ASIA-PACIFIC BIOFILMS 2026

Asia-Pacific Biofilms (APB) Conference 2026 will be held on Oct. 27-29, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia, which is known for its scenic drive of the Great Ocean Road and vibrant culture.

This conference aims to bring together leading research scientists, engineers, and clinicians globally, from the Asia-Pacific area including China, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand United States, Canada, and the European Union (EU) to share new knowledge and research progresses in microbial biofilms. Scope of APB 2026 includes molecular biology of biofilms, quorum sensing, environmentally, industrially and clinically relevant biofilms and emerging technologies to combat microbial biofilms. This conference will serve as a major platform to promote collaborations between biofilm researchers in the Asia-Pacific area, and to facilitate our interactions with colleagues from EU(EuroBiofilms) and the USA (ASM Biofilms).

The conference committee will make every effort to present a memorable and valuable biofilms conference and we are sincerely looking forward to your participation. We support Gender Equality and are an ally to LGBT people.

ORGANIZATION

Organizers

Centre to Impact Antimicrobial Resistance, Monash University

Brief introduction

Co-Organizers

Mark Shirtliff Biofilm Foundation

Mark Shirtliff Biofilm Foundation

brief introduction

Supporting parties

Australian Society for Microbiology

Australian Society for Microbiology,

brief introduction

Biofilm, Elsevier Publication Group

Biofilm, Elsevier Publication Group.

brief introduction

Sponsoring parties

GenSCI pharmaceutic, China

Biofilm, Elsevier Publication Group.

brief introduction

Committee

Founder and Honorable President

Dr. Mark Shirtliff (1969–2018)

Dr. Shirtliff has specialized in both in vitro and in vivo systems for the study of biofilms as a microbiologist for over 25 years. As an indication of his expertise on the subjects of biofilm-forming microbes and their relation to infectious disease and pathogenesis, he has presented his scientific findings on the subject at 110 meetings and symposia and have orally presented at over 100 national and international meetings/seminars. He has also authored over 120 peer-reviewed scientific papers and book chapters on pathogenic microbes, both their biofilm mode of growth and the chronic diseases that they cause. Dr. Shirtliff has a strong background in organizing highly skilled colleagues in multidisciplinary research. He also has a strong working knowledge of budget development and have obtained over $8 million from state, national (NIH and DOD), and international funding agencies in the past 10 years. He has served on 35 graduate committees and was the primary advisor on 11 graduate students committees (8 PhD, 3 Masters).

Co-chairs

Anton Peleg

The Alfred and Monash University

Yue Qu

Monash University

Birthe Veno Kjellerup

University of Maryland

Organizing Committee Members

Andrej Trampuz

Cynthia Whitchurch

SCELSE

Darla Goeres

Gordon Ramage

Glasgow Caledonian University

Junyan Liu

Katarina Richter

Liang Yang

Mark Schembri

Mark Wilcox

Melissa Brown

Rajendar Deora

the University of Illinois

Ruth Thornton

Scott Wade

Swinburne University

Stephen Summers

Tom Coenye

Ghent University

Zhenbo Xu

Conference Secretaries

Xenia Kostoulias

Monash University

Heema Vyas

Adelaide University

SPEAKERS

Plenary Speakers

Cynthia Whitchurch

SCELSE

Gordon Ramage

Glasgow Caledonian University

Marvin Whiteley

Invited speakers

Kirby Lattwein

Matthew R. Parsek

Rikke Louise Meyer

Thomas William Seviour

Tom Coenye

PROGRAM

Day 1 March 27, 2026

08:15 - 09:00

Conference Registration

09:00 - 09:10

Welcome Address

by Anton Peleg (Monash University)

09:00 - 09:30

Tribute

by Birthe Kjellerup (Maryland University) and Mark Shembri (The University of Queensland)

09:40 - 10:30

Penary 1

9:40-10:30 The Clinical Impact of Fungal and Interkingdom Biofilms
Gordon Ramage (University, place)

10:30 - 11:00

Morning Tea

11:00 - 12:30

Session 1 Medical Biofilms

Chair: Tom Coenye, University, place

11:00-11:30             Invited presentation 1
                                  name (University, place)
11:30-11:45            Selected talk 1
                                  name (University, place)
11:45-12:00            Selected talk 2
                                  name (University, place)
12:00-12:15            Selected talk 3
                                  name (University, place)
12:15-12:30            Selected talk 4
                                  name (University, place)
12:30-13:30            Lunch

13:30 - 15:30

Session 2 Medical Biofilms

Chair: Yue Qu, Monash University, Melbourne

13:30-14:00             Invited talk 2
                                  Kirby Lattwein (University, place)
14:00-14:15            Selected talk 5
                                  name (University, place)
14:15-14:30            Selected talk 6
                                  name (University, place)
14:30-14:45            Selected talk 7
                                  name (University, place)
14:45-15:00            Selected talk 8
                                  name (University, place)
15:00-16:00            Post session and afternoon tea

16:00 - 17:30

Session 3 Medical Biofilms

Chair: Xenia Kostoulias, Monash University, Melbourne

16:00-16:30             Invited talk 3
                                  name (University, place)
16:30-16:45            Selected talk 9
                                  name (University, place)
16:45-17:00            Selected talk 10
                                  name (University, place)
17:00-17:15            Selected talk 11
                                  name (University, place)
17:15-17:30            Selected talk 12
                                  name (University, place)

Day 2 March 28, 2026

09:00 - 09:45

Penary 2

9:00-9:45 When death becomes a biofilm: autolytic programmed cell death in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms
Cynthia Whitchurch (University, place)

09:45 - 10:30

Session 4 Molecular biology, Engineering and Biofilms

Chair: Heema Vyas, University, place

9:45-10:15             Invited talk 4
                                  name (University, place)
10:15-10:30            Selected talk 13
                                  name (University, place)
10:30-11:00            Morning tea

11:00-11:30            Invited talk 5
                                  name (University, place)
11:30-11:45            Selected talk 14
                                  name (University, place)
11:45-12:00            Selected talk 15
                                  name (University, place)
12:00-12:15            Selected talk 16
                                  name (University, place)
12:15-12:30            Selected talk 17
                                  name (University, place)
12:30-13:30            Lunch

13:30 - 15:30

Session 5 Biofilms in Food Microbiology

13:30-14:00             Invited talk 6
                                  name (University, place)
14:00-14:15            Selected talk 18
                                  name (University, place)
14:15-14:30            Selected talk 19

14:30-14:45            Selected talk 20
                                  name (University, place)
14:45-15:00            Selected talk 21
                                  name (University, place)
15:00-15:30            Post session and afternoon tea

15:30 - 17:00

Session 6 Environmental Biofilms

Chair: name, University, place

15:30-16:00             Invited talk 7
                                  name (University, place)
16:00-16:15            Selected talk 22
                                  name (University, place)
16:15-16:30            Selected talk 23

16:30-16:45            Selected talk 24
                                  name (University, place)
16:45-17:00            Selected talk 25
                                  name (University, place)
18:00-20:30            Post session and afternoon tea

Day 3 March 29, 2026

09:00 - 09:45

Plenary 3

9:40-10:30 Title: TBD
Marvin Whiteley

09:45 - 10:30

Session 7 Biofilms and multidisciplinary collaboration

Chair: name, University, place

9:45-10:15             Invited talk 8
                                  name (University, place)
10:15-10:30            Selected talk 26
                                  name (University, place)
10:30-11:00            Morning tea

11:00-11:30            Invited talk 9
                                  name (University, place)
11:30-11:45            Selected talk 26
                                  name (University, place)
11:45-12:00            Selected talk 27
                                  name (University, place)
12:00-12:15            Selected talk 28
                                  name (University, place)
12:15-12:30            Selected talk 29
                                  name (University, place)
12:30-13:30            Lunch

13:30 - 15:00

Session 8 Parallel Panel Discussions

            Cardiovascular implant infections and biofilms
                                  led by
           Vaginal infections and biofilms
                                  led by
           Non-clinical biofilm discussion
                                  led by Darla Goeres, Scott Wade, and Birthe Veno Kjellerup

15:00 - 15:10

Closing Remarks

15:00-15:10 Closing Remarks
by Yue Qu

Conference Program

Scientific Program

REGISTRATION

Staff
$750.00 AUD
Register

Student
$550.00 AUD
Register

SUBMISSION

Abstract:

Asia-Pacific Biofilms 2026 invites the submission of abstracts on all aspects of biofilm research. Highlighted topics for consideration include:
(1) Bioinformatic analysis of biofilms;
(2) Mechanisms of biofilm development and antimicrobial resistance;
(3) Biofilm control and novel therapeutic strategies;
(4) Communication and signaling factors in biofilms;
(5) Rapid detection and diagnostic applications for biofilm forming bacteria;
(6) Virulence and toxins in clinical biofilms;
(7) Evolution and stress tolerance in biofilms;
(8) Industrial, environmental and applied biofilms research.

Submission guidelines
Word count: 300 words
Formatting: please upload a Word document including the title, authors, author affiliations and a single paragraph abstract.

1. All accepted abstracts will be published in the conference proceedings of Asia-Pacific Biofilms 2026 and in a special issue of the journal Biofilm.
Excellent abstracts will be recommended to the official journal of the conference, Biofilm (https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/biofilm), with a waiver for a full text submission.
Please indicate whether you would like your abstract considered for an oral presentation or a poster presentation:
Oral presentation 
Poster presentation 

>>Submit an Abstract<<

>>Submit an Text<<

2. Special issue
Asia-Pacific Biofilms 2026 will feature special issues (to be confirmed) on:
Medical and clinical microorganisms
Applied microorganisms
Food and environmental microorganisms
Antibiotics and drug resistance

3. Relevant official special issues
Asia-Pacific Biofilms 2026 also have official special issues related to biofilms. If you wish to know more, please click here.

Student Presentation:

Asia-Pacific Biofilms 2024 has sessions specifically for student presentations (Go to “Program”), which is arranged during conference days. Participating undergraduate and graduate students are required to register and submit an abstract noted as “Student Presentations”. Student certificate (such as student ID) will also be required. All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the Committee.

ABOUT US

Asia-pacific Biofilms (formerly known as ChinaBiofilms), is a series of biennial international meetings on microbial biofilms, initiated by Dr. Mark Shirtliff from University of Maryland and Dr. Zhenbo Xu from South China University of Technology. Starting in October 2017, ChinaBiofilms 2017 was held on October 20-22, 2017 in Guangzhou, China, ChinaBiofilms 2019 was held on October 10-13, 2019 in Guangzhou, China, Asia-Pacific Biofilms 2021 was held virtually on May 11-16, 2021, Asia-Pacific Biofilms 2022 was held on October 18-23, 2022 in Guangzhou.
As both the founder and president of Asia-Pacific Biofilms, Dr. Shirtliff has contributed to organize the workshop and conference together with the organizing committee. Asia-Pacific Biofilms is a great opportunity for participants to present their recent research progress, foster new collaborations on microbial biofilms, and also building bridges between relevant research enterprises in Asia-Pacific and international universities.