Welcome
About the Symposium
The 16-ISABC convened in Ioannina, the capital of Epirus, to advance dialogue across metals in medicine, metallomics, bioinorganic biomaterials, and related fields. The scientific program was organized into seven sessions spanning spectroscopy, biomimetic chemistry, and environmental metal toxicology. Organizational support was provided by Zita Congress & Events Management.
Travel awards were supported by the Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry (SBIC), the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, and the MDPI International Journal of Molecular Science. Young Scientists Awards were announced in connection with the symposium.
The International Symposium on Applied Bioinorganic Chemistry is a long-running forum where scientists gather to share work on the role of metals in biological systems. Hosted by a series of academic partners over many years, the symposium welcomes chemists, biologists, clinicians, and students whose research touches metalloproteins, medicinal metal complexes, and inorganic pharmacology. Its continuing aim is to bridge laboratory insight and biomedical application in an open, collegial atmosphere that encourages cross-disciplinary conversation. Applied bioinorganic chemistry as a field investigates how essential and non-essential elements interact with living matter, and it draws on techniques from synthetic chemistry, spectroscopy, structural biology, and pharmacology. Symposia in this series typically feature sessions on metals in medicine, metallomics, biomimetic catalysis, environmental metal toxicology, and the design of functional biomaterials. By combining such topics under one program, the meeting reflects the breadth of contemporary inquiry into elements at work inside and around cells. For graduate students and early-career researchers, participation in an international meeting often marks an important moment of professional growth. Presenting a poster or short talk offers practice in communicating complex findings to a specialized audience, while attending keynote lectures exposes newcomers to landmark results and emerging questions. The symposium series has historically encouraged young investigators by offering travel support, poster prizes, and structured mentoring opportunities that connect emerging talent with established group leaders in the field. The host city and venue shape the tone of each edition of the symposium. Held at the Karolos Papoulias Conference Center on the University of Ioannina campus, the 2023 edition placed attendees within walking distance of lecture halls, dining facilities, and the wider Epirus landscape. Choosing a university setting rather than a commercial hotel reflects the organizers' preference for an academic environment that supports informal discussion between sessions and encourages longer conversations over coffee or evening meals. Scientific programs at applied bioinorganic chemistry meetings are usually organized into thematic sessions that run across several days, allowing participants to follow a coherent thread of presentations rather than sampling disconnected talks. Common session themes include spectroscopic methods for characterizing metal centers, design of metallodrugs, redox biology, environmental cycling of trace metals, and bio-inspired catalysis. Parallel poster sessions complement the oral program and give participants a chance to discuss methodology, troubleshoot experiments, and exchange unpublished observations. Publishing the proceedings and selected papers through partner journals and book series is a long-standing tradition of the symposium. Edited volumes and special issues allow presenters to reach readers who could not attend in person, while also giving authors a citable record of their contributions. Collaboration with established publishers and learned societies lends visibility to the field and helps maintain continuity between successive editions, creating an archive that grows with each gathering of the bioinorganic chemistry community. Industrial and institutional sponsorship plays a quiet but essential role in supporting the symposium's activities. Contributions from scientific societies, equipment manufacturers, reagent suppliers, and academic publishers help cover travel grants, prizes, and conference materials, allowing organizers to keep registration accessible for students and researchers from regions with limited research funding. The visual presence of sponsors on the program also signals the broader ecosystem of tools and services that underpin modern laboratory work in metals-based chemistry. Beyond formal sessions, the social and cultural program is an integral part of any international symposium, and the Greek host setting offered particular opportunities for exchange. Evenings often include a welcome reception, a conference dinner featuring regional cuisine, and optional excursions that introduce visiting scientists to local history and landscape. These informal moments frequently lead to collaborative projects, student placements, and friendships that extend well beyond the closing ceremony of the meeting itself.
The International Symposium on Applied Bioinorganic Chemistry is a recurring scientific congress that brings together researchers investigating the intersection of inorganic chemistry with biology and medicine. Held periodically since its founding, the series has become a recognized venue for presenting advances in metals in medicine, metallomics, environmental chemistry, and the design of bioinspired materials. Participation typically spans universities, research institutes, and industry partners across many countries, encouraging cross-disciplinary exchange and long-term collaboration among established investigators and emerging scholars working at this increasingly important scientific interface.
Each edition of the symposium is shaped around a structured scientific program composed of multiple thematic sessions. Topics commonly include therapeutic and diagnostic metal complexes, metal-based imaging agents, spectroscopic and analytical methods for studying metalloproteins, biomimetic and supramolecular systems, and the environmental fate and toxicology of metal species. Plenary and invited lectures by leading scientists are complemented by contributed talks and poster presentations, allowing graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to share their findings and receive constructive feedback within a supportive, internationally attended forum.
A defining feature of the symposium is its strong commitment to supporting early-career researchers. Travel fellowships, poster prizes, and best presentation awards are offered to encourage participation by doctoral candidates and young investigators from a wide range of institutions. Application procedures generally require a short submission form, a supporting letter from a supervisor, and an abstract of the work to be presented. These measures help reduce financial barriers and recognize high-quality research, reinforcing the meeting's role in training the next generation of scientists active in bioinorganic and related fields.
The host city and venue play an important role in shaping the character of each meeting. Symposia have traditionally been organized in university cities and regional capitals that offer both modern conference facilities and accessible cultural settings. Lecture halls such as dedicated congress centers on university campuses provide appropriate space for parallel sessions, poster exhibitions, and informal discussion. Local organizing committees, working in cooperation with the international scientific committee, manage logistics ranging from registration and accommodation to social events and excursions that allow participants to engage with the host region.
Conference proceedings and associated publications extend the impact of the symposium well beyond its scheduled days. Selected contributions are typically considered for special issues of peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes that gather research presented at the meeting into a coherent record accessible to the wider community. These publications cover topics ranging from molecular design and spectroscopy to biological evaluation and materials characterization, offering readers an organized overview of contemporary directions in applied bioinorganic chemistry and supporting the ongoing dialogue that the symposium series aims to foster.
Industrial sponsorship and partnership with scientific societies are integral to the symposium's sustainability and reach. Sponsors may include publishers, learned societies, and companies developing instrumentation, reagents, or therapeutic candidates. Their support underpins prizes, travel grants, and printed materials, while also creating opportunities for participants to learn about commercial developments relevant to their research. Affiliation with international organizations helps to maintain the meeting's standards of scientific quality and ensures that successive editions remain aligned with the evolving interests of the global bioinorganic chemistry community.
Beyond its formal scientific content, the symposium serves as a meeting point for a diverse international community. Researchers, educators, and students gather to exchange ideas, initiate collaborations, and renew professional friendships in a setting that combines rigorous academic exchange with the hospitality characteristic of academic gatherings. By alternating hosts and encouraging broad participation, the series contributes to a connected, globally minded research culture in applied bioinorganic chemistry, supporting both the discipline and the people whose work sustains it.
Research Highlights
Selected Topics
News
Announcements & Travel Awards
The Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry (SBIC) Travel Awards application window opened on March 15th, 2023, with a deadline of May 26th, 2023. The award announcement was issued in mid-May 2023 in connection with 16-ISABC.
Key dates referenced in the original materials:
- Abstract submission deadline: March 17th, 2023.
- Early registration until March 31st.
- Late registration from April 1st onward.
Forthcoming information regarding program scheduling, abstracts, and venue logistics was released progressively on the official symposium pages.
Scientific Program
Session Overview
- S1Metals in Medicine and Biology.
- S2Metallomics, Metalloproteins Structures.
- S3Metal Complexes Interaction with RNA, DNA or Proteins.
- S4Bioinorganic Biomaterials.
- S5Biomimetic and Bioinspired Bioinorganic Chemistry and Energy Conversion.
- S6Metal Toxicology and Metals in Environment.
- S7Biophysical, Biochemical and Spectroscopic Methods in Bioinorganic Chemistry.
Registration
Fee Categories (2023)
Registration fees were organized into early and late tiers. Fees included the welcome reception, scientific sessions, exhibits, coffee breaks, and lunches. Group registration applied to at least three students from the same university.
| Category | Early (until March 31st) | Late (from April 1st) |
|---|---|---|
| Researcher | 375€ | 425€ |
| PhD / Master Students | 275€ | 325€ |
| Student Group (per person) | 180€ | 200€ |
| Accompanying Person | 125€ | 175€ |
Venue & City
Gallery & Contact
