Microbial Predation Conference 2026 Monte Verità, Switzerland — July 27-31, 2026 Join us in lovely Ticino, Switzerland to discuss what microbial predation looks like, how it originates and evolves, and how it shapes microbial communities. Researchers studying diverse aspects of microbial predation with different predator-prey systems will gather to promote conceptual synthesis across systems and questions. Submit abstracts and register by Friday, June 12th. Conference website: https://microbialpredation.ethz.ch Invited speakers include: Lutz Becks - University of Constance, Germany Antonis Chatzinotas - Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany Yen-Ping Hsueh - Max-Planck Institute for Biology, Tuebingen, Germany Andrew Lovering - University of Birmingham, UK David Queller - Washington University in St. Louis, USA Joan Strassmann - Washington University in St. Louis, USA Renske van Raaphorst - University of Groningen, The Netherlands With the Conference on Microbial Predation 2026, we seek to bring together microbial-predation researchers who rarely meet under a single scientific umbrella, including molecular microbiologists, ecologists, evolutionary biologists, theoreticians, and biocontrol researchers, promoting integration across microbial systems and connection with concepts largely associated with macroscopic predators. The conference provides a forum where diverse perspectives can converge to build shared conceptual frameworks, new interdisciplinary collaborations can be initiated, and the global community of microbial-predation researchers can more deeply interconnect. We welcome researchers working with animals who want to think more about microbial predation. ---------------------------------------------------------- WE HAVE STUDENT SUPPORT FUNDS! Thanks to the Swiss National Science Foundation, we have received funds to support conference attendance by students from more financially limited contexts. We can provide support grants of 300 Swiss francs to each of 15 students. To be considered for a support grant, send an email to microbialpredation2026@ethz.ch Indicate your student status — Bachelor, Master or PhD — and institution, and a brief statement of how a grant would facilitate your participation. ---------------------------------------------------------- Major themes: Behavior Ecology Evolution Molecular mechanisms Social aspects of predation Applications Scientific organizers: Marie Vasse, CNRS / University of Bordeaux, France Greg Velicer, ETH Zurich, Switzerland For administrative questions, please contact us at microbialpredation2026@ethz.ch (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to evoldir@evoldir.net)