NAVE
Ecology goes viral!
Introducing the Netherlands Association of Virus Ecology (NAVE)
Viruses are the most diverse and numerous biological entities on the planet. The Netherlands has a long history of virological research, extending back to the birth of this discipline. Research has largely focused on the study of viruses and the diseases caused by them. Scientific perspectives on viruses have shifted and the ecological role of viruses and their significant impact on ecosystems is increasingly acknowledged.
In the Netherlands, a growing number of interdisciplinary research groups focus their investigations on viral ecology, ranging from theoretical to field studies and from oceans to soils. We believe that it is an opportune time to initiate a national network to stimulate interactions between researchers and encourage collaboration.
The goal of NAVE (Netherlands Association of Virus Ecology) is to bring together researchers in viral ecology to (i) promote a regular exchange of scientific results and ideas, (ii) explore opportunities for collaboration, (iii) provide a networking platform for junior scientists in this field, (iv) interact collectively with experts from different fields, and (v) increase the visibility of viral ecology.
We aim to organize an annual scientific meeting with presentations and roundtable discussions on emerging themes of research. Furthermore, we foresee every half-year an online meeting on a timely topic, and coordination of outreach activities (with both scientific and general audiences). Of course, this can all be developed further by your input and we plan to make this an agenda point for the first meeting.
To keep low operating expenses, we plan to hold the annual meetings at a research institute or university. The first kick-off meeting will be 1 day but we hope that future meetings will include an evening program to inspire communication and discussion.
We held our online kickoff meeting on 11 March 2022. We are organizing an annual, in person meeting and workshop, as well as regular online seminars. For further information on the seminar series and to join our Microsoft Teams channel, contact Mark Zwart. Our next upcoming live event is a workshop on October 7, 2022 in Wageningen. See the details below.
Interested? Let us know and we will place you on the mailing list.
Looking forward meeting you,
Mark Zwart and Corina Brussaard
- Prof Corina Brussaard
Aquatic Virus Ecology
NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (Texel) & University of Amsterdam
corina.brussaard [at] nioz.nl - Dr Mark Zwart
Plant Virus Ecology & Evolution
Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO, Wageningen)
M.Zwart [at] nioo.knaw.nl
NAVE Annual Workshop
We are delighted to extend a cordial invitation to the 2024 Annual NAVE Meeting. Join us for a day of exciting talks and engaging discussions on March 22, 2024, from 10:00-16:00 at the Feithhuis in downtown Groningen. Please spread the word and share this invitation with colleagues!
Program:
We’ll have five scientific talks throughout the day, including confirmed contributions by Tessa Quax (RUG) on archaeal viruses and Anouk Willemsen (DOME Austria) on giant viruses. Additionally, we are planning two interactive round table discussions on NAVE hot topics – we welcome your suggestions for topics on the registration form.
Venue:
We will meet at the Feithhuis in downtown Groningen, a 20-minute walk from the train station through the city center (or 10 min bus ride). Registration is free but required. Drinks and food during the day are included.
Joint meeting with IQME:
Make the most out of your trip to Groningen! This year, we are co-hosting the NAVE meeting back-to-back with the annual meeting of the Integrative/Quantitative Microbial Ecology Initiative. The I/QME meeting will take place the day before (Thursday, March 21) at the same venue and also includes exciting speakers: Clara Belzer (Wageningen), Yval Mulla (AMC), Matthias Heinemann (Groningen), Marieke Klijn (Delft), Sander van Doorn (Groningen). On the evening of March 21, we will have a social mixer to further strengthen our collaborations across communities. If you want to join the I/QME day and/or mixer, too, just check the respective boxes in the registration form.
We hope you can join the Annual NAVE meeting. Sign up here, preferably before March 12, 2024.
Below there are some quick announcements that may also be of interest to you.
Best Regards
Mark, Corinna and the Groningen Organizers
NAVE Announcements February 2024:
1. We organize an online seminar series that will resume in April. If you would like join the seminar series and receive updates on NAVE, please send a message to Mark Zwart.
2. Tenure track faculty openings in virus ecology have been announced at the Université Laval and Penn State, make sure to check them out.
3. Some general information on NAVE:
Viruses are the most diverse and numerous biological entities on the planet. The Netherlands has a long history of virological research, extending back to the birth of this discipline. Research has largely focused on the study of viruses and the diseases caused by them. Scientific perspectives on viruses have shifted and the ecological role of viruses and their significant impact on ecosystems is increasingly acknowledged.
In the Netherlands, a growing number of interdisciplinary research groups focus their investigations on viral ecology, ranging from theoretical to field studies and from oceans to soils. We believe that it is an opportune time to initiate a national network to stimulate interactions between researchers and encourage collaboration
The goal of NAVE (Netherlands Association of Virus Ecology) is to bring together researchers in viral ecology to (i) promote a regular exchange of scientific results and ideas, (ii) explore opportunities for collaboration, (iii) provide a networking platform for junior scientists in this field, (iv) interact collectively with experts from different fields, and (v) increase the visibility of viral ecology. We want to be an inclusive community that welcomes researchers working on virus ecology in the broadest sense.
Currently, NAVE holds an annual scientific meeting with presentations and roundtable discussions on emerging themes of research. Additionally, an annual NAVE Workshop is organized, and we coordinate a seminar series.