Next Generation Biocatalysis

An International Young Investigator Symposium

The 6^th NextGenBiocat symposium will take place on June 10^th and 11^th 2026, at TU Munich, Germany

Biocatalysis and the investigation of the function of enzymes are exciting and vibrant topics, with new results being published on a daily basis. The NextGenBiocat symposium is organized by young researchers from TU Graz, TU Munich, TU Delft, Uni Groningen, University of Milan, and University of Bern. Its aim is to bring together young researchers, PhD candidates, postdocs and early-career PIs to feature their research in the field of (but not limited to):

Applied biocatalysis
Elucidation of enzymatic mechanisms
Protein, reaction and metabolic engineering (including computational tools)
Light-promoted enzymatic processes
Ultra-high-thoughput screening methods for enzyme discovery and optimization
Design of novel multi-enzyme cascade reactions

Participants will have the opportunity to showcase their research amongst other young researchers, discuss ideas, and create or reinforce collaborations and career experiences.

Our History

Initiated from the fusion of UniBern and the PhotoBioCat consortium with PhDs, postdocs and young PIs, the NextGenBiocat franchise started in 2021.

At the begining of 2021, two Biocatalysis symposiums were organized for young researchers in February (Graz, Austria, with Dr. Christoph Winkler, Dr. Sandy Schmidt, and Dr. Caroline E. Paul) and in May (Bern, Switzerland, with Dr. Ana Benítez-Mateos). Both symposiums had to happen in an online format due to the pandemic situation. Now, we have teamed up to organize NextGenBiocat as an annual on-site conference dedicated to early career researchers in Biocatalysis.