Overview
The Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2027 will take place Monday 12 April – Thursday 15 April at the ICC Birmingham.
The Conference takes place over four days and consists of scientific symposia, workshops, fora, professional development sessions, Prize Lectures, Hot Topics and much more.
Further information will be announced in the build-up to the meeting on our social media channels, and you can follow us on Twitter @MicrobioSoc and on Bluesky @microbiologysociety.org using the hashtag #Microbio27
Commercial publisher attendance at Annual Conference
The Microbiology Society is a charitable membership organisation and our Annual Conference is run for the benefit of our members and the wider microbiology community. This event is supported by revenue generated from our journals. We therefore request that any delegates working for commercial publishers or competing Society publishers do not engage in any promotional or commissioning work for their own journals while at the meeting. If delegates do engage in any promotional activities, they may be asked to leave the event.
Sessions
A wide range of sessions will be on offer to delegates at Annual Conference, including broad-scope Fora and focused symposia, as well as various professional development and Get Involved activities.
You can explore many of these sessions below, with the full programme available soon.
AI for Microbiology - Monday 12 April (PM)
Microbiology produces vast and increasingly complex datasets, yet extracting robust and biologically meaningful insights remains a major challenge. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) approaches offer powerful tools to enhance data analysis and to tackle complex scientific questions relating to microorganisms and their environments. ML methods are now routinely embedded within omics pipelines and are also being applied to areas such as antimicrobial discovery, protein and RNA structure prediction, zoonotic risk forecasting, microbiome research, surveillance and high-throughput culturomics. This session will showcase a range of current AI and ML applications spanning diverse areas of microbiology and will consider how these technologies can be used to deepen our understanding of microbial systems and processes. The session will also explore the challenges associated with the use of AI in microbiology, including interpretability, generalisability, data integration, and translation into clinical, agrifood and public health settings.
Bacterial genome architecture as a driver of gene expression - Wednesday 14 April (AM)
This session will examine bacterial genome architecture as a crucial, yet often underappreciated, layer of genetic organisation, and its role in shaping replication dynamics, gene expression, and phenotypic outcomes. Advances in methodologies, including Hi-C proximity ligation and ChIP-seq, have generated new insights into how both local and distal genomic contexts influence transcriptional and translational processes. We welcome abstracts that employ these and other innovative approaches to investigate how regulation of genome accessibility influences gene expression.
This session includes opportunities for flash talk presentations, for which students are strongly encouraged to apply.
Bench to bedside: modern diagnostics - Monday 12 April (PM) & Tuesday 13 April (AM)
This session highlights the full diagnostic pipeline, from fundamental discovery to clinical deployment, through a focused panel discussion bringing together academia, industry, and healthcare practitioners. Building on advances in basic science that reveal the molecular basis of pathogenesis, speakers will explore how innovations such as metagenomic sequencing, rapid syndromic testing, and AI-enabled platforms are translated into actionable tools on the ward. Emphasis will be placed on practical implementation, including regulatory pathways, scalability, and alignment with global initiatives such as the 100 Days Mission.
We invite abstract submissions that showcase how new diagnostics are being applied in real-world settings, including clinical case studies, implementation research, and evaluation across bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic diseases. Contributions addressing hard-to-reach populations, and pandemic preparedness are particularly encouraged, as are forward-looking studies on emerging targets and disruptive technologies shaping the future diagnostic landscape.
Careers Session - Thursday 15 April (AM)
Full description TBC.
Co-infections - Tuesday 13 April (PM)
Humans and animals are continuously exposed to bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic pathogens, making co- and poly-infections common. These interactions may occur both within and across kingdoms, altering disease severity, transmission, and clinical outcome. Well-characterised examples include HIV–tuberculosis, HIV-Leishmaniasis, pneumococcal-influenza and other respiratory viral coinfections, which can predispose individuals to secondary opportunistic pathogens such as Aspergillus. We welcome abstracts from anyone working on co-infections in both humans and animals, spanning mechanistic, clinical, epidemiological, and translational studies.
Education and Outreach Symposium - Monday 12 April (PM) & Tuesday 13 April (AM)
We welcome abstracts on all aspects of microbiology education, learning, and public engagement. Submissions may explore innovative teaching practices, outreach initiatives, curriculum development, or strategies for engaging wider audiences with microbiology. This year, we particularly encourage abstracts related to AI and augmented learning, antimicrobial resistance and low-budget or resource-conscious projects.
Submissions highlighting One Health challenges or cross-sector collaborative initiatives are also highly welcome. We encourage contributions from colleagues across all sectors and settings, including healthcare, academia, industry, laboratory science, technical practice, and community engagement.
Submissions highlighting One Health challenges or cross-sector collaborative initiatives are also highly welcome. We encourage contributions from colleagues across all sectors and settings, including healthcare, academia, industry, laboratory science, technical practice, and community engagement.
Environmental, Applied and Industrial Microbiology Forum - Tuesday 13 April (AM & PM)
This forum includes offered papers on any area and any organism relevant to environmental, ecological, applied and industrial microbiology, including (non-human) host–microbe communities and interactions, marine and freshwater microbiology, soil and geomicrobiology, air-, cryo- and extremophile microbiology, climate change, biotechnology, bio-processing and bio-engineering, food microbiology, and other applied and industrial microbial processes, including microbe-mediated biodegradation and bioremediation.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion - Monday 12 April (lunchtime)
Full description TBC.
Escherichia coli: From lab workhorse to agent of global disease - Thursday 15 April (AM)
Escherichia coli has proven to be an invaluable research tool and has thus been the focus of more research articles than any other individual species. The widespread interest in E. coli extends beyond its utility as a lab workhorse. This species, recognised by some definitions as also comprising Shigella, is a leading cause of life-threatening infectious disease globally. The explosion in genomics methodologies of late has revealed the mosaic nature of E. coli genomes and highlighted clonal complexes associated with globally disseminated infectious disease. Widespread horizontal transfer drives the evolution of pathovars associated with gastroenteritis, sepsis, cystitis, and meningitis in humans, as well as a host of diseases in animals. This session aims to bring together E. coli researchers from our community to discuss the species in the broadest possible context. We welcome E. coli and Shigella submissions covering Genetics, Genomics, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Synthetic Biology, Metabolism, Physiology, and Therapeutic Development.
Eukaryotic Microbes in Health and the Environment - Monday 12 April (PM) & Tuesday 13 April (AM)
The “Eukaryotic Microbes in Health and the Environment” symposium will explore the diversity, ecology, and impact of microbial eukaryotes, including protists, parasites, fungi, and microalgae, across natural and built environments. The session will highlight their roles in ecosystem function, host–microbe interactions, and disease emergence, spanning environmental reservoirs, water systems, soil, and clinical settings. Contributions addressing their role in disease, resilience to environmental stressors, resistance dynamics, and innovative detection or intervention strategies will be especially welcome.
Food chain microbiology - Wednesday 14 April (PM) & Thursday 15 April (AM)
The “Food chain microbiology” symposium will focus on the role of microbes and their interactions along the food chain. This includes the wide associated areas of interest spanning soil, plant, animal, processing plant and food. The aim is that this session will include phages, prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes and their roles in food production, health, safety, and sustainability. Abstracts covering the application of, and interventions against, microbes in the food chain will be especially welcome.
Food fight! Nutrients in the battle between pathogen and host - Wednesday 14 April (AM & PM)
A pathogen must utilise nutrients to successfully establish infection, and in turn, the host employs defence mechanisms to deprive invading microbes of essential nutrients (nutritional immunity). From metals such as iron and zinc, to carbon and nitrogen sources such as lipids and amino acids, pathogens employ various strategies to sense, acquire and use these vital nutrients from diverse host microenvironments. This session will explore the breadth of microbial strategies to circumvent host nutritional immunity and acquire, metabolise, or hijack host-derived nutrients. Approaches to disrupt or harness these processes for therapeutic benefit/pathogen control will also be considered.
From Description to Mechanism: Functional Insights Across the Microbiome - Wednesday 14 April (AM & PM)
This symposium brings together the breadth of microbiome research under a shared focus on mechanism.
Welcomes work across the full range of microbiome niches. This includes the human microbiome (gut, oral, skin, and respiratory), animal and livestock microbiomes, plant and rhizosphere microbiomes, and environmental systems such as soil, freshwater, marine, and the built environment. We equally welcome work on prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbiota, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protists, as well as viruses and bacteriophage. Across all these niches, the session aims to move beyond compositional description toward an understanding of how microbiomes function and how they causally shape host and ecosystem health.
We particularly encourage abstracts that demonstrate mechanistic or functional insight, whether through gnotobiotic and synthetic community models, multi-omics integration with experimental validation, metabolic or computational modelling, or the manipulative testing of hypotheses in vivo and in vitro. The symposium will combine invited speakers with talks selected from submitted abstracts, with encouragement for early-career researchers.
Genetics and Genomics Forum - Tuesday 13 April (AM & PM)
Genetics and genomics forum will consider offered papers on all aspects of the genes and genomes of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes and their mobile elements, including their sequencing, transcription, translation, regulation, chromosome dynamics, gene transfer, population genetics and evolution, taxonomy and systematics, comparative genomics, metagenomics, bioinformatics, and synthetic biology.
Infection Forum - Wednesday 14 April (AM & PM)
Offered papers (and associated posters) will be presented in areas related to clinical, veterinary and plant infections caused by microbial pathogens. This will include detection and diagnosis, identification, typing and epidemiology, pathogenesis, virulence, host response and immunity, treatment and prevention, antimicrobial agents and resistance, transmission and models of infection.
Knocking Out AMR - Thursday 15 April (AM)
Full description TBC.
Microbes in the respiratory tract: Interactions and Infections - Monday 12 April (PM) & Tuesday 13 April (AM)
This session will focus on bacterial and fungal pathogens of the respiratory tract. We welcome abstract submissions across the full spectrum of research, from mechanisms of virulence and survival in human and animal hosts to interactions with other organisms (including the microbiota and co-infecting pathogens).
Microbes on the Move: One Health Perspectives on Climate-Driven Disease - Wednesday 14 April (PM) & Thursday 15 April (AM)
This session explores, from a One Health angle, how climate change reshapes the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases across human, animal, and environmental interfaces.
We will examine the mechanisms by which rising global temperatures and extreme weather affect the emergence and redistribution of pathogens across bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoan systems, as well as the expansion of vector-borne diseases; the impact of environmental shifts on host-pathogen interactions; and the accelerated spread of antimicrobial resistance within shared ecosystems. This session aims to address the challenges of predicting and mitigating climate-sensitive biological threats and will include invited speakers and speakers selected from submitted abstracts to showcase the latest fundamental, translational, and clinical research in this critical field.
Microbial Physiology, Metabolism and Molecular Biology Forum - Wednesday 14 April (AM & PM)
This forum will consider offered papers on all aspects of microbial (prokaryotic and eukaryotic) metabolism, physiology and molecular biology. This will focus on fundamental and translational research in this area. This would include the metabolism and physiology of bacteria, archaea and eukaryotic microbes, including pathogens; biochemistry and structure of cells, cell growth and division; cell architecture and differentiation; synthesis and transport of macromolecules; ions and small molecules; development signalling and communication, sensing and cellular responses and also how this work informs microbial engineering, antimicrobial drug development, and other potential applications. All speakers will be selected from the submitted abstracts.
Programmable Microbes: Engineering Life for Function, Discovery, and Application - Tuesday 13 April (PM) & Wednesday 14 April (AM)
Microbes are a versatile platform for programmable biology, from synthetic gene circuits and metabolic rewiring to de novo pathway design and whole-cell computing. This session will showcase the latest advances in the bioengineering of all microbes (including bacteria, fungi, and viruses) as tools across fundamental research, applied biotech, medical, and environmental purposes. The topics will include emerging tools for precision genome design, non-canonical amino acid incorporation, orthogonal genetic codes, and dynamic regulation of microbial communities.
RNA in bacteria: From regulation to reprogramming - Wednesday 14 April (PM)
This session will highlight recent advances in bacterial RNA biology, with a focus on how diverse RNA molecules govern gene expression, cellular physiology, and adaptation. Topics will include small regulatory RNAs, riboswitches, RNA–protein interactions, RNA structure and turnover, and RNA-mediated stress responses, as well as the roles of RNA in host association, virulence, and defense against foreign genetic elements. The session will also explore how bacterial regulatory RNAs are being harnessed to engineer synthetic circuits and programmable genetic switches. Together, these themes provide a forward-looking perspective on RNA-based regulation in bacteria, spanning fundamental insights into genetic control and physiology to emerging applications in therapeutics and synthetic biology. This session includes opportunities for flash talk presentations, for which students are strongly encouraged to apply.
Spatially Resolved Microbiology - Thursday 15 April (AM)
Spatial biology is redefining microbiology by mapping host–pathogen interactions, microbial communities, and evolutionary dynamics within their native structural contexts. Moving beyond bulk molecular analyses, recent breakthroughs in spatial transcriptomics, multiplexed proteomics, and AI-driven imaging allow us to track microbial behaviour across diverse scales, from subcellular viral replication factories to complex tissue landscapes. This session will showcase emerging technologies and interdisciplinary approaches reshaping clinical and environmental microbiology. Topics include high-resolution spatial omics, advanced in situ microscopy, and computational modeling of spatial infection dynamics. By uniting tool developers and biological discoverers, this session highlights how spatially resolved architecture uncovers fundamental principles of microbial pathogenesis, cellular rewiring, and antimicrobial resistance.
Virus Forum (parallel sessions) - Tuesday 13 April (PM) & Wednesday 14 April (AM)
We invite submission of abstracts covering the whole spectrum of virology to our Virus Forums (formerly known as Workshops). We are interested in studies that cover the whole range of virus research (eukaryotic and prokaryotic) from in silico, to wet lab, to in vivo studies, right through to public health and interventions. Virus forums will run concurrently with 2 sessions on Tuesday PM and 3 sessions Wednesday AM and so we ask submitters to highlight 1-2 themes they would like their abstract to be considered for. The highest quality abstracts may be selected to speak in one of the two Virus Symposia alongside invited speakers, if relevant to the topic.
Virus Symposium: Antiviral Immunity Across the Tree of Life - Monday 12 April (PM) & Tuesday 13 April (AM)
Antiviral defence is often framed through the lens of animal immunity, yet recent discoveries in bacteriophage defence have revealed a much deeper and broader evolutionary landscape. This session will explore the molecular roots of antiviral resistance from prokaryotes, through to plants and animals, highlighting how ancient cellular strategies have been repurposed and diversified across the tree of life. From newly characterised phage defence systems to innate immune signalling and antiviral restriction factors, this session will examine how comparative biology is reshaping our understanding of immunity. The session will bring together virologists working in disparate host systems to consider both fundamental principles and translational opportunities. By connecting microbial defence with the evolution of eukaryotes’ immunity, this session aims to broaden how biologists interested in immunity think about antiviral systems.
Virus Symposium: Viruses in Unexpected Places: Infection of Specialised Tissues - Wednesday 14 April (PM) & Thursday 15 April (AM)
Viruses are often thought of in terms of their interactions with the host at portals of entry and exit, but viral infections can establish themselves across immunologically distinct compartments throughout the body, including the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, heart, and reproductive tissues. This symposium examines the mechanisms and consequences of viral infection in specialised tissues. Far from silent, such infections drive chronic inflammation, perturb tissue homeostasis and the microbiome, and sustain long-term immune dysfunction — illustrating how viral persistence in specialized compartments shapes the trajectory of chronic diseases such as neurodegeneration, cardiomyopathy, autoimmunity and post-viral syndromes.
Abstracts
Abstract submission for the Microbiology Society Annual Conference is now open and closes at 23:59 GMT on 10 November 2026.
Submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the session organisers and submitters will be notified of the outcome directly in December 2026.
Abstracts should be submitted through the Oxford Abstracts system. Both Microbiology Society members and non-members are welcome to submit an abstract. By submitting an abstract to this meeting, you are indicating to the session organisers your commitment to attend the event.
Abstracts will be welcome for any of the following sessions:
Fora – broad sessions featuring offered talks
Environmental, Applied & Industrial Microbiology Forum
Genetics and Genomics Forum
Infection Forum
Microbial Physiology, Metabolism and Molecular Biology Forum
Virus Forum (parallel sessions)
Symposia – specific sessions featuring offered talks and invited speakers
AI for Microbiology
Bacterial genome architecture as a driver of gene expression
Bench to bedside: modern diagnostics
Co-infections
Education and Outreach Symposium
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Escherichia coli: From lab workhorse to agent of global disease
Eukaryotic Microbes in Health and the Environment
Food chain microbiology
Food fight! Nutrients in the battle between pathogen and host
From Description to Mechanism: Functional Insights Across the Microbiome
Knocking Out AMR – POSTERS ONLY
Microbes in the respiratory tract: Interactions and Infections
Microbes on the Move: One Health Perspectives on Climate-Driven Disease
Programmable Microbes: Engineering Life for Function, Discovery, and Application
RNA in bacteria: From regulation to reprogramming
Spatially Resolved Microbiology
Abstract Guidance
Abstracts must be a maximum of 250 words. The Society has produced a guide to give delegates some tips on how to write a great abstract, which can be downloaded below:
How to... write a great abstract
Please note that the abstract is the only information session organisers use when deciding whether to accept your work for presentation as an offered talk or poster. If accepted, it will be published in the online programme or poster abstract book for the conference – so think carefully about what needs to be included.
Registration
Registration for Annual Conference is now open.
Registration fees
The Microbiology Society's Annual Conference is the UK's largest annual gathering of microbiologists, and we welcome everyone from across our community to Birmingham in 2027.
Members get heavily subsidised registration fees for Annual Conference and other Society events – both online and in-person. Join now to enjoy these discounts and many other opportunities that are designed for microbiologists at all stages of their careers.
Get more from the full Conference experience
Make the most of Annual Conference by joining us for the full event. You’ll have access to the complete scientific programme, more opportunities to network and a lower cost per day than the shorter registration options.
|
Registration Category |
Monday 12 April PM & Tuesday 13 April |
Tuesday 13 April & Wednesday 14 April |
Wednesday 14 April & Thursday 15 April AM |
Full conference Best Value |
|
|
£435 |
£580 |
£435 |
£840 |
|
|
£190 |
£250 |
£190 |
£364 |
|
|
£500 |
£665 |
£500 |
£964 |
|
|
£165 |
£220 |
£165 |
£318 |
|
Non-member |
£770 |
£1,020 |
£770 |
£1,486 |
What's included in your registration fee?
An event app (please note, this is an in-person meeting)
Admission to all scientific sessions
Admission to break and lunchtime information and career development sessions (excl. ticketed events on the morning of Monday 12 April)
Full access to the trade exhibition
Full access to scientific poster sessions
Buffet lunch (Tuesday 13 April and Wednesday 14 April only)
Tea and coffee breaks
Access to an online abstract book
Certificate of Attendance (on request)
Access to CPD
Registration confirmation
Upon registration, you should receive an automated confirmation email. Please contact [email protected] if this has not been received within 24 hours.
Visa applications
If you need a letter of invitation for a visa application, we will be happy to supply this after we have received full payment. To find out if you need a visa to visit the UK, please visit the UK visa and immigration website.
It is the policy of the Microbiology Society not to supply an invitation letter to any delegate without payment and we will not reply to any request from an unregistered delegate. When the delegate has paid, the Conference office will email back a confirmation/receipt letter and, upon request, a letter of invitation, which may be used to obtain the necessary visa.
Please note that all conference delegates are responsible for their own travel and visa arrangements; the Microbiology Society will not take any responsibility for travel or visa problems.
Payment information
All registration fees must be paid in full before arrival at the conference. Any outstanding registration fees must be paid before admittance will be granted to the conference.
Cancellations
Refunds are not provided; however substitutions of attendees can be made at any time before the event by contacting [email protected].
Grants
Applications for the Society Events Grant to support members attending Annual Conference 2027 are expected to open in December 2026.
Grants will act as a contribution towards registration, travel, and accommodation expenses only.
Eligibility requirements:
Eligible membership categories:
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Full Member
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Full Concessionary Member
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Postgraduate Student Members
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Undergraduate Student Members
Minimum membership period required:
A minimum membership period of one year and two consecutive membership payments is required. Postgraduate and Undergraduate with three year memberships will need to have completed one year (three-year membership payment constitutes consecutive payment).
Please read all information carefully on the Society Events Grant page before submitting an application for funding.
Destination, Accommodation, Travel & Crèche
Annual Conference 2027 will take place at Birmingham International Convention Centre (The ICC).
Venue address:
8 Centenary Square
Birmingham
B1 2EA
Destination
Birmingham is a vibrant and well-connected city, known for its architecture, extensive canal network and diverse cultural scene. If you're planning to extend your stay around the Conference, you'll find a wide range of museums, galleries, restaurants and cultural attractions to explore.
Accommodation
To support you in securing your accommodation, we provide links to our booking and accommodation services via Delegate Hotels.
Delegate Hotels have secured negotiated rates at hotels to suit a broad range of budgets.
If you require any further information for personal or group hotel bookings, please email [email protected].
Please be aware: We are aware of unofficial emails from groups or individuals claiming to arrange accommodation for Annual Conference 2027. To avoid scams or invalid bookings, please only book through our official accommodation partner, Delegate Hotels. If you receive an unsolicited approach offering accommodation or requesting payment or card details, please do not engage with it and contact us if you are unsure.
Travel
Birmingham is well connected by road, rail, and air. The ICC Birmingham is conveniently located within a 15-minute walk of the city centre.
Travel by car
Birmingham is easily accessible from the UK’s motorway networks, close to the M6, M5 and M42.
Visitors arriving by car will need to be aware of Birmingham's Clean Air Zone. The ICC and associated visitor car parks are located within this area. Daily charges apply to vehicles entering the zone which do not comply with the zone's criteria. For further information, and to check if your car is Clean Air Zone compliant, please click here.
Travel by train
There are four Birmingham rail stations providing fast and frequent connections to both local and national destinations.
Birmingham New Street is the closest station to the ICC and provides connecting services to London’s Euston station and many other major towns and cities across the UK. Services to London Marylebone are served by Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill.
Birmingham International sits right alongside Birmingham Airport.
Travel by plane
Birmingham Airport is the only UK airport with a train station connected to the terminal, which means it takes just a ten-minute train ride to get into Birmingham New Street. There is also a taxi rank directly outside the airport.
Crèche
The Society is once again working with Nipperbout to provide a free crèche at Annual Conference 2027 for children of registered delegates aged 0 to 12 years.
Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
How to register your child
Full registration instructions are available in the Nipperbout Parent/Carer Guide.
To register, visit the Nipperbout registration portal.
If you already have a Nipperbout account:
Log in to your existing account and add Annual Conference 2027 under Events & Sessions using the event code MIC120427.
If you are new to Nipperbout:
Select Register to create an account and enter the event code MIC120427. You will then be able to add your child, select the childcare sessions required and submit your registration.
The registration deadline is 29 March 2027. Registrations must be submitted by this date to be considered for a childcare place. Nipperbout will confirm your booking before the conference.
Please note that childcare arrangements are made directly between you and Nipperbout, rather than the Microbiology Society.
Nipperbout is an award-winning event childcare provider with more than 25 years of experience. For more information, visit the Nipperbout website. If you have any questions about registration or the childcare service, please contact [email protected].
Accessibility and inclusivity
Further details about the accessibility and inclusivity of the event will be provided in due course.
In the meantime, details regarding the venue's accessibility, are available on The ICC website.
Please ensure you notify us of any dietary or accessibility requirements on your registration form to ensure these are catered for and have full access to the event.
Social Programme
The Microbiology Society Annual Conference a key event in the microbiology calendar – from undergraduates to those more established in their career.
The scientific event is designed to provide ample opportunities for formal networking and the social programme offers informal opportunities for delegates to make new friends, forge future collaborations and have fun.
Details of social events will be posted on this page in the coming months.
Exhibition & Sponsorship
Industry opportunities
ExhibitionPLUS is an initiative designed to help you discover other ways members engage with the Society and provide you with more opportunities to grow your network and customer base.
Annual Conference 2027 offers opportunities for industry over three days to network with delegates across all career stages, oral and poster presenters, and authors publishing in our journals.
Exhibit at Annual Conference 2027