Due to overwhelming interest, registration for Annual Conference has officially closed as we've reached capacity.
We understand this may be disappointing news for those who haven't registered. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates and reminders for Annual Conference 2025.
The Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2024 will take place Monday 8 April–Thursday 11 April 2024 at Edinburgh International Convention Centre.
The Conference takes place over four days and consists of scientific symposia, workshops, fora, professional development sessions, Prize Lectures, Hot Topics and much more.
Programme at a glance
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 using the hashtag #Microbio24
As part of the preparations for Microbiology Society events due to be held in 2024, the Microbiology Society Council has further discussed the implementation of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 mitigations and has agreed the following:
Personal responsibility:
Attendance at any Microbiology Society event is a personal choice, and Council expects delegates to take personal responsibility for their actions to minimise the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
Ventilation:
The Microbiology Society will continue to work with venues to seek assurance that these are adequately ventilated.
Vaccination and pre-event testing:
We strongly urge all delegates to ensure they are as fully vaccinated as practicable, which we recognise will depend on their age and home country, and to test before travelling to any of our events. Delegates should not attend if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition, should they wish to, delegates should feel comfortable wearing a mask in any of our venues.
Mask usage and lateral flow tests:
A limited number of masks (FFP3) and lateral flow tests will be available upon request at all Microbiology Society events should any delegates wish to use them. However, these will not be routinely supplied.
The Microbiology Society Council will continue to monitor the situation and update these mitigations as required.
No session result(s).
No lecture result(s).
All our exhibition stands have now sold out.
If you have missed out on exhibiting at Conference, there are still a number of sponsorship opportunities available. We would like to invite companies and organisations who are interested to please download our sponsorship pack or contact [email protected] to discuss options.
Exhibition and Sponsorship Opportunities
We are delighted to invite you to participate in the Annual Conference 2024, where over the three days there will be opportunities to network with delegates across all career stages, oral and poster presenters, and authors publishing in our journals.
From making an impact with the Gold, Silver and Bronze packages, through to individual options from our pick and mix, we have a range of options to help you reach and strengthen your connections in this targeted community. Please download our exhibition and sponsorship pack for more details. If you have any questions about the packages available please email [email protected].
Annual Conference 2024 Exhibition and Sponsorship Pack
Annual Conference 2024 talk abstracts book
Annual Conference 2024 Poster abstracts book
Abstract submission for the Microbiology Society Annual Conference is now closed. If you have submitted an abstract it will be reviewed by the session organisers and submitters will be notified of the outcome directly in mid-January 2024.
By submitting an abstract to this meeting, you are indicating to the session organisers your commitment to attend the event.
Abstracts are welcome for any of the following sessions:
Abstracts should be submitted through the Oxford Abstracts system. Both members and non-members of the Microbiology Society are welcome to submit an abstract. Once submissions are closed, these will be reviewed by session Chairs and scientific committee members and you will be informed of the outcome directly. By submitting an abstract to this conference, you are indicating to the session organisers your commitment to attend the event.
Please note that the abstract is the only information session organisers use when deciding whether to accept your work for presentation as an offered oral 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.
Due to overwhelming interest, registration for Annual Conference has officially closed as we've reached capacity.
We understand this may be disappointing news for those who haven't registered.
Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates and reminders for Annual Conference 2025.
Upon registration, you should receive an automated confirmation email. Please contact [email protected] if this has not been received within 24 hours.
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.
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.
Refunds are not provided; however substitutions of attendees can be made at any time before the event by contacting [email protected].
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Time
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Session
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Speaker (where applicable)
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Monday 8 April 2024
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13:00- 13:45
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ERC Grant Writing: How to apply for your next ERC grant
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Alessandra Ferrari
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14:00- 16:30
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Careers Session: Transitions: career paths outside of academia
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Angharad Green
Ashley Otter
Smilla Huzell
Oliver Severn
Joyce Bennett
Rebekah Penrice- Randal
Alain Richard
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16:40-17:20
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Careers Session: Speed Networking
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Careers Session speakers
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Tuesday 09 April 2024
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9:40- 10:10
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Governance Opportunities: Intro to Governance: Getting involved with Committees and Council
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Glyn Owen
Éva Bernadett Bényei Guerrino Macori
Karen Robinson
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| 13:00- 13:45 | EDI Panel : Cultivating diversity: practical ways to make microbiology more inclusive |
Professor Emmanuel Adukwu
Dr Leighann Sherry Elizabeth Wynn
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14:45- 15:45
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Infection Science Award (ISA) 2023 Awardees
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Eva Bernadette Benyei
Ijeoma Okoliegbe
James Shepherd
Neil Cunningham
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16:00-17:15
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Infection Forum: Infection Science Award
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Infection Science Award Finalists
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Wednesday 10 April 2024
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9:40- 10:10
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Champions Showcase
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Arindam Mitra
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10:15- 12:45
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Infection Forum: Infection Science Award
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Infection Science Award Finalists
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13:00- 13:45
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Publishing Fundamentals
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Tamanna Khanom
Dalia Nikadon
Naomi Froude
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Thursday 11 April 2024
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9:40-10:10
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Education and Outreach Network (EON) Higher Education Fellowships
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Leanne Taylor- Smith
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Throughout conference
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Sir Howard Dalton Early Career Microbiologist of the Year Award
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Throughout conference
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Early Career Co-chairing Scheme
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The European Research Council's mission is to encourage the highest quality research in Europe through competitive funding and to support investigator-driven frontier research across all fields, based on scientific excellence.
The ERC is the premier European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. It funds creative researchers of any demographic, to run projects based across Europe.
The ERC offers four core grant schemes: Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants, Advanced Grants and Synergy Grants. With its additional Proof of Concept Grant scheme, the ERC helps grantees to explore the innovation potential of their ideas or research results.
During the grant writing session, useful information will be shared on how to best prepare your ERC grant applications, including tips, dos and don’ts . The session will be followed by Q&A time.
During the career session, delegates will benefit from the varying perspectives and career journeys of invited speakers who have transitioned from academia to industry, government agencies, membership societies and more—they will have the opportunity to further interact with them during the subsequent Speed Networking round.
A brief introduction to the Society's governance structure and how it works to benefit our members. Join the Governance Executive (Glyn Owen) along with some current members of Council and Committees to learn about what they do for the Society and how getting involved could benefit you.
The Infection Science Award is an exchange scheme that facilitates the most promising trainee and early career presenters from the Federation of Infection Societies (FIS) Annual Conference (Infectious Disease Futures session) to present at the Microbiology Society Annual Conference (Infection Forum) and vice versa. The Award aims to support the exchange of ideas between the two meetings and the career development of early career researchers and trainee scientists and doctors by exposing them to new audiences and networks.
The Champions’ Showcase will feature the Society’s Champions discussing their experiences taking part in the Scheme and how it has benefited both them and the Society, with a particular focus on the importance of international collaborations. The Scheme aims to raise awareness of the Microbiology Society and microbiology. Champions do this in their local area by initiating activities and events of their own or participating in Society-led activities.
This year’s conference will feature a first of its kind session on Publishing Fundamentals: a workshop in which our journals’ editors will take delegates through some of the basics of the publishing process and how to ensure that they produce journal-worthy papers.
The Education and Outreach Network emphasises aspects of learning or teaching microbiology as well as any aspect of engaging a wider audience with microbiology. The Network’s symposium this year will take particular interest in the topics of sustainability, artificial intelligence, the use of game-enhanced learning or antimicrobial resistance and welcomes colleagues in any setting e.g. clinicians, technicians, those in industry, etc.
The EC-Co-Chairing scheme offers selected EC Forum members an insightful professional development opportunity to learn about being a session chair from more experienced colleagues. Co-Chairs will receive a letter of thanks from the EC Forum Executive Committee confirming that they participated in the Co-Chairing Scheme and will be recognised in the conference programme.
The Sir Howard Dalton Early Career Microbiologist of the Year prize recognises and rewards excellence in science communication by a member in the early stages of their career. With the new set up, the Competition will be split between talks and posters. Talk presentations will be judged by division chairs while poster and flash talks will be judged by the Early Career Forum Executive Committee.
Accreditations This event has been approved by the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) for 18 CPD credits (excluding refreshment breaks), accredited by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) for 140 CPD credits and endorsed by the Institute of Biomedical Sciences.
The conference will take place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC):
150 Morrison Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 8EE
By car
If you are travelling using a sat nav, please use the postcode EH3 8EE. The main entrance is 150 Morrison Street.
By air
The Airlink 100 operates a frequent bus service (every 10 minutes at peak times) between Edinburgh Airport and the city centre, with designated stops en route. The service starts at 04:30 and runs until 00:22 at night, with the journey taking 20 minutes. Tickets cost £4.50 for a single and £7.50 for a return. Delegates are advised to disembark at Haymarket Railway Station and to follow signs for EICC on foot (a 5-minute walk).
The N22 bus also departs from outside the Airport entrance and runs every half an hour through the night until the Airlink service starts again. For more information about these services visit www.flybybus.com.
By Tram
Edinburgh Trams run between the Airport and York Place every 8-10 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 12-15 minutes on Sundays. The closest tram stop to the EICC is at Haymarket Station. Please visit the Edinburgh Trams website for more details.
By rail
Edinburgh has two railway stations:
Waverley Station, which is 1.3 miles from EICC, is the city's main railway station and has direct routes to many cities across the country, including over 25 daily departures from London.
Haymarket Station, which is just 0.4 miles from EICC, is a stop for many commuters and some UK train routes. Please ensure that you check with your rail network provider to find out if your train will stop at Haymarket or Waverley.
By bus
Edinburgh's main bus terminal is located at St Andrew's Square. Visit Lothian Buses for more information on local bus services.
Coach
For information about travel by coach please visit the National Express website.
There are many car parks within close walking distance of the EICC. Please see the EICC website for more details.
To support you in securing your accommodation we provide links to our booking and accommodation services via First Choice.
First Choice 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] at any time.
The Society is again teaming up with Nipperbout to provide a free crèche at the Annual Conference 2024. The crèche will be available to all children of delegates between the ages of 0 and 12 years.
All registered delegates will be offered the opportunity to make use of these free childcare services, which will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Parents: how to register for a creche place
In order to register, visit the Nipperbout portal.
Existing account holders who have already used the system can log into their existing account and register for the event using the event code: MSA080423 under Events and Sessions.
Members who have not used the system before can create an account by clicking register, completing the form and entering the event code: MSA080423. You will then be able to request a place for your child in the creche and create your password.
Booking is on a first-come, first-served basis. Confirmation of your booking will be sent prior to the conference.
Please note that you are entering into an agreement with Nipperbout and not the Microbiology Society.
Nipperbout is an award-winning event childcare company with over 25 years of experience. For more information, please visit the Nipperbout website. If you have any queries about this service, please contact: [email protected].
For further information, please contact: [email protected].
The Microbiology Society Annual Conference is a key feature in the calendar of a microbiologist – 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.
The Early Career (EC) Forum Executive Committee will be hosting an evening of interactive games and networking on Monday 8 April 2024. With complimentary buffet supported by the Microbiology Society. Whether it's your first time at Conference and you'd like to meet new people and brush up on your networking skills, or you'd just like to come and enjoy an evening of fun and socialising, be sure to join this event.
Join the waiting list
Members of the Society, led by the Members Panel, invite you to join the first ever Disabled and Neurodivergent Members social at Annual Conference. All members of the Society, at any career stage, who identify as disabled and/or neurodivergent (e.g. autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, dyspraxic and more) are welcome, irrespective of whether they have a formal diagnosis, are awaiting diagnosis or self-identify. Light refreshments will be provided by the venue’s vegan cafe with generous support from the Microbiology Society.
Secure your tickets
After two years of successful and highly-praised LGBTQ+ networking events, Society Champions and Members Panel members have come together to organise a third instalment at Annual Conference 2024 in Edinburgh, UK. This year there will also be a Trans and Nonbinary pre-meet before the main event, which can be booked in addition, via the same booking link.
Join our members for an evening of fun, networking and celebration over soft drinks and vegan nibbles, from 20:00–21:30 on Tuesday 9 April 2024. The pre-meet for our Trans and Nonbinary members will run beforehand, 19:30–20:00.
Join the waiting list
Calling all dancers, music lovers, and anyone looking for a rip-roaring good time! Get ready to stomp your boots and swing your partners at our upcoming Ceilidh! It's a chance to let loose, make new friends, and experience the rich culture of Scotland.
Guests will enjoy a welcome drink, followed by traditional ceilidh dancing with our live ceilidh band and caller.
Secure your tickets
It's quiz time! Ready to unleash your inner quiz champion? Gather your troops, book your tickets, and prepare to flex your intellectual muscles!
The quiz will be held in the Orchardfield Suite at the Doubletree by Hilton Edinburgh City Centre and your ticket includes a welcome drink.
Secure your tickets
Join the Society's Education and Outreach Network for an evening of fun and games! We will be hosted by the Games Hub Edinburgh, which is just a 10-minute walk from the conference centre. This venue is wheelchair-accessible via the ground floor entrance. The event starts at 19:00 but please feel free to arrive later and drop in and out throughout the event. Reasonably priced food and drink are available to purchase at the venue if you wish (toasties, paninis, burgers, hot and cold drinks etc). We would encourage those attending to bring any microbiology-themed games with you!
Join the waiting list