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WelcomeMicroorganisms turn the wheels and ensure the wellbeing of the planet. Yet our understanding of who they are and what they do has so far been very limited. The current advances in studies of microorganisms in natural environments are extraordinary and hold promise for a fundamental change in our ability to describe the diversity and behaviour of microorganisms in all ecosystems. As a result, Microbial Ecology and its related disciplines are blossoming and attract strong interest from the scientific community as well as from non-science based interest groups. Hence, there is a need to meet more frequently and exchange results and ideas in truly international meetings, as well as for the International Society of Microbial Ecology to expand its services to members and to the wider community. The International Symposia in Microbial Ecology will now be held every second rather every third year. As a policy of ISME, the locations of the international symposia circulate between the different geographical regions. Following ISME 10 in Mexico in 2004 we are very pleased to welcome you to join us at ISME 11 in the wonderful city of Vienna in Austria in 2006. ISME 11 will build on the highly successful ISME 10. The Vienna symposium will feature a very exciting program on the parallel advances we are currently witnessing in many research areas, including metagenomics, community structure function analyses, culturing of the previously uncultured, whole genome sequencing and a much enhanced understanding of the physiology of a range of ecologically relevant bacteria, and the deciphering of complex communal microbial lifestyles. These developments promise to unravel The Hidden Powers – Microbial Communities in Action, the theme of ISME 11. The International Society of Microbial Ecology and the local organising committee hope to see all members and colleagues at ISME 11. We also extend a warm welcome to those who are interested in our discipline but have not yet attended the ISME symposia. Please join us and experience the excitement and the fun at ISME 11. See you in Vienna Staffan Kjelleberg Greetings Letter - Local Organizing CommitteeMicrobial ecology – the very name signals this branch of science as a melting pot of disciplines. The offspring of two major scientific disciplines, microbiology and ecology, the burgeoning field of microbial ecology in fact encompasses an even wider range of approaches, from genomics to geography, biochemistry to bioinformatics, modeling to medicine. Realization of the vital importance of microbes to our environment and to ourselves, coupled with ever more spectacular technological advances, have opened the door to many new discoveries in recent times. In short, it is an exciting time to be involved in microbial ecology. In 2006, the 250 th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, we invite you to visit the beautiful city of Vienna in Austria for the 11 th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology. The ISME symposia are the regular events for microbial ecologists from around the world, and are by far the largest meetings specifically devoted to microbial ecology. Here in Austria we have an active and growing involvement in this exciting discipline, with many research groups studying a wide variety of topics. These strong ties between Austria and microbial ecology make Vienna an ideal meeting place for ISME-11. Many of the world’s most prominent microbial ecologists are already confirmed as key speakers, yet many opportunities remain for active participation in ISME-11, be it in the form of a poster, an oral presentation, or organizing of a roundtable discussion on a topic of special interest. In times past, Vienna was the centre of an influential empire which spannedmuch of Europe. Today, Vienna blends its rich cultural history with the energy and excitement of a modern city at the centre of a new united Europe. Whether you’re enjoying cake and coffee at Vienna’s famous coffee houses, sampling the season’s wines at a traditional “Heurigen” (wine tavern), or simply strolling around one of our many delightful parks and historical monuments - Vienna in summertime has something to offerfor everyone. We, the Local Organizing Committee, takegreat pleasure in inviting you to join us at ISME-11 in August 2006.
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