Panel Discussion about Biofilms
Panel Discussion about Biofilms: “The Sticky Science of Microbial Cities – Bacterial Communities in Health and Environment”
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. At the panel discussion “The Sticky Science of Microbial Cities – Bacterial Communities in Health and Environment,” hosted by the Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB) and the Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg, experts will dicuss this topic in English on 4 October 2023 at 19:00 in the Gartensaal of Baseler Hof in Hamburg.
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.
Questions that the panel discussion will explore include:
How do biofilms form?
What is 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?
After the welcome by Prof. Dr. Mojib Latif, the Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg, the following will discuss on the panel:
• Prof. Dr. Meytal Landau
Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB)
Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY)
University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)
Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
• 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
"The Sticky Science of Microbial Cities, Bacterial Communities in Health and Environment”: Panel Discussion on 4 Oktober from 19.00 - 21.00 at Baseler Hof, Gartensaal, Esplanadae 15, 20354 Hamburg.
This event hosted by Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB) and the Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg will be held in English.
If you want to attend this event on site, registration is required at: www.cssb-hamburg.de/biofilms
Press registration and further information:
Melissa Prass
Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB)
+49 40 89 98–87502 | melissa.prass@cssb-hamburg.de
X: https://twitter.com/CssbHamburg
Dagmar Penzlin
Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg
+49 40 42 94 86 69-24 |presse@awhamburg.de
X: https://twitter.com/awhamburg
Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB)
Infectious diseases are a global threat that costs many lives and have a significant impact on society. The key to effectively fighting infectious diseases is gaining a detailed understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of various pathogens. Scientists at CSSB study the structure and function of pathogens and their interactions with the human body. CSSB’s fundamental research seeks to enable the identification of targets for interventions.
At CSSB, three universities and six research institutes work together to gain fundamental insights into infection biology. To conduct their research, CSSB scientists use the first-class research infrastructure on the DESY campus in combination with in-house core facilities. The CSSB is a cooperation without legal personality. All partners act exclusively in their own name and on their own responsibility.
The Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg
The Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg brings together leading scientists and scholars from Northern Germany. It takes up socially relevant issues and debates, participating in their further development. In this way, it contributes to the national and international visibility of science and scholarship in Northern Germany. The Academy is organized into interdisciplinary working groups and supervises long-term scientific
projects. Through joint projects and cooperations, it fosters collaboration between different disciplines at universities and other scientific institutions.
The Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg is a public body based in Hamburg. The president of the Academy is Prof. Dr. Mojib Latif. The Academy’s basic facilities are financed by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
