The document announces the First Spanish-French Congress on Protistology to be held in Seville, Spain from June 4-6, 2008. The congress will bring together researchers from Spain and France to promote the scientific exchange of protistology in Europe through oral presentations and poster sessions focused on topics related to protist evolution, biology of free-living and parasitic protists. The organizing committee provides details on the location, program, registration, and submission of abstracts for the conference.

2. FSFCP, Sevilla '08
Initial Presentation of the Congress
Dear Protistologist,
On behalf of “Grupo Especializado de Protistología” and “Groupment de
Protistologues de Langue Française”, we have the pleasure to announce you
the conjoint celebration in 2008 of their respective meetings. The gathering,
called First Spanish-French Congress on Protistology, will be held in Seville,
from 4th to 6th June. The aim of this meeting is to promote Protistology in
Europe through scientific exchange. Official language is English. We shall
make up an attractive scientific program and encourage the active
participation of young researchers (pre-, post-docs); the city will provide
participants with nice spring weather, history, and charm.
The scientific program will be divided in three main axes, Evolution of
protists, Biology of free-living protists, and Biology of parasitic protists, with
oral presentations and posters. Topics should be set up according to received
abstracts. If financial support allows it, two granted talks, opening and closing
the meeting, each given by an outstanding protistologue during 60 minutes,
are foreseen. Oral communications will be held in morning and afternoon
sessions. Every session will include one talk, given by a senior researcher
during 45 minutes, five secondary talks, given by young researchers during 20
minutes. All submitted abstracts should be considered as potential for oral
presentations; selection will be carried out by the scientific committee of the
meeting. Non-selected abstracts should be presented as posters. A session for
poster discussion will be included also.
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3. FSFCP, Sevilla '08
Organizing Committee
Grupo Especializado de Protistología (GEP), Sociedad Española de
Microbiología (SEM).
Groupement des Protistologues de Langue Française (GPLF).
The Federation of European Protistological Societies (FEPS), a non-profit
association of national and cross-national European Societies of Protistology
and less formal national groups of Protistology of diverse European countries,
supports the meeting
President: Eduardo Villalobo. Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de
Sevilla. SPAIN. GEP-SEM.
Vice-Presidents: Aurelio Serrano. Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y
Fotosíntesis, CSIC, Sevilla. SPAIN. GEP-SEM. Isabelle Desportes Museum
National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris. FRANCE. GPLF.
Scientific Committee
-Dr. Antonio Torres, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla. SPAIN.
-Dr Gabriel Gutiérrez, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla. SPAIN.
-Dr. Federico Valverde, Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, CSIC,
Sevilla. SPAIN.
-Dr. Susana Serrano, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid. SPAIN.
-Dr. Juan Carlos Gutiérrez, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid.
SPAIN.
-Dr. Luis Miguel Ruiz Pérez, Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-
Neyra, CSIC, Granada. SPAIN.
-Dr. Loïc Morin, Université de Paris Sud, Orsay. FRANCE.
-Dr. Anne Baroin-Tourancheau, Université de Paris Sud, CNRS, Orsay.
FRANCE.
-Dr. Purificación López García, Université de Paris Sud, CNRS, Orsay. FRANCE.
-Dr. Nancy Guillén, Institut Pasteur, CNRS, Paris. FRANCE.
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4. FSFCP, Sevilla '08
Abbreviated Scientific Program
Wednesday, 4th June
-12:00-14:00 h. Registration.
-15:00-15:15 h. Welcome talk by Dr. Eduardo Villalobo (President of the Congress),
Dr. Loïc Morin (President of GPLF), and Dr. Aurelio Serrano (President of GEP-SEM).
-15:15-16:15 h. Opening lecture by Dr. Andrés Aguilera.
AFTERNOON, SESSION I. MOLECULAR/CELLULAR BIOLOGY, AND PHYSIOLOGY OF
PARASITIC PROTISTS. Chairperson: Dr. Luis Miguel Ruiz Pérez
-16:30-18:00 h. Oral presentations and discussions.
-18:00-18:30 h. Poster pasting.
-20:00-22:00 h. Welcome cocktail at Patio del Rectorado, Universidad de Sevilla.
Thursday, 5th June.
MORNING, SESSION II. MOLECULAR/CELLULAR BIOLOGY, AND PHYSIOLOGY OF FREE-
LIVING PROTISTS. Chairperson: Dr. Geneviéve Bricheux
-09:00-10:00 h. Main talk by Dr Philippe Bouchard.
-10:00-10:30 h. Coffee break.
-10:30-12:30 h. Oral presentations and discussions.
-12:30-13:30 h. Posters discussion session.
I Jornadas Internacionales de Tratamiento y Reutilización de Aguas Residuales: El
Papel de los Protistas (only in spanish). Dr. Susana Serrano and Dr. Blanca Pérez
Uz. Moderadora: Pilar Calvo
-13:30-15:00 h. Lunch and coffee.
AFTERNOON, SESSION III. ECOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY OF FREE-LIVING PROTISTS.
Chairperson: Dr. Juan Carlos Gutiérrez
-15:00-17:30 h. Conferences on the Role of Protists on Wastewater Treatment and
Reuse.
Dr. Purificación López García, Dr. António Luís Pereira do Amaral and Dr. Lucía
Arregui.
-17:30-19:00 h. Oral presentations and discussions.
-20:30 h. “Tapas tour” in the city centre.
Friday, 6th June
MORNING, SESSION IV. BIOMEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY OF PARASITIC PROTISTS.
Chairperson: Dr. Federico Valverde
-09:00-10:00 h. Main talk by Dr. Naveed Ahmed Khan.
-10:00-10:30 h. Coffee break.
-10:30-12:00 h. Oral presentations and discussions.
-12:00-13:30 h. Posters discussion session.
-13:30-15:00 h. Lunch and coffee.
AFTERNOON, SESSION V. PROTIST EVOLUTION. Chairperson: Dr. Loïc Morin
-15:00-15:15. Closing talk by Dr. Ernesto García López (Vice-president Sociedad
Española de Microbiología)
-15:15-16:00 h. Main talk by Béatrice Lecroq.
-16:00-18:00 h. Oral presentations and discussions.
-18:00-19:00 h. Closing lecture by Dr. David Moreira.
-20:15-21:15 h Visit to Reales Alcázares.
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5. FSFCP, Sevilla '08
Congress Venue
The Congress will be held in Seville (SW, Spain) at
"ESCUELA TÉCNICA SUPERIOR DE INGENIERÍA
INFORMÁTICA (ETSII), UNIVERSIDAD DE SEVILLA",
situated in "Campus Reina Mercedes" (Avenida Reina
Mercedes, 41012 Sevilla). We will meet in the "Salón
de Actos" of the "Escuela", with capacity for more
than 300 people, provided with audiovisual media,
and located in the first floor of the building.
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6. FSFCP, Sevilla '08
INDEX OF ABSTRACTS BY AUTHORS
OPENING LECTURE
Aguilera, Andrés 9
CLOSING LECTURE
Moreira, David 11
SESSION I. MOLECULAR/CELLULAR BIOLOGY, AND PHYSIOLOGY OF
PARASITIC PROTISTS. Chairperson: Luis Miguel Ruiz Pérez
Kohl, Linda 13
López Farfán, Diana 14
Aranguren, Raquel 15
Arroyo, Francisco T. 16
Marques, Adam 17
Marques, Adam 18
Weber, Christian 19
SESSION II. MOLECULAR/CELLULAR BIOLOGY, AND PHYSIOLOGY OF
FREE-LIVING PROTISTS. Chairperson: Geneviève Bricheux
Bouchard, Philippe 21
Baroin-Tourancheau, Anne 22
Ruger Herreros, Carmen 23
Damaj, Raghida 24
Serrano, Aurelio 25-26
Siddiqui, Ruqaiyyah 27
Aubusson-Fleury, Anne 28
Bricheux, Geneviève 29
Calvo, Purificación 30
Gallego, Andrea 31
Palomino Gutiérrez, Carmen 32
SESSION III. ECOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY OF FREE-LIVING PROTISTS
Conferences on the Role of Protists on Wastewater Treatment and
Reuse. Chairperson: Juan Carlos Gutiérrez
López García, Purificación 34
Pereira do Amaral, António Luís 35
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7. FSFCP, Sevilla '08
INDEX OF ABSTRACTS BY AUTHORS
Arregui, Lucía 36
Amaro, Francisco 37
Fajon, Céline 38
Aguilar, María 39
Canals, Oriol 40
Chatzinotas, Antonis 41
Conty, Ana 42
Serrano, Susana 43
SESSION IV. BIOMEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY OF PARASITIC
PROTISTS. Chairperson: Federico Valverde
Khan, Naveed Ahmed 45-46
Guillen, Nancy 47
Siddiqui, Ruqaiyyah 48
Moktar, Norhayati 49
Gestal, Camino 50
Maíllo, Pedro Andrés 51-52
Umar, Nor Aini 53
SESSION V. PROTIST EVOLUTION. Chairperson: Loïc Morin
Lecroq, Béatrice 55
Albi Rodríguez, Tomás 56
Lara, Enrique 57
Valverde, Federico 58
Amar, Laurance 59
Hernández-Piñero, Sara 60
Lecroq, Béatrice 61
Marande, William 62
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8. FSFCP, Sevilla '08
Opening Lecture
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9. Session III, Oral FSFCP, Sevilla '08
Microscopic characterization of activated sludge flocs from
full-scale plants with advanced biological nitrogen removal
systems
Lucía Arregui, Pérez-Uz B, Calvo P, Salvadó H, Fernández N,
Rodriguez E, Zornoza A and Serrano S. Departamento de
Microbiología III, Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
arregui@bio.ucm.es
Protozoa and metazoan are considered good indicators of the
treatment quality in activated sludge systems being
sensitive to physical, chemical and operational processes.
Therefore, it is possible to correlate the predominance of
certain species or groups and operational parameters of the
plant. This work presents a semi-automatic image analysis
procedure for the recognition of the metazoan and protozoa
species most frequently found in WWTP by determining
morphological data and multivariable analysis with
discriminant analysis and neural network techniques. The
non-stalked organisms' identification obtained individual
recognition percentages above 80% with insignificant
misclassification errors (usually bellow 1%) therefore
yielding good overall recognition performances (above 80%).
Furthermore, a closer look revealed a slight
misclassification problem between the Monogononta and
Digononta assessment. Although the overall results were not
satisfactory for the stalked organisms, the identification
ability of the biological indicators Opercularia and V.
microstoma has attained some degree of confidence in
accurately establishing their presence on WWTP.
Furthermore, good identification percentages were obtained
for the most significant Carnivorous and large stalk
Colonial whilst the less significant Vorticella and small
stalk Colonial only attained reasonable identification
percentages. The main protozoa and metazoa groups
(flagellates, ciliates, sarcodines, and metazoa) and
protozoan ciliates (carnivorous, crawling, swimming,
sessile and non-ciliated) recognition attained good overall
recognition performances (above 95%, except for crawling
ciliates), with global protozoa and metazoa groups
assessment around 95%. The overall recognition performance
for the plant operating conditions assessment were quite
fair for the effluent quality, aeration and nitrification
evaluation (above 80%) and good on the sludge age
determination (91.7%). Close related to the overall
results, the assessment of critical conditions such as low
effluent quality, low aeration, and fresh sludge attained
also good overall recognition performance levels around
90%. From these results it may be inferred that the current
methodology can be used to predict at some extent, critical
WWTP conditions in a feasible time period (within few
hours) and without the need of specialized personnel in
protozoology. The acquisition of the protozoa and metazoa
images can be performed in a one to two hours period for a
total of one to two hundred images, whilst the images
treatment, data determination and analysis in two to three
hours.
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