PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference (MMPC) is a well-respected and high-impact scientific meeting that engages junior and established investigators studying microbial pathogenesis in the Midwest Region of the United States. Since the first MMPC convened in 1994 at the University of Iowa, the meeting has been held annually at alternating academic institutions across the Midwest. Between 250 – 350 undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty participate in this meeting annually. The 27th annual MMPC is being hosted by the Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing, Michigan from September 11th – 13th, 2020. This is the second time that the MMPC has been hosted by MSU and the institution is proud to lead and promote excellent science in the Midwest. MMPC constitutes a major scientific venue that supports the development of the next generation of research scientists with special emphasis upon inclusion of women and researchers from underrepresented minority (URM) populations. In addition to providing an interactive and engaging scientific forum for investigators to present their work and establish collaborations, MMPC fosters networking between investigators and institutions across the Midwest. Regional accessibility, low cost, and travel/registration support for 20 selected trainees allows MMPC to attract a diverse group of participants. In keeping with MMPC's rich tradition, 85% of speakers invited to give oral presentations at MMPC 2020 will be graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, or Assistant Professors who are often formally presenting for the first time after establishing their own laboratories. Talks from a smaller number of more established investigators also are planned to encourage networking and collaboration. Five graduate students or postdoctoral fellows will be chosen, based upon the merit of their submitted abstracts, and invited to present their research orally, providing an invaluable opportunity to showcase their research in a collegial and interactive environment. We propose to select 13 additional trainees from abstract submissions for registration waivers, focusing again on merit and URM status. We also plan to provide registration fee waivers to at least 20 URM/female scholars to promote diversity and provide opportunities for exploration of the field of Microbial Pathogenesis. MMPC 2020 also will include an interactive career forum, led by a panel of scientists and educators from small colleges, industry, private companies, and government labs. Finally, MMPC 2020 will feature a keynote presentation by Dr. Bonnie Bassler (Princeton), who will present her latest research on quorum sensing signals and how they relate to biofilm formation, host/pathogen communication, and bacterial pathogenesis. Through these combined activities, MMPC will be supporting a variety of activities that are directly relevant to the missions of the National Institutes of Health.