All posts by smd_admin

Electoral General Assembly of the Society and event Young Microbiologists Present

splošno

Dear members of the Slovenian Microbiological Society,

The Executive Board of the Slovenian Microbiological Society (SMD) hereby convenes an Extraordinary Electoral General Assembly of the Society and invites you to the event “Young Microbiologists Present.”

The meeting will take place on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, at 15:00, in the lecture hall of the National Institute of Biology (NIB), 1st floor, Entrance CD, Večna pot 121.

PROGRAMME

15:00 Opening of the Extraordinary Electoral General Assembly and appointment of the bodies of the Assembly

15:05–16:35 Invited lecture by Assistant Professor Miša Korva, PhD:
“Mosquitoes Without Borders: Autochthonous Outbreaks of Dengue, Chikungunya and West Nile Fever in Europe”

16:35-16:50 Najmagisterij 2025 – Podelitev nagrade in predstavitev
Anja Pungartnik: Fenotipska in genotipska karakterizacija mikrobne odpornosti ter
filmotvornosti izbranih po gramu pozitivnih in negativnih bakterij

Young Microbiologists Present

16:50–17:05 Lana Vogrinec: Dinamika rečnih virusnih združb pod vplivom odpadne vode
17:05-17:20 Manja Šolinc: Vpeljava sodobnih molekularnih pristopov za dokazovanje in opredelitev enteričnih virusov v školjkah klapavicah
17:20–17:35 Petra Šenica Kavčič: Proučevanje enteričnih virusov pri prostoživečih prežvekovalcih s poudarkom na potencialno zoonotskih virusih
17:35–17:50 Špela Golavšek: Karakterizacija sevov Escherichia coli v blatu telet v povezavi z mikrobioto in rezistomom gnoja v različnih rejah mlečnega goveda

17:50 Election of members of the Executive Board, Supervisory Board, and Honorary Tribunal and announcement of the election results

We hope to see as many of you as possible and look forward to welcoming you all.
The Executive Board of the Slovenian Microbiological Society (SMD)

FEMS MICRO 2027 – Important deadlines and funding opportunities

splošno

Dear members of the Slovenian Microbiological Society,

From 5 to 8 July 2027, one of Europe’s largest microbiology congresses, FEMS MICRO 2027, will take place in Ljubljana. Below, we would like to highlight some important deadlines related to the congress.

Submission of proposals for interactive sessions: Session proposals

Deadline: 30 September 2026

Abstract submission is now open: Abstract submission

Deadline: 15 December 2026

Funding opportunities and awards

When submitting an abstract to FEMS MICRO 2027, you can also apply for financial support and several types of awards:

FEMS Grants and Awards

More information about the congress is available on the official website FEMS MICRO 2027. We warmly encourage you to submit your abstracts, apply for available funding opportunities, and actively participate in this major microbiology event, which will be hosted in Ljubljana next year.

splošno

Dear members of the SMD,

The Slovenian Microbiological Society (SMD) announces two calls for 2026:

Applications must be submitted electronically (PDF) to smd@smd.si no later than May 29, 2026.

Applicants for the scholarships will be notified of the results by June 5, 2026, while applicants for the best master’s thesis award will be notified no later than September 4, 2026.

Detailed conditions and instructions are provided in the attached calls. For additional questions, please contact smd@smd.si.

You are kindly invited to apply.

Best regards,
SMD Executive Board

SETCoMS 2026 and MIKROMED REGIO 6

splošno

The 1st South-East Transnational Congress of Microbial Sciences (SETCoMS 2026 & MIKROMED REGIO 6) to be held in Belgrade from 10-13 June 2026, invites microbiologists, researchers, innovators, doctors, and emerging scientists to join a vibrant community shaping the frontiers of microbiology.‌

More information in the link!

General Assembly of SMD for 2026

splošno

Dear members of the Slovenian Microbiological Society,

The Executive Board of the Slovenian Microbiological Society convenes the regular General Assembly of the Society for 2026. The meeting will take place on Thursday, 26 March 2026 at 16:00 via the Zoom online platform.

Link to the event:
https://uni-lj-si.zoom.us/j/3321642592?omn=97902846091

PROGRAM

16:00 Opening of the General Assembly and appointment of the Assembly bodies

16:05 Invited lecture

Assoc. Prof. Tinkara Tinta, PhD:
Interactions between microbes and jellyfish and their impact on the functioning of marine ecosystems

16:35 Activities of the Slovenian Microbiological Society

  • Reports by the Executive Board members on the activities of the Society in 2025 and the work programme for 2026

  • Final financial report for 2025 and the financial plan for 2026

  • Miscellaneous

With the hope that we will gather in as large a number as possible, we warmly greet you all.

Executive Board of the Slovenian Microbiological Society

Call for Mentors – Catalyst Academy Project

splošno

The Catalyst Academy is an interdisciplinary student project connecting young scientists and professionals from the fields of pharmacy, chemistry, chemical engineering, and biotechnology. It is organized by ŠOFFA and ŠOFKKT, with ŠOBF joining this year as a new partner.

The project’s mission is to support students in transitioning from studies to the job market through a structured 1-on-1 mentoring program. Mentors meet with students once a month, offering guidance, career advice, and insights into professional life.

We are currently inviting mentors who would like to share their knowledge and experience with students from these faculties. A brochure with detailed information for mentors will be available soon.

The project also includes workshops and talks focused on career development and essential soft skills.

More information in the brochure and our instagram: @catalystacademy2025

To express your interest, contact mentorstvo@catalystsacademy.org

Rethinking Plant Systems for the Future

splošno

Seveda — spodaj je preveden prispevek v angleščino (primerno za spletno objavo).

Dear members of SMD,

We are pleased to invite you to take part in the international conference “Rethinking Plant Systems for the Future”, which will take place on 17–18 September 2026 in Maribor (Hotel Habakuk).

The central focus of this year’s meeting will be the plant holobiont and a discussion on the future of research on plants and their microbiomes in Slovenia. The conference aims to bring together researchers from a wide range of fields—from microbiology, molecular biology, genomics, ecology, and agronomy to systems biology and environmental sciences—and to encourage interdisciplinary dialogue on how to understand and steer plant systems in the context of climate change, sustainable agriculture, and environmental protection.

As the plant holobiont goes beyond the boundaries of any single discipline, we are seeking a diverse and content-rich line-up of participants who can contribute perspectives from different angles. The field of microbiology plays a key role in this effort—both in uncovering fundamental mechanisms of interaction and in developing applied approaches for the future.

The programme will include invited lectures, oral and poster presentations, and thematic discussions, with a special emphasis on connecting the Slovenian research community and establishing new collaborations.

You are kindly invited to contribute to the discussion on the future of plant systems research in Slovenia with your presence and participation. For more information on registration and important deadlines, please visit:
https://www.plantslo.org/wp/conference2026/

We look forward to seeing you there and send you our best regards,
Nejc Stopnišek
(on behalf of the Organising Committee)

splošno

This year, the 31st International ICFMH Conference FOODMicro2026 will take place in Ljubljana from 7 to 10 September.

We would like to inform you that a preliminary programme has been published on the conference website, and abstract submission is now open.

You are kindly invited to attend the event.

Invitation to participate in SMD activities

splošno

Dear Members,

Before the New Year, we would like to share a few announcements regarding the Society’s upcoming activities and kindly invite you to participate.

1. We would like to inform you that we will be reconstituting the SMD Terminology Committee, as activities in its current composition have recently come to a standstill. Our aim is for the committee to operate actively in the future and to respond promptly to language-related questions raised by our members. It is also important that professional terminology continues to develop in the Slovenian language. We therefore invite all those who would be interested in participating in the new SMD Terminology Committee to contact us by email at smd@smd.si and briefly describe their field of work.

2. In 2026, we wish to continue with the online seminars that have been held in the past. The coordination of these online seminars is to be taken on by Dr Nejc Stopnišek from NLZOH. We would also like other members to join him, particularly those willing to assist with establishing contacts with international lecturers or Slovenian lecturers working abroad. Anyone interested in this type of collaboration is kindly invited to inform us at smd@smd.si.

3. We have begun collecting contributions for the spring issue of our journal Mikrobiolog.si. We are very pleased with all the contributions we receive; however, we kindly ask you to follow the guidelines published on our website when preparing your manuscripts. Please note that only contributions submitted to the email address of the Editor-in-Chief, Assoc. Prof. Dr Polonca Štefanič (polonca.stefanic@bf.uni-lj.si), or to the Society’s official email address will be published in the journal.

We look forward to receiving your applications to participate in the committee and/or the online seminars, as well as your contributions to Mikrobiolog.si, by 20 January 2026.