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We welcome you to the conference Ecology of Soil Microorganisms to be held in spring 2011 in Prague. The conference is planned as an interdisciplinary platform where data from different experts can be linked and new strategies for further research topics can be defined. This includes questions addressing microbial communities and (meta)genomes in soils and their role in soil quality and soil health. An important link will be made to metaproteomics and particularly enzymology, which is crucial to unravel what the measured rates of microbial processes tell us about the cycling of elements and organic matter as a whole. Another issue of the conference will be dedicated to mycology, which is still underrepresented in microbial ecology, despite the tremendous importance of fungi in all terrestrial ecosystems. Overall the conference should help to build up a conceptual framework that incorporates not only the diversity of microorganisms, but also their functions and properties of their abiotic environments. Our aim is to bring experts from all these disciplines to a meeting where all can benefit from interaction. The meeting in spring 2011 in Prague will be therefore a good opportunity to take the next step into the future of microbial ecology where complex understanding of microbial processes will follow the complex understanding of microbial biodiversity.

Scientific Topics / Sessions

1. Microbial Nutrient Cycling and Biogeochemistry
2. Soil Organic Matter Decomposition and Enzymes in the Soil Environment: From Molecules to Communities
3. Fungi in the Soil Microbial Community: Symbioses, Competition, Antagonism
4. Interaction among Micro- and Macroorganisms in Soils
5. Microbes in the Changing Environment: Global Climate Change and Soils under Human Impact
6. Agricultural Soils: Biodiversity and Functioning
7. Microbial Diversity and Processes in Forest Soils
8. Microbial Biodegradation Processes
9. Methods in Soil Microbial Ecology: Challenges and Limitations

Scientific commitee

Petr Baldrian (Czech Republic)
Lynne Boddy (United Kingdom)
Dana Elhottova (Czech Republic)
Jan Dirk van Elsas (The Netherlands)
Martin Hofrichter (Germany)
Heribert Insam (Austria)
Paolo Nannipieri (Italy)
Michael Schloter (Germany)

Contact and further information

To join the mailing list for further correspondence (circulars, programme, etc.), please send an e-mail with the subject "mailing list" and your name and institution to: info @ soilmicrobes . org

Direct contact to organizers:
Petr Baldrian, Institute of Microbiology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Videnska 1083, 14220 Prague 4, Czech Republic
Phone: +420723770570, +420241062315
Fax: +420241062384
E-mail:
info @ soilmicrobes . org
baldrian @ biomed . cas . cz

Venue

The conference will be held in Prague, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, in the end of April, when tourists can hardly choose between the visit of hundreds of Prague historical monuments and the parks full of blossoming trees. The history of science in Prague goes back into the Middle Ages. In 1348, the oldest university in Central Europe, Charles University was founded in Prague. In the 20th century, Prague is connected with the name of Albert Einstein who spent several years of his creative life there and with the name of the Nobel Prize winner, Jaroslav Heyrovsky, the founder of polarography.

The meeting will take place in the modern conference centre of the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Institute of Microbiology in the Campus of the Biological Institutes of the Academy of Sciences, which is the largest campus of research institutes in Prague. The institutes take advantage of their neighborhood with one of the Prague largest forest-park as well as of a good connection to the Prague centre, which can be reached in less than half an hour by public transportation. Accomodation of conference participants will offer a choice of closely located hotels as well as those in the town center, the offer ranging from budget to high level accomodation.

Important dates

Registration opens	October 1, 2010
Abstract submission	December 5, 2010
Young Scientist Grants Application	December 5, 2010
Submission to FEMS Microbiology Ecology thematic issue	December 5, 2010
Paper acceptance acknowledgement	December 15, 2010
Selection of contributed oral presentations	January 10, 2011
Early bird registration deadline	January 25, 2011
Final programme announcement	March, 2011
Conference	April 27-May 1, 2011

Wednesday, April 27, 2011	Registration, Opening, Keynote Lecture, Welcome Reception
Thursday, April 28, 2011	Sessions, Poster Session 1
Friday, April 29, 2011	Sessions, Gala Dinner
Saturday, April 30, 2011	Sessions, Poster Session 2
Sunday, May 1, 2011	Sessions, Keynote Lecture, Closing

Invited Speakers

Christa Schleper (Austria) keynote: „Ammonia oxidizing archaea in soils: New discovery of an old group”
Jan Dirk van Elsas, (The Netherlands) keynote: „Soil fungi provide hospitable niches for soil bacteria - mechanisms and concepts“

Erland Baath (Sweden)
Petr Baldrian (Czech Republic)
Lynne Boddy (United Kingdom)
Tomas Cajthaml(Czech Republic)
Dana Elhottova (Czech Republic)
Marta Goberna (Spain)
Martin Hofrichter (Germany)
Heribert Insam (Austria)
Matthias Kästner (Germany)
George Kowalchuk (The Netherlands)

Bjorn Lindahl (Sweden)
Paolo Nannipieri (Italy)
Laurent Philippot (France)
James I. Prosser (United Kingdom)
Kathrin Riedel (Germany)
Giancarlo Renella (Italy)
Michael Schloter (Germany)
Heike Schmitt (The Netherlands)
Marc-André Selosse (France)

Angela Sessitsch (Austria)
Kornelia Smalla (Germany)
Soren Sorensen (Denmark)
Tim Urich (Austria)
Hakan Wallander (Sweden)
Matt Wallenstein (USA)
Elizabeth Wellington (United Kingdom)
Donald Zak (USA)
Martin Zobel (Estonia)

Abstract Submission

Abstract submission is due December 5, 2010 through the conference website. Each conference participant can offer one abstract to be considered for oral or poster presentation.

FEMS Microbiology Ecology thematic issue

FEMS Microbiology Ecology will publish a thematic issue "Ecology of Soil Microorganisms" in association with the conference with Petr Baldrian, Michael Schloter and James I. Prosser as guest editors. The special issue will combine review articles on the state-of-the-art of soil microbial ecology with original research papers presented at the conference.

Deadline for full paper submission will be December 5, 2010, the same date as for submission of abstracts.

FEMS Microbiology Ecology is published by the Federation of European Microbiological Societies and belongs to the leading journals in the field of microbial ecology (Impact factor 3.586 in 2009). More information about the journal including its aims and scope and the instructions for authors can be found at the journals homepage:
http://www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=0168-6496

All submissions must be prepared following the authors guidelines and submitted via the journals submission system.
For more information about submission to the theme issue, please contact Petr Baldrian (baldrian@biomed.cas.cz).

Registration

To promote the interaction among soil microbial ecologists, there will be no parallel sessions. As a consequence, participation is limited to 300 people. Early registration is thus encouraged. Conference fee will cover participation at all sessions, conference materials (programme and book of abstracts), lunches and coffee/tea during the conference, and the welcome reception. Registration, excursions and the gala dinner can be booked through the conference website.

	until January 25, 2011	Later	On site
Delegate	400 EUR	500 EUR	600 EUR
Student	260 EUR	340 EUR	420 EUR

Young Scientist Grants

Grants and bursaries to support the participation of young scientists (<36 years) will be provided by the Federation of European Microbiological Societies, the Enzymes in the Environment NSF Research Coordination Network and by the British Mycological Society. The deadline for application is December 5, 2010. Further information will appear here close to the Registration opening by October 1st.

Conference website

Located at info.soilmicrobes.org (active since June 15, 2009) offers already the basic information about the meeting and the possibility of joining the mailing list. As far, more than one hundred scientists already expressed their interest in the conference by joining the mailing list.

Local Organizing Committee

Petr Baldrian (Institute of Microbiology, Prague) - head
Tomáš Cajthaml, Alica Chroňáková, Dana Elhottová, Jiří Gabriel, Milan Gryndler, Václav Krištůfek, Markéta Marečková, František Nerud, Martin Pospíšek, Hana Šantrůčková, Miloslav Šimek, Vendula Valášková

Dowloads

Meeting flyer