Call for Papers

Please contact the symposium organizers with questions.

With the growing concerns over the consequences of pathogenic agents on human health, the search for more effective antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal solutions is at the forefront of efforts in materials and surface sciences. On one hand, pathogen agents, in the sessile state, have the ability to organise themselves in a protective biofilm, making conventional solutions often ineffective in the prevention of bacterial, fungal and viral infections. On the other hand, the chemistry and topography from nanoscale to microscale of surfaces and interfaces have proven to be critical to hinder key phenomena associated with the interactions between pathogen agents and materials. Therefore, the design of the next generation of viable solutions is today increasingly moving towards novel micro- and nano-materials as well as more effective surface modification processes with tunable antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal effects at short-medium and long term.

This symposium will cover current and emerging strategies to integrate antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties in technological applications, ranging from biomedical devices and surgical tools to antimicrobial touch surfaces and antifouling coatings. The symposium will broadly cover relevant aspects in the field, such as synthesis and fabrication, physicochemical characterization, structure-function relationships and biological mechanisms associated with antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties of micro- and nano-materials.

Topics will include:

• Nano- and micro-structured surfaces and coatings for antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal applications
• Structure-function relationships between materials properties and antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal performance
• Antibacterial wound dressings
• Antimicrobial nanocomposite textiles
• Antiviral nanoparticles and nanomaterials
• Nanostructured antifouling surfaces/coatings
• Nanostructured photocatalytic/self-cleaning surfaces/coatings
• Superhydrophobic surfaces/coatings
• Drug-eluting surfaces/coatings and drug-delivery systems
• Ion-releasing surfaces and materials for antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal applications
• Nanomaterials and nanotechnology-based strategies for antibiotic-resistant microorganisms
• Materials for food packaging and preservation
• Nanomaterials for water disinfection

• A tutorial complementing this symposium is tentatively planned.

Invited Speakers:

• Bikramjit Basu (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India)
• Aldo Boccaccini (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany)
• Annabel Braem (KU Leuven, Belgium)
• Christophe Drouet (Toulouse INP, France)
• Elena Ivanova (RMIT University, Australia)
• Sanjay Mathur (University of Cologne, Germany)
• Ipsita Roy (The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom)
• Francesco Stellacci (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland)
• Nathalie Tufenkji (McGill University, Canada)
• Krasimir Vasilev (UniSA, Australia)

Symposium Organizers