The 4rd Thesinge biofilm meeting

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When? September 10-11, 2012

Where? Thesinge, a picturesque rural village, 9 km north of the city of Groningen, The Netherlands

Hosted by the rural village community of Thesinge, the Thesinge biofilm meetings have provided a unique scientific forum for a small, select group of maximally 100 people active in the field, collected for two days "away from it all" to focus formally and informally on biofilms, with emphasis on biofilms in dentistry and on biomaterials implants and devices.
Thesinge biofilm meetings attempt to provide open, provocative discourse to stimulate thinking and creative approaches in a friendly, family-style atmosphere.

There are no proceedings, only an abstract/program book, and active exchange.

What’s it about?

Biofilm research is booming since the field of application is extremely wide. Over the past decade, new techniques have become available for the basic study of interactions between microorganisms and surfaces to answer questions like:

“What makes them stick? What causes them to detach? Why do they form a biofilm?”

Although the meeting is set-up to include all fields of application, primary focus is on oral biofilms and biofilms on biomaterials implants and devices - the number one cause of implant failure. Clinical occurrence and control of biofilms is therewith an important second focus of the meeting.

Objectives/goals.

All participants are asked to contribute intellectual and other creative input to inspiring new ideas, new approaches and new information to participants.

Symposium format.

Informal single-track sessions with participation limited to 100 people. Emphasis is on exchange and discussion, and the program is set up such that we try to allow as many participants as possible to give a presentation.

We distinguish three different types of scheduled presentations and off-the-floor presentations:

40-min keynote addresses will be given by:

David Grainger (Departments of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, and Bioengineering, Salt Lake City, USA)
”Translational aspects of biomaterials progress from bench to bed”
Gregor Reid ( Departments of Microbiology & Immunology, and Surgery, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada)
"Is there a role for probiotics in the control of biomaterials-associated-infection and oral infections?"
Britt Wildemann (Berlin-Brandenburger Centrum für Regenerative Therapien, Julius Wolff Institut, Berlin, Germany)
” Bioactive coating to control biomaterials-associated-infection ”
Henk Busscher (WJ Kolff Institute, University Medical Center and University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands)
“Sticky mechanisms”

Selected lectures: Participants selected by the organizers invited to give 20-min lectures

Mini lectures: Participants selected by the organizers invited to give 10-min lectures

Off-the-floor: Opportunities for 5-min “hot topic” or “point-counterpoint” off-the-floor- addresses at the close of each day.

In order to participate, please use the application form in the menu on the left!
and email to: thesinge.conferences@gmail.com

*** Applicants are accepted as symposium participants on a “first come, first served” basis ***

Admission will be definitely closed after 100 participants are registered.

Only a limited number of participants from one institution will be allowed.

*** Meeting sponsors are welcomed with complementary attendee registrations ***

Those attending should plan to arrive in Groningen, NL (about 2.5 hour train ride from Amsterdam-Schiphol airport) by Monday morning, September 10, 10.00h at the latest for meeting-arranged transport to Thesinge, outside of the city of Groningen.

The meeting ends Tuesday afternoon, September 11 at 18.00 h with pre-arranged transportation back to Groningen at that time.

Housing possibilities, registration and on-site schedule details will be provided in future correspondence to attendees.

On behalf of the organizing committee:

David Grainger

Henny van der Mei

Henk Busscher