On behalf of the Italian Society of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology (SIMTREA), it is a pleasure to announce the 7^th International Conference on Microbial Diversity 2023, that will take place in Parma from 26 to 29 September 2023, at the Paganini Congressi. The Conference is organized by University of Parma and SIMTREA.
The MD is a prestigious International congress that has seen its number of participants increasing over the years and that brings together researchers and professionals working on agricultural, environmental and food microbiology from all over the world.
The theme of 7^th Edition of MD is “Agrifood microbiota as a tool for a sustainable future” and includes four sessions: FOOD microbiota as a tool for a sustainable future; HUMAN microbiota as a tool for a sustainable future; ENVIROMENT microbiota as a tool for a sustainable future; Sustainable future has come.
Parma is the right place in the right moment to host the MD 2023 as it is the cradle of many ideas in just as many fields of research and is hosting several events bringing together people from all over the World. The world population is continuously increasing, facing problems such as Food security, Food safety, Climate changes, Pandemic. The agrifood microbiota and its diversity would be the key tool for a sustainable future.
Share thoughts and ideas for these ambitious goals in Parma!

WEBSITE AND CONTACTS

Website
Information on the MD23 can be found at https://www.md23.simtrea.org/
Contacts
For scientific, organising and general information matters, contact the MD23 secretariat: secretariatMD23@simtrea.org
For payment matters, contact the SIMTREA treasury: tesoreria@simtrea.org

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME

The MD23 programme will include: 5 thematic sessions, 3 invited plenary lectures, 4 invited keynote lectures, 16 presentations, 20 short presentations, 5 poster session.
The Scientific Programme will start on Tuesday 26 September 2023 at 16:30 by the Opening lecture given by Prof. Marco Gobbetti. On the same day, the Welcome Ceremony will be held at the University of Parma Central Palace.
On Wednesday 27 September 2023, the programme will start at 9:00 with the Plenary Lecture given by Prof. Paul Cotter that will introduce the session on “FOOD microbiota as a tool for a sustainable future”.
In the afternoon, starting at 14:00, the programme wil continue with the keynote lecture – Prof. Sarah Lebeer, introducing the Session on “HUMAN microbiota as a tool for a sustainable future”.
On Thursday 28 September 2023, the Session on “ENVIROMENT microbiota as a tool for a sustainable future” will be open at 9:00 by the Plenary lecture given by Prof. Peiying Hong. In the afternoon, the keynote lecture given by Prof. Daniele Daffonchio will introduce the session on “Exploiting microbiomes for a sustainable future”. The Gala Dinner will end the day starting at 20:00.
On Friday 29 September 2023, the final session on “Sustainable future has come” will be introduced by the Keynote lecture given by Proff. Daniele del Rio and Danilo Ercolini. The conference will officially close before Lunch. In the afternoon, the SIMTREA meeting will be held.

CONFIRMED INVITED SPEAKERS

• Prof. Paul Cotter (Teagasc & SeqBiome, University of Cork, Ireland)
  Plenary lecture: A MASTER Plan: Leveraging food and food chain microbiome data for a sustainable future
• Prof. Daniele Daffonchio (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia)
  Keynote lecture: Ecology of the thermal adaptation of microbial communities in time and space
• Prof. Daniele Del Rio (University of Parma, Italy)
  Keynote lecture: Research and innovation network on Food and Nutrition Sustainability, Safety and Security: the ONFOODS national partnership
• Prof. Danilo Ercolini (University of Naples Federico II, Italy)
  Keynote lecture: The National Center for the Development of New Technologies in Agriculture (Agritech): Microbiota as tools for a sustainable development of agri-food production
• Prof. Marco Gobbetti (Libera Università di Bolzano, Italy)
  Opening plenary lecture: How to manage with fermentation microbiomes: metabolic framework of spontaneous versus synthetic metacommunities.
• Prof. Peiying Hong (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia)
  Plenary lecture: Building a resilient and sustainable water system for our future urban farms
• Prof. Sarah Lebeer (University of Antwerp, Belgium)
  Keynote lecture: The uniqueness of the microbiome of the human reproductive tract

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Erasmo Neviani (University of Parma, Italy), Monica Gatti (University of Parma, Italy), Camilla Lazzi (University of Parma, Italy), Valentina Bernini (University of Parma, Italy), Benedetta Bottari (University of Parma, Italy), Elena Bancalari (University of Parma, Italy), Alessia Levante (University of Parma, Italy), Annalisa Ricci (University of Parma, Italy), Jasmine Hadj Sadoun (University of Parma, Italy), Francesco Martelli (University of Parma, Italy), Luca Bettera (University of Parma, Italy), Laura Troiani (University of Parma, Italy), Saverio Monica (University of Parma, Italy), Martina Marrella (University of Parma, Italy), Luca Fontechiari (University of Parma, Italy), Claudia Della Pina (University of Parma, Italy), Gaia Bertani (University of Parma, Italy), Laura Marchi (University of Parma, Italy), Teresa Zotta (University of Basilicata, Italy).

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

Paul Cotter (Teagasc Food Research Centre, University of Cork, Ireland), Daniele Daffonchio (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia), Daniele Del Rio (University of Parma, Italy), Danilo Ercolini (University of Naples Federico II, Italy), Marco Gobbetti (Libera Università di Bolzano, Italy), Peiying Hong (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia), Sarah Lebeer (University of Antwerp, Belgium), Erasmo Neviani (University of Parma, Italy), Monica Gatti (University of Parma, Italy), Camilla Lazzi (University of Parma, Italy), Valentina Bernini (University of Parma, Italy), Benedetta Bottari (University of Parma, Italy), Elena Bancalari (University of Parma, Italy), Alessia Levante (University of Parma, Italy), Annalisa Ricci (University of Parma, Italy), Jasmine Hadj Sadoun (University of Parma, Italy), Francesco Martelli (University of Parma, Italy), Rosalba Lanciotti (University of Bologna, Italy), Luca Cocolin (University of Turin, Italy), Carlo Giuseppe Rizzello (University of Rome, Italy), Olimpia Pepe (University of Naples, Italy), Monica Agnolucci (University of Pisaa, Italy), Luca Settanni (University of Palermo, Italy), Teresa Zotta (University of Basilicata, Italy), Maria De Angelis (University of Bari, Italy), Pier Luigi Cardinali (University of Perugia, Italy), Cinzia Caggia (University of Catania, Italy).

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Registration Deadlines (all deadlines at 23:59 CET)

• Early Bird Registration – by July 20th, 2023
• Late Registration (bank transfer) – by August 15th, 2023
• Late Registration (credit card or PayPal) – by September 1st, 2023

Registration Fees

• SIMTREA Members (early bird): 430 €
• SIMTREA Members (late registration): 510 €
• Non-members (early bird): 460 €
• Non-members (late registration): 510 €
• Student (early bird): 300 €
• Student (late registration): 350 €

All registration fees include access to all scientific sessions, poster exhibition, welcome ceremony, coffee/tea breaks, lunch breaks.
Student fee is only applicable for PhD students, post doc with short term contract (Research fellow)
Abstract information

• Abstract submission: March 20th – May 15th, 2023
• Notification of acceptance or rejection of abstracts: by July 1st, 2023
• Notification for abstract eligibility as a presentation/short presentation: by July 1st, 2023

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Organizers
About SIMTREA: Italian Society of Agro-Food and Environmental Microbiology. SIMTREA was founded on 15 February 1994 in Milan (Italy), and is a non-profit membership organization of scientists who work in the fields of agricultural, environmental and food microbiology. The Society promotes the understanding of microbiology to different stakeholders, including policy makers, students, and teachers. Since 2011, SIMTREA organizes the biennial International Conference on Microbial Diversity aimed to promote discussion and exchange of information and experiences on the complexity and powerfulness of microbial biodiversity (https://www simtrea org/).
About University of Parma: The University of Parma (UNIPR, https://www.unipr.it/), whose origins date back to 962 AD, is one of the oldest universities in the world and one of the best-known in Italy. Today it has 1,300 employees and more than 30,000 students who work and study on three campuses. UNIPR has 98 degree courses (11 in English), 21 research doctorates, and 39 masters coordinated in 9 academic Departments. Departments in the areas of social sciences and humanities, medicine and surgery, and veterinary sciences are located in the city centre. The other Departments (agri-food areas, pharmacy, engineering and architecture, mathematical, physical, and natural sciences) are located in the Scientific and Technological Campus, an area of 77 hectares in the southern part of the city, which also holds facilities for staff and students, for sports and recreational activities. The Campus also houses the Technology Transfer Office, which plays a valuable role in the protection and commercialization of intellectual property developed by UNIPR researchers. Within the Campus, there is also an important Industrial Technopole, an infrastructure that houses innovative research centres and laboratories for industrial research and technological development. The Technopole favours the meeting between companies and researchers by reducing the distance between supply and demand for innovation. UNIPR brings together a strong interdisciplinary team involving agricultural sciences. In the Science and Technology Campus, there is also “The Food Project Area” (https://www foodproject unipr.it/). The Food Project is promoted by UNIPR to establish and strengthen the already existing skills of excellence in the field of research and teaching in the agri-food sector. The Department of Food and Drug Sciences (hiips://saf.unipr.it/it), through consistent high-quality scientific production, is placed on the national and international scene as a centre of excellence in research and training related to the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields, focusing attention on the discovery of new drugs, nutraceuticals, supplements, cosmetics, medical devices, and their correct use and access for efficient pharmaceutical assistance, as well as to the agri-food world, focusing attention on quality, safety, typicality of foods, technological innovation, design of new foods and new production processes, assessment of product sustainability.

LOCATION

Congress venue – Paganini Congressi
Paganini Congressi, events and conference factory https://www paganinicongressi it/
Via Toscana 5/a, 43121 Parma, Italy
Map: https://goo.gl/maps/xwwkAp9gJBjVDdmp7

About Parma
Parma is the 2nd largest city in the Emilia-Romagna region and is famous for its delicious food products, heart of the Italian Food Valley; Parma has obtained UNESCO’s recognition as “Creative City of Gastronomy”. Romanesque buildings, including the frescoed Parma Cathedral and the pink marble baptistry, adorn the city centre. Cradle of opera, birthplace of Giuseppe Verdi, Parma is also renown for the Teatro Regio, a 19th century opera house. Inside the imposing Palazzo della Pilotta, the Galleria Nazionale, displaying works by the 16th century painters Correggio and Canaletto, and the spectacular wooden theatre Teatro Farnese can be visited. The headquarters of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) are located in Parma.
Photo credits: Città di Parma https://www flickr com/photos/comuneparma/

HOW TO REACH

Parma is located in Northern Italy, about 100 km from Milan and from Bologna, it is easily reachable by car, train or plane. If you choose to arrive:
By car: Take Motorway A1 Milan-Bologna (exit Parma) and A15 Parma-La Spezia/Genoa (exit Parma Ovest) For info, please visit: https://www.autostrade.it
By train: Most of trains travelling on the Milano-Bologna line stop in Parma, as well as those on Turin-Bologna and Genoa-Bologna lines. Rome and Florence are well connected thanks to high-speed trains in 3.30 hours (Rome) and 1.45 hour (Florence) arriving at Reggio Emilia AV Station. For info, please visit: https://www trenitalia com/ and https://www.italotreno.it
By plane: The International Airports near Parma (about one-hour distance) are Milan Malpensa Airport (180 Km), Milan Linate Airport (120 Km), Bologna Airport (90 Km), Bergamo (162 Km) and Verona (115 Km).