KNVM

On Monday 14th of December 2026, the 12th Microbial Biotechnology Symposium (MB12) will take place at the Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences in Amsterdam, from 09:30 to 17:30.

The annual Microbial Biotechnology Symposium brings together researchers from academia and industry working across microbial biotechnology. This year’s programme spans topics such as systems biology, metabolic engineering, sustainable bioprocesses and microbiomes.

Three invited speakers will join us:

• Maria Suarez Diez (Wageningen University)
• Hugo Federico Cueto (Koppert)
• Andreas Gombert (State University of Campinas, Brazil)

In addition, the programme includes talks, poster pitches, a poster session and opportunities for networking.

KNVM members can register free of charge using the ticket code: KNVM-MB12.

Registration is possible via the MB12 event page: MB12 registration and event information

Location
Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences
Science Park 904
1098 XH Amsterdam

Full programme

09:30 – 10:00 Registration and coffee

10:00 – 10:15 Opening

10:15 – 10:50 Invited lecture – Maria Suarez Diez, Wageningen University
Systems biology in the HOLOMICROBIOME Innovation Institute

10:50 – 11:10 Leon Bäcker, University of Groningen
Phage-mediated just-in-time circuits for expression of recombinant toxic proteins

11:10 – 11:30 Effie Leijten, Delft University of Technology
Engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae for efficient gluconic acid consumption

11:30 – 11:50 Jurrian Wijnheimer, University of Amsterdam
Machine Learning identifies novel mechanisms of action of antimicrobials

11:50 – 12:10 Poster pitches

12:10 – 13:30 Lunch, poster session and networking

13:30 – 14:05 Invited lecture – Hugo Federico Cueto, Koppert
Large-scale cultivation of nematodes and symbionts

14:05 – 14:25 Laura Claret Fernández, HAN University of Applied Sciences
Biotechnological production of bacterial cellulose from industrial side streams: a promising avenue to replace polystyrene

14:25 – 14:45 Lorenzo Garcia Tejada, RWTH Aachen
Lactic acid production at low pH

14:45 – 15:45 Coffee break and poster session

15:45 – 16:05 Carlos Serrano Fajardo, Wageningen University
Safe-by-design autohydrogenotrophic SCP production via biochemical looping

16:05 – 16:25 Pascal Schneider, IFF
Biotechnology at IFF: Turning Protein Science into Solutions

16:25 – 17:00 Invited lecture – Andreas Gombert, State University of Campinas
Microbial ecology and (meta)genomics for a better understanding and improvement of bioethanol production from sugarcane

We hope to see many of you in Amsterdam!

Kind regards,

Microbial Biotechnology division
Nico, Marcel and Sebastian