Category: <span>Outreach</span>

CIWEM Journal special issue on microplastics – call for papers

The Water and Environmental Journal of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) is hosting a Special Issue on Micro and nanoplastics and the Plastisphere in Aquatic Environments: Sources, Impacts, and Sustainable Mitigation Strategies. The journal is open to submissions from both members and non-members on key issues …

EBNet’s UKRI report available now

A report covering EBNet’s main activities and outputs during our UKRI funding period is now up on the Resources page, under More EBNet reports.  A bit later than originally planned, but brimming with information on our working groups, events and publications. The report is available in two formats, with a …

Coccus Pocus 2026 – scary story competition now open (and sponsored by EBNet)

The 2026 Coccus Pocus story competition is now open for entries. This year’s theme is microbial therapeutics against pathogens and AMR microbes and their biofilms, so plenty to interest EBNet members. Participants must submit a short story of 500 to 2000 words. The deadline is 31 October 2026 (Halloween), and …

New COST 2025 Actions now live to join – and a UKRO webinar on COST 2026

The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Association has announced the details of 80 successful new COST Actions funded in the 2025 Open Call. More information on these Networks and how to join them is now available on the COST Actions webpage, with references for new Actions starting with …

Institute of Water Annual Conference 2026 – and thoughts on workforce

Date: 17-18 Sept 2026, London The Institute of Water (IoW) is holding its 2026 annual conference on the theme Powered by You: Collective Action for a Resilient Water Future. The conference organisers note that: “The demands on the water sector are significant. Expectations from customers, regulators and communities continue to …

Royal Society Entrepreneur-in-residence scheme

Webinar: 30 June 2026, 10-12:00 UK Closing date: 19 August 2026 The Royal Society‘s Entrepreneur in Residence (EiR) scheme, aims to increase knowledge and awareness in UK universities of cutting-edge industrial science, research and innovation. The scheme provides opportunities for enthusiastic, highly-experienced industrial scientists and entrepreneurs to spend one day …

AMR, Biochar, H2 production and microalgae videos now available

In the ongoing clean-up of the EBNet website, new presentations have been added to Travel bursary and Placement sections, which are now on the Outcomes page. For some examples from international conferences, see: Kathleen Dunbar, University of Surrey – ISME 19, 18-23 August 2024 Cape Town, South Africa. Increased hydrogen production from …

Two blogs on Stories from the Microbial World and other fiction

Habitat Press has published a newsletter focussing on the Stories from the Microbial World anthology, which includes entries from the EBNet-sponsored Microbes to the Rescue and the Clean vs Green competition rounds organised by the Green Stories Project. The Habitat Press Newsletter features interviews with a few of the authors …

A word to our funders – make sure your views are known

EBNet’s Director Prof Sonia Heaven will give a short talk on our Network to representatives of BBSRC in Southampton on 3 June 2026. This is an opportunity to share your thoughts on key issues for Environmental Biotechnology, and/or ideas for this and other UKRI-funded Networks. We plan to include preliminary …

Dr Clare Lukehurst – a Champion of Anaerobic Digestion

Dr Clare Lukehurst has recently been recognised by an entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Although the text is behind a paywall, it’s very gratifying to see her remarkable life and contributions acknowledged in this way. Dr Lukehurst acted for many years as the UK representative for IEA …

Coccus Pocus 2025: results of the microbiology-inspired ‘Scary story’ competition

Last Autumn saw Round 7 of Coccus Pocus, the annual scary story competition for Halloween. The 2025 competition was supported by the Microbiology Society as part of its Knocking Out AMR campaign: the competition organiser Dr Georgios Efthimiou is himself a Microbiology Society Champion. Entrants are asked to write a …