Schedule for It Ma(t)Ters 2026
Tuesday, 26.05.2026
| 14:00 – 14:30 | Welcome and introductions by managing director and It-matters organization committee |
|---|---|
| 14:30 – 14:45 | Group picture |
| Session I – From genes to enzymes: structure and function across scales | |
| 14:45-15:30 | Keynote 1: Dr. Johannes Rebelein – Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology |
|
15:30 – 15:45 15:45 – 16:00 |
Research Talks 1
Mustafa Rasim Törer – Structural Phylogenetics and Protein Symmetry Kaitlyn Ho – Blueprints of the deep: proteins shaping symbiont-hosting structures in deep-sea mussels |
| 16:00 – 16:30 | Coffee break |
|
16:30 – 16:45 16:45 – 17:00 |
Research Talks 2 Garance Gauthier-Louâpre – Particle on the move: benthic-pelagic coupling in Arctic fjords and its influence on carbon cycling Wilson Castillo Inaipil – Ecology and Evolution of Methane-Oxidizing Symbionts in Deep-Sea Mussels |
| 17:00 – 18:00 | Icebreaker activity |
| 18:00 – 19:00 | Dinner break |
| 19:00 – 20:00 | Poster Session I |
| 20:00 | … |
Wednesday, 27.05.2026
| Session II – Mechanism and concepts of microbial ecology and evolution | |
|---|---|
| 09:15-10:00 | Keynote 2: Dr. Florian Trigodet – Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity |
|
10:00-10:15 10:15-10:30 |
Research Talks 3 Tomás Sauma Sánchez – A matter of size. Estimating gene content using COG categories Wenxuan He – Hydrogen availability shapes sulfur-cycling communities in marine sediments |
| 10:30-11:00 | Coffee Break |
|
11:00-11:15 11:15-11:30 11:30-11:45 |
Research Talks 4
Louison Nicolas-Asselineau – Loss of aerobic mitochondria in protists with denitrifying endosymbionts Pranita Mishra – Seasonal dynamics and potential interactions of free-living bacterioplankton during phytoplankton blooms at Helgoland Roads Annabell Wagner – A trait-based approach to assess the effect of canopy position and season on phyllospheric bacterial communities associated to Quercus robur |
| 12:10 – 13:00 | Lunch Break |
| 13:00 – 15:30 | … |
| Session III – Molecular physiology and microbial processes | |
| 15:30-16:15 | Keynote 3: Dr. Paloma Garrido Amador – Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology |
|
16:15-16:30 16:30-16:45 |
Research Talks 5 Laura Pareigis – Marine bacterial foraging mechanisms shift with pulsed complex glycan inputs Nahja Busse – Glycan Uptake in Marine Bacteria: A Reductionist Approach |
| 16:45 – 17:15 | Coffee Break |
|
17:15-17:30 17:30-17:45 17:45-18:00 |
Research Talks 6 Lisa Reuß – Extracellular Polymeric Substance in Marine Microorganisms – Stressors, Formation, and Ecological Role Nikita Goel – Characterizing cytoplasmic diffusion to discover novel metabolic protein complexes in Escherichia coli Laura Halbach – Microbial Nitrogen Fixation on Pelagic Sargassum |
| 18:00 – 19:00 | Dinner break |
| 19:00 – 20:00 | Poster session II |
| 20:00 | … |
Thursday, 28.05.2026
| 08:15 – 09:05 | Yoga: Grounding for Presence and Focus – Dr. Laura Halbach |
|---|---|
| 09:30 – 10:15 | Keynote 4: Dr. Cristina Radin – University of Hamburg |
| 10:15 – 10:30 | Coffee Break |
| 10:30 – 11:30 | Getting started with grant planning and writing – Dr. Greta Reintjes |
| 11:30 – 12:15 | Introduction to science communication – Dr. Fanni Aspetsberger |
| 12:15 – 12:30 | Awarding and Closing |
| 12:30 | Lunch Break |