Micro B3 Final Conference in Brussels

The conference is led by the EU Micro B3 Project (Marine Microbial Biodiversity, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology, www.microb3.eu) coordinated by Dr. Frank Oliver Glöckner, Professor of Bioinformatics at Jacobs University gGmbH in Bremen. From 2012 until end of 2015 Micro B3 is implementing its primary objective by providing integrated access to biodiversity, genomic, oceanographic and earth-observation databases. Micro B3 is developing an innovative, transparent and user-friendly Information System for seamless integration, and visualisation of huge amount of marine data from past and on-going biodiversity sampling campaigns (i.e. Global Ocean Sampling, Tara Oceans and Malaspina expeditions, long-term ecological research stations, and from Micro B3’s novel Ocean Sampling Days). The agenda covers the three main pillars of Micro B3: biodiversity, bioinformatics and biotechnology. It outlines the scientific and policy outcomes of Micro B3, including showcasing two movies produced during the project. The first day of the Conference, 2nd November, is dedicated to the Ocean Sampling Days, which performed global snapshots of marine microbial diversity and function. Innovations on marine monitoring techniques will be highlighted. Invited talks will be given by Linda Amaral Zettler (Josephine Bay Paul Center/Brown University, USA, Micro B3 Advisory Board Member), Àngel Borja (EU FP7 DEVOTES project Coordinator), and Simon Claus (EU H2020 AtlantOS project partner). 3rd November starts with a multidisciplinary session on interoperability across scientific domains and communities and is closed by an invited talk by Torger Børresen (Innovation Fund Denmark) on behalf of the Marine Biotechnology ERA-NET. After lunch the third Industry Expert Workshop takes place, titled “Collaboration across Academia, SMEs, and Industry - Transforming Inventions into Innovations”, to which industry stakeholders are especially invited. It is organized by Ribocon GmbH Bremen and takes place in the Auditorium of the Academy. The last day will present the fascinating scientific outcomes of the TARA Ocean Expedition as recently published in Science, with invited talks by Colomban de Vargas (Station Biologique de Roscoff) and on Ocean Sampling Day metagenome data by Francesca Malfatti (OGS-National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics). It will continue with sessions on transfer of knowledge through training and will highlight legal and policy outcomes of Micro B3, like the CIESM Charter and a Model Agreement to implement the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing. The day will be rounded up by a talk of the invited speaker Chris Lyal from the Natural History Museum of London about the Nagoya Protocol and its implications for environmental research in the EU. The full programme is available at www.microb3.eu/events/meetings/finalconference/programme Participation is free of charge and registration should be done online best until 02 Oct 2015 at www.microb3.eu/events/meetings/final-conference/registration More information can be found here: www.microb3.eu/events/meetings/final-conference Venue: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts Hertogsstraat, 1 1000 - Bruxelles (Belgium) For press enquiries please contact: Dr. Johanna B. Wesnigk E-Mail: j.wesnigk@empa-bremen.de Phone: +49(0) 421 50 79 20