WELCOME TO ISBP 2008

 Final Conference Programme Available

Conference Dates: 23 - 26 November 2008

The International Symposium on Biological Polyesters (ISBP) has increasingly gained recognition by experts in the biopolymer field. Biological Polyesters have been extensively investigated by research groups world-wide over the last two decades which provided crucial insight into biosynthesis and material properties of these biopolymers. This class of biopolymers is characterised by unique material properties alluding to various non-medical and medical applications which significantly drive commercialisation.

The first ISBP was held in Toronto (Canada) in 1988 followed biannually by ISBP's held in Sitges, Spain (1990), Göttingen, Germany (1992), Montreal, Canada (1994), Davos, Switzerland (1996), Saitama, Japan (1998), Cambridge, USA (2000), Münster, Germany (2002), Beijing, China (2004) and Minneapolis, USA (2006). After ten very successful conferences held in the Northern Hemisphere, ISBP 2008 will be in the Southern Hemisphere for the first time! The conference is proudly being hosted by Massey University at Sky City in Auckland (New Zealand).

New Zealand’s economy is driven by agriculture and horticulture with a growing emphasis on biotechnological processes which will in addition to the country’s richness in natural resources provide a stimulating environment for this conference. Research on Biological Polyesters always implemented an interdisciplinary approach involving experts in biology, biotechnology, medicine, physics, chemistry, polymer science and chemical engineering.

An ongoing interaction between academia and industry has strongly contributed towards the understanding of these polyesters which can now be industrially produced and are conceived for numerous applications. I hope that the ISBP 2008 will capture the excitement related to the new developments in Biological Polyester research and commercialisation, by bringing together biopolymer scientists from academia and industry.

Professor Bernd Rehm
Chair, ISBP 2008
Massey University, New Zealand