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The ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ Mechanism Discovery Meeting unites researchers across disciplines to uncover the molecular mechanisms that drive microbial life and interactions. Bridging the Microbial Biology & Physiology (MBP) and Host-Microbe Pathogenesis (HMP) tracks, this meeting explores the fundamental processes underlying microbial function, adaptation and impact across diverse systems.

With a focus on spanning metabolism, structural biology, microbial communities, host responses and computational modeling, the meeting fosters cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration. Attendees gain an integrated perspective on how mechanistic insights fuel innovation in pathogenesis, biotechnology, microbiome science and microbial ecology.

• Systems Approaches for Discovery: integrating structural biology, multi-omics and high-throughput technologies with computational modeling to uncover emergent principles of microbial life.
• Cell Growth, Division and Physiology: exploring the molecular basis of microbial growth, metabolism, cell division and morphology under diverse environmental and genetic contexts.
• Spatial and Dynamic Cellular Organization: investigating how microbes coordinate internal organization, molecular localization and temporal dynamics to drive key cellular processes.
• Collective Behaviors of Microbes from Molecules to Populations: unraveling how individual microbial behaviors give rise to collective phenomena such as quorum sensing, biofilms, motility and population-level organization.
• Intra and Interspecies Interactions: deciphering the molecular and ecological mechanisms driving microbial cooperation, competition and communication within and across species.
• Mechanisms that Shape Host-Microbe Relationships: dissecting microbial strategies for colonization, persistence and immune modulation, with a focus on host-pathogen and host-commensal dynamics.
• Cell Signaling, Regulation and the Central Dogma: illuminating how microbes process signals and regulate expression, including transcription, translation and post-translational modifications in diverse environments.
• Phage and Predator Stress: understanding microbial defense strategies and adaptations to biotic stressors, including bacteriophage infection, microbial predatory and host-imposed stress.

Submit a Session Proposal to be a part of the inaugural ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ Mechanism Discovery Meeting taking place June 4-8, 2026 in Washington, DC.  From molecules and hosts to systems and communities—this is the meeting where foundational discovery powers the future of microbiology.