VAAM-Young Scientist Network & VAAMentoring
Career Perspectives for Microbiologists:
From PhD to Industry, Academia and Public Service
This symposium, organized by the recently established “VAAM Young scientist network”, enables young scientists to introduce themselves and their research to the VAAM community. The network invites both young and especially also senior researchers to attend to introductory talks and engage in a discussion on the challenges that young scientists face in today’s research environment.
Monday, 13:30 – 15:00, Location: Lecture hall F | HS104a
DFG Antragsberatung & DFG Lecture
DFG Lecture - Writing a proposal: Programs and advice to foster your career
Tuesday, 15:00 – 15:30, Lecture Hall D (Henry-Ford-Building)
Interested participants in a consultation are asked to refer to the check-in desk in order to register.
Monday, 15:00 – 17:00, Conference Room III (Henry-Ford-Building)
Tuesday, 16:00 – 17:30, Conference Room III (Henry-Ford-Building)
Workshop for Applied Sciences (HAW-Workshop)
Universities of Applied Sciences (HAWs) are a special type of university in Germany. This workshop will present current, exciting work that clearly demonstrates the special character of HAW research: sophisticated, microbiological and/or biotechnological projects that have a clear application focus and are often carried out in direct cooperation with an application partner. The workshop is aimed at anyone interested in application-oriented microbiological research, e.g., prospective doctoral candidates, but also companies looking for cooperation partners.
Tuesday, 9:15-10:45, Lecture hall A
Scientific Publishing (Panel Discussion)
Panellists:
Prof. Bart Thomma (University of Cologne)
Prof. Anke Becker (Marburg University)
Prof. Kai Papenfort (Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena)
Prof. Dirk Tischler (Ruhr University Bochum) (Chairman)
Data, results, opinions and ideas enter the field by scientific publishing. Hence, research findings are evaluated, disseminated and preserved in the community. It is an essential part of our daily “academic” business and plays a central role in advancing knowledge by enabling researchers to share data, build upon prior work, and to discuss science. The way we publish, and the available options have changed drastically in the last decades. And still, we follow our traditional system to secure high standards. This is organized around the peer-review process employed by journals handled by academic publishers and professional societies. The system relies on editorial oversight and expert review to assess the quality, originality, and significance of submitted manuscripts. Here, it should be noted that much of this work is done pro bono by the community – so by all of us. Therefore, it is of major importance to involve early career scientists as early as possible to understand the needs, chances and challenges of scientific publishing. This includes for example topics such as journal selection, peer review process, editor roles and work, feedback and communication among others.
Monday, 15:30-16:30, Lecture hall E | HS104 (Business & Economics Building)
Industry Academia Panel (IAP):
AI in Industry and Academia – Transforming Microbiology and Biotechnology
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping microbiology and biotechnology across industry and academia. By enabling the rapid analysis of complex datasets, AI accelerates the development of innovative solutions in areas such as protein engineering, strain optimization, and metabolic modeling. Machine learning algorithms reveal patterns in genomic, metabolomic, and fermentation data, shortening discovery timelines and improving product development processes.
This session will showcase how AI tools are being applied in practice, featuring two speakers – one from academia, one from industry - who will present real-world applications. Both examples highlight AI’s potential in tackling challenges with significant relevance for health-related applications. Following the presentations, a panel discussion will explore the opportunities and friction points of integrating AI into microbiology and biotechnology.
Tuesday, 15:30-17:00, Lecture hall E | HS104 (Business & Economics Building)
NFDI4Microbiota
Panel discussion: Wet-Lab Meets AI – How and Where?
Organized by NFDI4Microbiota, this panel discussion explores how artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping microbiological research, from data analysis to experimental design and wet-lab practice. The panel highlights opportunities, challenges, and responsibilities of AI integration, emphasizing FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data as a key prerequisite for trustworthy and reproducible AI-driven science.
Monday, 13:30-14:30, Lecture hall B
17 Special Group Symposia, 15 Short Lectures, 13 Plenary Talks and much more
Sunday-Wednesday