INTERNATIONAL BIODETERIORATION & BIODEGRADATION SYMPOSIUM 19 – BERLIN
Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung – 87 Unter den Eichen Entrance
Returning to BAM After 46 Years
In the book of Ecclesiastes (1:9), we read: “there is nothing new under the sun.”
In 1978, the International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation Society (IBBS) – then known as the Biodeterioration Society (BS) – held International Biodeterioration Symposium 4 (IBS4) at Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM – ~15 km SW of Berlin’s center). In September 2024 we returned to BAM for International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation Symposium 19 (IBBS19).
With a gap of 46 years between the two events, I thought it might be interesting to compare the two symposia. Full disclosure, shortly after I became IBBS’s president, Shiela Barry (Honorary Secretary, The Standing Committee for International Biodeterioration Symposia – SCIBS – 1976 – 1978), sent me two packages of IBBS historical documents. I opened the first package after returning home from IBBS19 and discovered that one of Shiela’s packages contained a binder filled with a 3 cm thick stack of documents related to IBS4 planning efforts.
As I read through the package of documents that Sheila had sent, I was struck by how – except for the originator and addressee names – how the missives sent in 1978 were remarkably similar to those that were exchanged among IBBS19’s planners. There was one other substantial difference. All of the 1976 through 1978 missives were either handwritten or typed manually and mailed through post offices (remember snail mail?). All of the 2022 through 2024 missives were either emails or attachments to emails – electronic files.
In 1978, David R. Houghton was the SCIBS Chairman (recall that 1978 predated current usage of Chair, etc.) and Sheila Barry was Secretary. H. C. Günther Becker – representing BAM – served as Chairman, International Biodeterioration Symposium 4 (IBS4). IBS4 was held from 28 August to 01 September 1978. IBBS no longer has an SCIBS. IBBS19 was managed by DECHEMA-Forschungsinstitut (DECHMA). With Matthew Neuman representing DECHMA, this was the first IBBS symposium that was not managed entirely by society volunteers. The symposium planning committee chairs, Andrea Kordt and Hans-Jörg Kunte, represented BAM and led a planning committee that included subject matter experts representing various biodeterioration topics (Figure 1)
Fig 1. IBBS19 Planning Committee members. Left to right, front row: Andrea Kordt (Chair), Sara Taghavi Kalajahi, Kequin Wen, Andre de Araujo Abilio; middle row: Archismita Misra, Gabriela Alfaro Espinosa, Michelle Unger; back row: Lydia Sobisch, Niclas Nordholt, Orestis Kanaris, Ruben Gerrits
A group photo from 1978 (Figure 2a) shows that approximately 40 people attended IBS4. More than tree times that number (Figure 2b) attended IBBS19. Moreover, scientists and engineers from 25 countries joined us at BAM for IBBS19.
The casual observer is likely to notice two differences among the 1978 IBS4 and 2024 IBBS19 groups. The 2024 gender ratio is much closer to parity than it was in 1978. There were only four women in the 1978 photo. In distinct contrast, nearly 50 % of the IBBS19 attendees were women. Moreover, the close observer will be hard pressed to find with a tie or jacket amongst the IBBS19 attendees.
Fig 2. IBS4 and IBBS19 attendees – a) 1978 IBS4 group photo; b) 2024 IBBS19 attendees during plenary session.
The gender equality is also reflected in the composition of the IBBS Council. Figure 3 shows the current Council members who attended IBBS19.
Fig 3. Left to right – Andrea Koerdt, Judit Kinz, Thomas Warscheid, Fred Passman, Jonathan Butler, Clara Urzi, Ji-Dong Gu, Joanna Verran, Scott Mitchell.
Figure 4 compares the 1978 and 2024 programs. Although the programs share many similar topics, IBBS19’s program was rich in molecular microbiological methods. Back in 1978 most research depended on culture methods. Additionally, topics such as sustainability and resource security were not on the 1978 agenda. That said, both programs focused on researched aimed to understand and mitigate biodeterioration of infrastructure and cultural objects – thet latter ranging from archival material (books and other documents) to architectural and archaeological structures.
Fig 4. 1978 IBS4 and 2024 IBBS19 programs.
In 1978, few researchers were investigating biofilms. This year, a half-day roundtable program focused on the need to standardize biofilm research approaches. It’s challenging to reach consensus on the appropriate balance between the need for new methods development and standardization that makes it possible to compare results obtained by different research teams. As I have written previously, IBBS maintains an annotated list of consensus standards related to biodeterioration testing (Consensus-Standards-September-2024.pdf). This list includes standards from AMMP (formerly NACE), ASTM, EI, and IBRG. If you are aware of other consensus standards organizations who have developed standards relevant to biodeterioration, please let me know and I’ll update the list.
I couldn’t resist comparing the registration costs for the 1978 and 2024 symposia. The IBS4 registration fee was a mere ₤60. For IBBS19, IBBS members paid 620 € (early registration). However, the 2024 value of ₤60 in 1978 ₤s = ₤590 = €708). Thus, IBBS24 was a bargain relative to IBS4!
Except for the year – 2027 – IBBS Council has yet to confirm either the dates or venue for IBBS20. I’ll share that information as it becomes available.
Having joined the Biodeterioration Society in 1984, I missed IBS4. I am indebted to Shiela Barry for both the documents and insights she has shared about our society’s early days. Now that I can count myself among the long-term members of IBBS, throughout IBBS19 I was delighted by both the number of young researchers (students and individuals who received their degrees within the past five years) who attended the symposium. It portends a bright future for biodeterioration and bioremediation research.
