Microbial ecology and environmental biotechnology

Microbiology Societies (IUMS). As an independent society, ISME has organized highly successful international symposia in Halifax (1998), Amsterdam (2001), Cancun (2004) and Vienna (2006). The number of participants in our symposia continues to increase, reflecting the surge in interest in microbial ecology, from 300 participants in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1977 for the inaugural meeting of ICOME, to an impressive gathering of more than 2000 attendees at ISME-11 in Vienna last year. This meeting attracted participants from 65 countries representing all geographic regions. We especially cherish the ongoing participation of a large number of graduate students and young scientists at our symposia, indicating a very healthy future of ISME and the discipline of microbial ecology.