BIOREM project co-organises the European event MicrobeTech2025

BIOREM project coorganised the the European event MicrobeTech 2025, taking place from May 27 to 29 at the Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI) in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The event was jointly coordinated with the BIOSYSMO project thanks to the project partners effort: the Jozef Stefan Insitute (JSI), which hosted the event, the University of Burgos (Spain), the Spanish company IDENER, and the Greek firm Exelisis.

This international gathering, which registered over 120 participants, consisted of three days full of experts talks on microbial biotechnology, sustainability, and advanced technologies. The successful goal was to discuss the latest developments in bioremediation methodologies, as well as the challenges and future outlook of this research field. The event was hybrid, allowing for both in-person and online participation.

The scientific committee in charge of creating the event programme was formed by Ales Lapanje (JSI), Rocío Barros (UBU), Sara Gil (IDENER) and Tomaz Rijavec (JSI). Their contribution was key in shaping the event into one of outstanding scientific quality. Furthermore, the organising committee was composed of the scientific committee supported by the communication managers of the two European projects Ioanna Katsavou (Exelisis) and Beatriz Lapuente (UBU).

Tuesday, May 27, 2025
The opening day featured an international workshop with a total of 17 presentations delivered by professionals from universities, technology centers, and companies across Europe. The presentations are organized into the following thematic blocks:

• Block 1: Bridging the Lab-Field Gap in Bioremediation
  Effectively transferring laboratory results to real-world application environments.

• Block 2: Microbial Deployment Strategies
  Innovative methodologies for introducing and managing microorganisms in contaminated environments.

• Block 3: Expanding Applications Beyond Bioremediation
  Emerging applications of microbial biotechnology in agriculture, mining, energy, and other sectors.

• Block 4: Challenges, Regulation and Future Directions
  Current challenges, regulatory frameworks, and future research directions.

Speakers came from prestigious institutions such as IRNAS - Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the University of Pisa, the University of Bologna, the University of Milan, the University of Surrey, the University of Applied Sciences of Switzerland, and the Imperial College London (ICL). Representatives from Spanish companies like Kepler (Burgos) and Leitat (Barcelona) also participated. See the speakers here.

Wednesday, May 28, 2025
A summer school was offered for young researchers, particularly PhD students, with specialized training provided by six international professionals. A field trip was also organized to Idrija, a UNESCO World Heritage town home to the world’s second-largest mercury mine. See the lecturers here.

Thursday, May 29, 2025
A networking and technical meeting day focuses on fostering collaboration between teams from the BIOREM and BIOSYSMO projects, and on advancing their shared goals.

Throughout all three days, scientific poster sessions are held, where researchers from various disciplines present their latest findings. See the posters list.

MicrobeTech 2025 stands out as a key event for knowledge exchange, promoting synergies between European projects, and accelerating sustainable solutions based on microbial biotechnology.