Microbiology in a data-driven world (MDDW)
Activities
Conferences
ICRC2025
September 15 – 17, 2025
14th Int. CeBiTec Research Conference Bielefeld - Advances in Industrial Biotechnology: Synthetic Consortia, Pathways, and Enzymes
The 14th International CeBiTec Research Conference (ICRC 2025) on Advances in Industrial Biotechnology was held on September 15-17, 2025, at Bielefeld University and brought together research scientists from academia and industry as well as students under the theme of synthetic and natural consortia, pathways, and enzymes. Chair Prof. Volker F. Wendisch and co-chairs Dr. Petra Peters-Wendisch and Asst. Prof. Fatma Gizem Avci welcomed 55 participants from 6 countries. Sessions covered key areas of biotechnology, including large-scale biomanufacturing, enzyme engineering, metabolic pathway engineering, and microbial consortia.
The opening session discussed the importance of microbial communications in sustainable processes, critical insights in bioprocess development and scale-up, and the power of computational modeling to accelerate strain development. In the following sessions, the presentations underscored the expanding scope of pathway engineering and enzyme modification in creating sustainable, high-value products across the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical sectors.
For the Focus Area MDDW, the session ‘Synthetic and Natural Consortia’ was of particular interest. Researchers detailed the newest insights on selected natural microbiomes as well as on the construction of synthetic microbial consortia for applications in human gut, ecology, and biotechnology. Topics included the emergence of community behaviors in the gut microbiota under drug treatment, the effects of disinfectant residuals on the drinking water microbiome, and new insights into the Brazilian Pampa microbiome revealed through a multi-approach study. Further presentations highlighted gut microbiota shifts in Antarctic fur seals from birth to weaning under contrasting ecological conditions and innovative strategies for the application of synthetic microbial consortia to biorefinery of wastes and sidestreams.
The conference also provided a platform for early-career scientists, with a special lecture series led by female researchers in biotechnology. Poster sessions allowed researchers to discuss their most current findings with the research community. The conference was closed by the Scientific Director of the CeBiTec, Volker Wendisch.
(F.G. Avci, P. Peters-Wendisch, V.F. Wendisch)