Bacteria have a strong cooperative spirit and quickly form communities, known as biofilms. Biofilms can be found on ocean pipes, plant roots, people's teeth, hotel handrails– no surface is safe from their ingenuity. With their sophisticated communication, bacteria “talk” to each other and even make plans. Biofilms are architecturally impressive microbial cities which our health and that of the environment often depend upon. In fact, humans are fundamentally reliant on biofilms acting on and within us. However, if the sensitive interplay gets out of balance, undesirable consequences such as antibiotic resistance can occur. How do biofilms form? What does it know about their significance for health and the environment? How does science study their diversity? Are there "good" and "bad" biofilms? What could we learn from them? Could biofilms even help us on the way to creating a sustainable society?
WELCOME ADDRESS
Prof. Dr. Mojib Latif President of the Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg
PANEL
Prof. Dr. Meytal Landau Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)
Prof. Dr. med. Holger Rohde University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)
Prof. Dr. Holger Sondermann Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Kiel University (CAU)
Prof. Dr. Fitnat Yildiz University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC)
MODERATION
Angela Grosse Science Journalist
