolism, Physiology, Morphology
(I Skodova-Sverakova)
16:0016:100:10 G Burger Welcome
16:1016:400:30 D Tashyreva 3D reconstruction of a diplonemid: ultrastructure of cell division
16:4017:000:20 B Akiyoshi Unique mitotic mechanisms in diplonemids
17:0017:200:20 DW Shin* Large scale diplonemid cultures for organelle isolations
17:2017:300:10 Break
17:3018:000:30 PAM Michels Insights into the diplonemid intermediary metabolism
18:0018:300:30 I Skodova-SverakovaPowering the protist: ATP production in P. papillatum
Mitochondrial Proteome & Complexes
(M Valach)
19:3020:000:30 MW Gray Conserved and novel aspects of the Diplonema mitoproteome
20:0020:200:20 R Tarabuta* The search for the hypothetical RNA joinosome
20:2020:500:30 M Valach Proteomics of diplonemid mitochondrial complexes
20:5021:000:10 Break
21:0021:200:20 M Hammond* The subcellular proteome of the diplonemid model species
21:2021:500:30 JA Letts 3D structure of mitochondrial (super)complexes in Diplonema

Thu 3 Apr 2025

Phylogeny & Gene transfer
(G Lax)
16:0016:300:30 A Yabuki Discovery of new diplonemids using Hemi-medium
16:3017:000:30 Y Inagaki Origins of family A DNA polymerases in Euglenozoa
17:0017:200:20 SB Malik Ancient gene duplications and HGTs from bacteria to eukaryotes
17:2017:300:10 Break
17:3018:000:30 G Lax Phylogenomics of the abundant and diverse eupelagonemids
18:0018:300:30 D Faktorova Transformation of (Para)diplonema papillatum
Ecology & Evolution
(P Lopez-Garcia)
19:3020:000:30 R Massana Spatial and temporal surveys of marine protist diversity
20:0020:200:20 O Iorillo* Evolution of the spliceosome in Euglenozoa
20:2020:300:10 Break
20:3021:000:30 A Horak Eupelagonemids and their place in the global ocean
21:0021:300:30 P Lopez-Garcia Endosymbiosis and gene transfer in the evolution of eukaryotes
21:3021:400:10 J Lukes Closing remarks
Day Session
(Chair)
From To Day
Update
DurationSpeaker Title

Wed 2 Apr 2025

Metabolism, Physiology, Morphology
(I Skodova-Sverakova)
23:00 23:10 2 Apr 0:10 G Burger Welcome
23:10 23:40 2 Apr 0:30 D Tashyreva 3D reconstruction of a diplonemid: ultrastructure of cell division
23:40 00:00 2 Apr 0:20 B Akiyoshi Unique mitotic mechanisms in diplonemids
00:00 00:20 3 Apr 0:20 DW Shin* Large scale diplonemid cultures for organelle isolations
00:20 00:30 3 Apr 0:10 Break
00:30 01:00 3 Apr 0:30 PAM Michels Insights into the diplonemid intermediary metabolism
01:00 01:30 3 Apr 0:30 I Skodova-SverakovaPowering the protist: ATP production in P. papillatum
Mitochondrial Proteome & Complexes
(M Valach)
02:30 03:00 3 Apr 0:30 MW Gray Conserved and novel aspects of the Diplonema mitoproteome
03:00 03:20 3 Apr 0:20 R Tarabuta* The search for the hypothetical RNA joinosome
03:20 03:50 3 Apr 0:30 M Valach Proteomics of diplonemid mitochondrial complexes
03:50 04:00 3 Apr 0:10 Break
04:00 04:20 3 Apr 0:20 M Hammond* The subcellular proteome of the diplonemid model species
04:20 04:50 3 Apr 0:30 JA Letts 3D structure of mitochondrial (super)complexes in Diplonema

Thu 3 Apr 2025

Phylogeny & Gene transfer
(G Lax)
23:00 23:30 3 Apr 0:30 A Yabuki Discovery of new diplonemids using Hemi-medium
23:30 00:00 3 Apr 0:30 Y Inagaki Origins of family A DNA polymerases in Euglenozoa
00:00 00:20 4 Apr 0:20 SB Malik Ancient gene duplications and HGTs from bacteria to eukaryotes
00:20 00:30 4 Apr 0:10 Break
00:30 01:00 4 Apr 0:30 G Lax Phylogenomics of the abundant and diverse eupelagonemids
01:00 01:30 4 Apr 0:30 D Faktorova Transformation of (Para)diplonema papillatum
Ecology & Evolution
(P Lopez-Garcia)
02:30 03:00 4 Apr 0:30 R Massana Spatial and temporal surveys of marine protist diversity
03:00 03:20 4 Apr 0:20 O Iorillo* Evolution of the spliceosome in Euglenozoa
03:20 03:30 4 Apr 0:10 Break
03:30 04:00 4 Apr 0:30 A Horak Eupelagonemids and their place in the global ocean
04:00 04:30 4 Apr 0:30 P Lopez-Garcia Endosymbiosis and gene transfer in the evolution of eukaryotes
04:30 04:40 4 Apr 0:10 J Lukes Closing remarks
*Eligible for the best-talk award.

Registration

Registration is free. Only registered participants will be sent the Zoom link.

CLICK to register >>

Abstract Submission

Researchers who wish to give a talk about their work are invited to submit an abstract, from which the organizing committee will select two contributing talks per session.

Abstract format: 1 page, format .docx or .pdf, max. 1.5Mo. File name: LastName-FirstName-abstract.pdf | docx.

CLICK to upload abstract >>

Best Talk Award: A $500 CAD prize will be awarded to a graduate student or postdoc for research excellence and presentation clarity.

Deadlines

REGISTRATION DEADLINE:

01 Mar 2025

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE:

15 Feb 2025

SELECTED CONTRIBUTING SPEAKERS WILL BE NOTIFIED:

01 Mar 2025

Organizers

Robert-Cedergren Centre for Bioinformatics and Genomics,

Department of Biochemistry,

Université de Montréal,

Montréal, Canada

Institute of Parasitology,

Biology Centre,

Czech Academy of Sciences,

České Budějovice,

Czech Republic

Robert-Cedergren Centre for Bioinformatics and Genomics,

Department of Biochemistry,

Université de Montréal,

Montréal, Canada

Sponsors