The 2026 International Conference on Engineering Microbiology was held at Shandong University (SDU) from Aug 7 to 8. Researchers from home and abroad, including delegates from Germany and Australia, attended the meeting to discuss advances in microbiology and biotechnology.

Centered on engineering microbiology and a sustainable future, the conference featured eight plenary lectures and more than 30 keynote speeches.

Discussions covered six areas: microbiology and artificial intelligence, microbial cell factories, enzyme and metabolic engineering, live biotherapeutics and related biomedical applications, microbial resource development and synthetic microbial communities.

SDU President Li Shucai said engineering microbiology links fundamental research with industrial applications and can support green development and sustainable growth. He called for stronger international collaboration to address scientific and technological challenges and accelerate the translation of research findings into industrial practice.

Rolf Muller, managing director of the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), reviewed the long-standing partnership between SDU and the institute, expressing hope that the two sides would further expand collaboration in engineering microbiology and jointly pursue original research breakthroughs.

During the conference, SDU signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Institute of Microbiology of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan and a cooperation agreement with the Suzhou Industrial Park Monash Science and Technology Research Institute. The latter agreement will support joint training and research in microbiology and synthetic biology.

The phase II of the Shandong University-Helmholtz International Laboratory was also launched, with future collaboration focusing on innovative drug development and emerging biotechnology.