Save the date 16–18 Sept 2026

Welcome to the VAAM Symposium 2026

Symposium of the VAAM special interest group “Biology of bacteria producing natural products”

Date:
16.09.2026 – 18.09.2026

Program times:
Wed, 16 September 2026, 13:00 – Fri, 18 September 2026, 12:30 (all times CEST, UTC+2)

Venue:

Johann Wolfgang Goethe University

Otto-Stern-Zentrum 60438 Frankfurt am Main

The VAAM Symposium “Biology of bacteria producing natural products” 2026 provides a forum for researchers working on the biosynthesis of bacterial natural products. Recognizing the fundamental importance of bacterial natural products for medicine and biotechnology, the symposium focuses on current research addressing genome mining, the biosynthesis, regulation, and functional roles of bacterial specialized metabolites . The program will feature keynote lectures alongside short talks by early career researchers and poster sessions. Dedicated discussion periods will promote scientific exchange and networking across disciplines and career stages, with particular emphasis on early-career scientists.

Symposium Overview

Scientific Scope

Topics covered at the symposium include, but are not limited to:

  • Microbial natural product biosynthesis and regulation
  • Genome Mining
  • Metabolomics
  • Metabolic engineering
  • Chemical ecology and biological functions of metabolites
  • Mode of action of microbial natural products
  • Applications in the pharmaceutical (e.g., infectious dieseases) and agricultural industry (e.g., crop protection)

Target Audience

The symposium is intended for:

  • PhD students (fee: 180 EUR)
  • Postdoctoral researchers (fee: 250 EUR)
  • Early-career and established scientists (fee: 250 EUR)
  • Industry scientists and professionals (fee: 250 EUR)

Registration deadline: 16 August

The registration fee includes participation in all scientific sessions, conference materials, coffee breaks, lunches, and the conference dinner.

Call for Abstracts

Researchers are invited to submit abstracts for:

  • Poster Presentations
    Submission deadline: 16 August 2026
  • Short Presentations
    Submission deadline: 24 July 2026

Early-career researchers are invited to submit abstracts for short talks and poster presentations.
Short talks and posters form the heart of our scientific program, offering a platform to showcase recent work, gain expert feedback, and spark lively discussions. PhD students and postdocs are especially encouraged to apply.

Program Highlights

TThe symposium will run from Wednesday, 16 September 2026, 13:00 CEST (UTC+2) to Friday, 18 September 2026, 12:30 CEST (UTC+2). Please refer to the preliminary program for an overview of the scientific sessions, keynote lectures, poster presentations, and networking events.

Keynote Speakers

Prof. Dr. Michelle Chang

Plenary speaker

Prof. Dr. Max Cryle

Plenary speaker

Dr. Lihan Zhang

Plenary speaker

Travel and Accommodation

The conference will take place at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt, located at the Otto-Stern-Zentrum (OSZ) on the Riedberg Campus. The red marker on the map indicates the exact location of the venue and provides guidance for arrival on site.

Travel Information

The Uni Campus Riedberg station is located north of the campus.

  1. From Frankfurt Central Station (Hauptbahnhof):
    Take S1–S9 via Taunusanlage to Hauptwache, then change to U8 towards Riedberg and get off at Uni Campus Riedberg.
  2. From Frankfurt Airport (Regional Train Station):
    Take S8 or S9 via Frankfurt Central Station and Taunusanlage to Hauptwache, then change to U8 towards Riedberg and get off at Uni Campus Riedberg.

Hotel Recommendations

Two convenient hotel options are available for conference participants.

  1. The Relexa Hotel Frankfurt am Main is a comfortable 4-star Hotel located in the Riedberg district, close to public transport and the university campus, offering spacious rooms, free Wi-Fi, wellness facilities and air conditioning.
  2. As an alternative, the B&B Hotel Frankfurt-Nord provides a modern, budget-friendly stay with well-designed rooms, free Wi-Fi, air conditioning and convenient public transport connections.

We recommend choosing accommodation in the Frankfurt-Riedberg or Frankfurt-Nord area. Hotels located near Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (main train station) are generally not recommended due to their distance from the conference venue and the surrounding environment.

Further information

Award

During the symposium, the Hendrik Wolff PhD Award will be presented for the best PhD thesis in the special interest group”Biology of bacteria natural producing natural products“

Applications are open to candidates who completed their PhD at a German university between July 2025 and July 2026. Please submit your application by 31 July 2026 to Prof. Dr. Helge Bode (helge.bode@mpi-marburg.mpg.de).

More information about the scope, eligibility, and application requirements can be found in the attached PDF. In addition, prizes will be presented for the best poster presentation and the best short talk, recognizing outstanding contributions by early-career researchers.

Organization

The VAAM Symposium 2026 is organized by the VAAM special interest group “Biology of bacteria producing natural products”,
a section of the German Association for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM). The symposium is hosted and organized locally in 2026 by the  CrüsemannLab and the HelfrichLab at Goethe University Frankfurt.

Sponsorship

We invite companies and organizations interested in microbial natural product research to support the symposium and to engage with an international community of early-career and established scientists.

Sponsorship contributes to the scientific program and provides visibility within a highly specialized research community.

We thank our sponsors

Contact

For general inquiries and informations, please contact:

vaam.frankfurt2026@gmail.com

For specific matters only, please contact:

Sophie Moktadir:

moktadir@bio.uni-frankfurt.de

Valerie Streek:

streek@em.uni-frankfurt.de

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VAAM “Biology of bacteria producing natural products” Symposium 2026 Frankfurt am Main

© VAAM2026 at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main