AMI teams up with the International Symposium on Biopolymers to launch new themed collection on microbial polymers

The International Symposium on Biopolymers ISBP has established itself as a successful international conference dedicated to the exploration of the production, processing, application and biodegradation of biopolymers.

This meeting first took place in 1988 in Toronto, and has since been held biennially, traversing cities such as Barcelona in 1990, Göttingen in 1992, Montreal in 1994, Davos in 1996, Tokyo in 1998, Cambridge in 2000, Münster in 2002, Beijing in 2004, Minneapolis in 2006, Auckland in 2008, Stuttgart in 2010, Cairns in 2012, Santos in 2014, Madrid in 2016, Beijing in 2018, Sion, Switzerland, in 2022 and Penang, Malaysia in 2024.

In the unprecedented times of plastic pollution surge, and search for biobased and biodegradable alternatives, ISBP 2026, to be held in Dublin, Ireland, 6-9 September 2026, aims to bring together the researchers and industry, to expand the knowledge and foster collaborations in the area of biopolymers.

The focus is placed on the microbial production of monomers for the synthesis of polymers, or microbial synthesis of polymers, with the emphasis on both the design and optimisation of the producing organisms, and bioprocess intensification. In bioprocess development and optimisation, special emphasis is placed on the use of unconventional feedstocks (C1 molecules, industry side residue, waste etc).

Whole value chain

We recognise that biopolymer production is only a piece in this puzzle, so as the organisers of ISBP 2026 we have designed a programme to also include processing, application, biodegradation and recycling of biopolymers, to showcase the whole value chain of biopolymers.

The role of microorganisms, or microbial enzymes in the recycling/upcycling of biopolymers will have a strong emphasis in our programme.

The programme also includes material scientists and their efforts to create materials for specific applications, social scientists to explore and showcase the social and economic implications of the new products on the market and wider, and has a day dedicated to industry. This part of the programme is very important to allow the conversations and knowledge exchange between different disciplines and perspectives of biopolymer production and application.

Much to learn

There is still so much to learn about the intricacies of microbial metabolism, regulatory networks, how they fit in and respond to various environments, and in this context in particular, how they behave at scale. We do recognise a significant gap in research performed at lab scale, and industrial scale.

It is great to see a shift in the funding landscape and some focus on scale up of bioprocesses. It is however very important to create a balance between fundamental and applied research. Curiosity-driven research is a fundamental part of knowledge creation, and it is responsible for societal development in ways that are often under-appreciated. The greatest developments in science and innovation were not driven by the desire to achieve impact, but by the pursuit of knowledge, and this holds for research in the realm of microbes too.

MICROBIOLOGY NEWS: Register with The Microbiologist for more free articles 

The public dissemination of these findings helped the research community to build on and advance that knowledge, which informed and educated society, and some of that knowledge and societal appreciation and understanding created the opportunities for innovation. It is really important to me to have a balance between fundamental and applied research so that all researchers feel included and valued.

Symposium focus

Microbial production of polymers/monomers is in the focus of ISBP 2026. This will be reflected in sessions designed to showcase advances in metabolic engineering of producing organisms, sessions that cover conventional and unconventional feedstocks, including industry side, or waste residues, C1-feedstocks and others.

We have a session dedicated to bioprocess design and optimisation, as well as sessions that will showcase the work not intimately linked to the activity of microorganisms, but very much connected to the microbial production of these valuable molecules, such as downstream processing, polymer processing and application.

Finally, we will be discussing the impact of biopolymers on the environment, and their social impact. The programme therefore spans the whole value chain of biopolymers, cradle to cradle. The symposium also has a dedicated half day for delegates to hear from industry in scaling production, product development and the marketing of biopolymers.

Meaningful connections

AMI has a vision to create a real impact through applied microbiology, and that perfectly mirrors the vision of ISBP 2026. AMI strives to support microbiology efforts across disciplines, and across sectors, connecting academia, industry, and policymakers.

In the context of plastic pollution as a global challenge, it is important to create these meaningful connections among different disciplines, and apply a multifactorial approach, to create synergies, rather than isolated approaches to the same problem.

We are particularly excited for this partnership, as it has allowed us to attract a large number of early career researchers involved in different aspects of the biopolymer value chain. Thanks to AMI support we will be able to reward these young researchers with monetary prizes.

We have designed and moderated poster sessions specifically aimed at giving these early career researchers an opportunity to show their work, and welcome them to the community of biopolymer enthusiasts.

Real world impact

AMI brings together stakeholders across food security, food waste, infectious diseases, clean environment, climate change, biodiversity.

Connecting ISBP 2026, with its content on sustainable production of plastic alternatives that have applications in food packaging, medical, have alternative end of life options etc., with AMI stakeholders will amplify the ISBP 2026 impact.

Likewise, we will expose AMI and its activities to a worldwide community of researchers and professionals focused on all areas of biopolymer research and development.

We encourage the participants of ISBP 2026, as well as the wider community, to showcase their contribution to biopolymer research advances, critical bottlenecks along the value chain of biopolymers, their application and social and environmental impact in a special themed issue “Microbial polymers for industrial and environmental applications” to be published in AMI’s Journal of Applied Microbiology.

With AMI’s longstanding experience and connections with academia, industry, and policymakers, this will be a great platform to showcase all aspects of biopolymer research and development, and an opportunity to grow the biopolymer community.

Next steps

To capture the latest breakthroughs and foster interdisciplinary collaboration, the Journal of Applied Microbiology is launching a special themed collection titled “Microbial polymers for industrial and environmental applications.” This collection is proudly linked to the International Symposium on Biopolymers.

With microbiology in focus, key areas of exploration include, but are not limited to:

• Non-Conventional Feedstocks
• Metabolic Engineering
• Bioprocess Engineering & Optimisation
• Biopolymer Degradation & Circularity
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) & Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA)

We invite participants of the symposium, as well as the broader scientific community, to submit original research articles, perspectives and reviews that address the research advances and critical bottlenecks along the cradle-to-cradle chain of biopolymer production, application and post-consumer fate.

The aim is not only to share current cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, but also to inform all stakeholders and policymakers on the needs for a wider adoption of biopolymers, and to catalyse future actions.

The call for papers will go live at the end of July and will then appear on this page.

Guest Editors: Tanja Narancic and Kevin O’Connor, University College Dublin, Ireland and BiOrbic – The National Bioeconomy Research Centre, Ireland.

Guest editor backgrounds

Tanja Narancic is an Associate Prof of Microbiology and Biochemistry and a research group leader at University College Dublin (UCD). Her research vision focuses on deciphering microbial metabolism to design and optimise more sustainable biotechnological processes. Her team is targeting a various range of feedstocks to produce valuable molecules, including biopolymers (polyhydroxylkanoates PHAs), monomers for polymer synthesis such as 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, or antimicrobial peptides. “While sustainable microbial production drives our research, we are equally passionate about generating fundamental knowledge and understanding of microbial metabolism,” she says.

Kevin O Connor is a Full professor of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology at UCD and Director of BiOrbic Research Ireland Bioeconomy Research Centre, headquartered at University College Dublin, Ireland. His research interests are microbial biotechnology, sustainability, biopolymers, plastics recycling, sustainable production and consumption, integrated biorefining, and biobased products. “Scaling and translating research is a key driver of the research we undertake and so we collaborate with other academics and industry nationally and internationally to try to achieve these goals,” he says.