We are honored to invite you to attend the IWA Biofilms 2019 Conference: Biofilms and their interaction with surfaces on November 5-8, 2019, in Santiago, Chile.
Biofilms play relevant roles in several fields, including natural and man-made environments, industrial processes and microbial infections. Biofilms are major players in bioremediation and water and wastewater treatment. On the other hand, they can cause chronic infections and heir strong interaction with materials made them responsible to influence deterioration processes (e.g. biofouling, biocorrosion). In addition, biofilms may act as environmental reservoirs of pathogens in several systems.
The mechanisms of interaction between biofilms and surfaces (e.g. promotion of conditioning layers, extracellular redox reactions, production of microbial waste products, as well as their emerging properties) must be thoroughly understood in order to design effective control strategies.
In the IWA Biofilms 2019 Conference, we aim to provide a meeting point for researchers from a wide range of areas at the interface of the biofilms and the surface. We expect to bring together engineers, biotechnologists, microbiologists, medical doctors, chemists, physicists, and mathematical modelers to critically discuss the state-of-the-art of biofilms and their interaction with surfaces.
We look forward to welcoming you to Santiago, a vibrant and cosmopolitan city, and to Chile, a country with a wide range of climates and landscapes representing a natural laboratory for biofilm enthusiasts. In November, the central zone of Chile has an excellent and warm spring weather, which allows visiting the unique central valleys with their wineries, the Andes Mountains and the coastal regions.
Sincerely,
Gonzalo Pizarro
Chair IWA Biofilms 2019
More information biofilms2019.org