Date: March 14–17, 2027
Venue: Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany

Welcome to VAAM 2027

We are delighted to invite you to the Annual Conference 2027 of the Association for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM) in Marburg – one of the premier places in Germany for cutting-edge research in microbiology. This marks the third time VAAM has chosen Marburg as its host city, following highly successful conferences in 1989 and 2015.

The year 2027 holds special significance for Marburg. The Philipps-Universität Marburg celebrates its 500th anniversary, and the first Chair in Microbiology at the Department of Biology, established by Prof. Rolf Thauer, was founded approximately 50 years ago. Today, Marburg offers a dynamic, highly collaborative, and internationally visible microbiological research environment, encompassing the Philipps-Universität, the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, the SYNMIKRO research hub, the Microcosm Earth Early Career Center, the DFG-funded Cluster of Excellence "Microbes-for-Climate," and the Microbial Nucleotide Metabolism consortium. Together, these institutions provide a solid foundation and cutting-edge infrastructure for interdisciplinary collaboration.

The VAAM Annual Conference is more than a scientific meeting – it is a gathering of colleagues, collaborators, and friends. We aim to provide a forum across all career stages to exchange ideas, discuss recent advances, strengthen existing connections, and establish new collaborations that will drive microbiology forward.

Scientific Program Highlights:

• Plenary sessions on Microbial Physiology, Climate and Sustainability, Microbial Evolution, and Microbial Cell Biology

• A new plenary session dedicated to Microbes and Microbiologists in Industry, recognizing the vital role of microbial biotechnology for the German bioeconomy

• Keynote lectures, parallel sessions, and special sessions

• Career and mentoring workshops

• A special session on microbial education

The year 2027 also marks a major milestone for microbiology: 50 years ago, C.R. Woese and G.E. Fox published their seminal paper on the discovery of Archaea as the third domain of life. In recognition of this groundbreaking discovery, the Hans Günter Schlegel Lecture will be delivered by Prof. Christa Schleper (Vienna), whose pioneering research has greatly advanced our understanding of Archaea.

The DFG-funded "Bacteriopolis" exhibition will be on display free of charge for all attendees and the general public.

For more information, visit the conference website:
https://vaam-kongress.de/general-information/welcome-note

Let's celebrate microbiology in all its diversity! We look forward to welcoming you to Marburg.