The FoodMicro 2018 conference will take place on 3-6 September 2018 in the Henry Ford Building of the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.

The field of food microbiology has changed rapidly in the last decades and new methods help scientists all over the world to master the challenges of the 21st century. Socioeconomic changes cause also changes in food production, supply, and handling. New problems concerning spoilage and transmission of pathogens occur worldwide. Moreover, the area of functional and novel foods gains importance and probiotic bacteria are in the focus of international research. To merge these different research areas this year’s chosen theme is “Biodiversity of Foodborne Microbes”.

Key topics for abstracts

A. Exploring biodiversity in microbial ecosystems along the food chain

• Food-associated microbial ecosystems: in the primary production environment: soil, water, feed
• Microbial ecosystems in the food processing environment: house microbiota, biofilms
• Microbial ecosystems of foods: meat, fish, insect and plant based foods, fermented foods
• Influence of food on the oral microbiome
• Influence of foods on the gastrointestinal microbiome

B. Ecology and interactions in food-associated microbial communities

• Communication /quorum sensing
• Impact of antibiotic production and antibiotic resistance
• Mechanisms of stress adaptation in the food processing environment
• Evolution of virulence
• Catabolic, anabolic, and metabolic networks of foodborne microbial communities

C. State of the Art techniques for the analysis of biodiversity and microbial interactions of foodborne microbes

• NGS techniques, metabolomics, proteomics

D. Impact of interventions during food production on microbial biodiversity

• Food hygiene
• Process hygiene
• Predictive microbiology
• Advanced processing and preservation methods
• Protective cultures, biocontrol

E) Microbiological spotlights (open topics)

• Food-borne bacterial pathogens
• Antibiotic resistance
• Outbreaks
• Microbial Toxins in Food
• Fungi / mycotoxins
• Foodborne Viruses
• Protozoa

F) 3rd FMTGN symposium “Food Microbiology Education in Practice”

Important dates

Abstract submission deadline: 9 April 2018

Early bird registration date: 31 May 2018