Behind the Scenes: Organizing Chair Shares ISABC 2023 Program Highlights
The University of Ioannina opened its doors in June 2023 for the 16th International Symposium on Applied Bioinorganic Chemistry, drawing researchers, students, and industry partners from across the globe. Held in the lakeside city of Ioannina in Epirus, the symposium served as a meeting point for scientists working at the interface of inorganic chemistry, biology, and medicine. Conversations ranged from metallodrug design to environmental bioinorganic systems.
In a wide-ranging conversation, the organizing chair outlined what delegates could expect, why Ioannina was chosen, and how the event was designed to support early-career researchers. The discussion touched on plenary speakers, travel logistics, and the practicalities of attending from places as far away as Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. The chair framed the meeting as both a scientific milestone and a community-building exercise.
What emerged was a clear emphasis on interdisciplinarity, with the program structured to bridge laboratory discoveries and real-world applications. For Australian researchers working on metal-based therapeutics, the symposium offered a rare chance to engage with European counterparts whose regulatory landscapes differ in instructive ways.
A Vision for Applied Bioinorganic Chemistry in Ioannina
The chair framed ISABC 2023 as an outward-looking meeting, designed to show how applied bioinorganic chemistry is reshaping medicine, sustainable industry, and environmental remediation. The committee wanted to create space for clinicians, industry scientists, and regulators in the same room, reflected in the breadth of invited speakers and dedicated translational sessions.
Speaking about the choice of Ioannina, the chair pointed to the University of Ioannina's longstanding strength in coordination chemistry. The compact setting, with most venues within walking distance of the historic centre, was seen as a clear advantage. Delegates from Australia, who often meet colleagues only at events in Boston or Singapore, found the Greek setting unusually productive for sustained discussion.
The chair emphasised that the program addressed pressing global challenges, including antimicrobial resistance and sustainable catalysis. Sessions on copper and zinc homeostasis and metallodrug chemistry gave the meeting a clinically grounded feel. For Australian delegates whose work aligns with National Health and Medical Research Council priorities, this focus offered common ground.
Scientific Tracks and Program Highlights
The 2023 program was organised around four interconnected tracks bridging fundamental chemistry with practical applications. Plenary lectures anchored each morning, while afternoons featured parallel sessions, poster flashes, and themed workshops. A dedicated industry forum allowed companies developing chelation therapies, contrast agents, and biocatalysts to engage directly with researchers.
The table below summarises the four core tracks and their thematic emphasis. Researchers from Monash University, the University of Sydney, and the Australian National University were visible across multiple tracks, reflecting Australia's strength in the field.
| Program Track | Core Themes | Featured Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Medicinal Bioinorganic Chemistry | Metallodrugs, imaging agents, radiotherapy | Platinum, ruthenium, lanthanide complexes |
| Environmental and Sustainable Chemistry | Biocatalysis, metal recovery, sensing | Microbial transformations, green synthesis |
| Metals in Biology and Disease | Metal homeostasis, metalloproteins | Copper, iron, and zinc in health |
| Methods, Tools, and Translation | Spectroscopy, computation, clinical pipelines | Synchrotron techniques, structure-based design |
The chair highlighted the poster sessions as a deliberate equaliser, where PhD candidates and senior professors presented side by side. A poster prize, judged by an international panel, recognised work combining scientific rigour with clear pathways to application. Several Australian posters addressed antimicrobial copper complexes and platinum-resistant cancers, drawing strong interest from clinical chemists in the room.
Supporting Young Scientists and Travel Awards
A central theme was the symposium's commitment to early-career researchers. With international travel still expensive in the post-pandemic period, the committee ring-fenced budget for young scientist travel awards covering registration, accommodation, and a contribution toward airfares. Priority went to applicants from regions traditionally underrepresented at European meetings.
For Australian applicants, the awards were particularly meaningful. Researchers based in Adelaide, Perth, or Hobart often face longer and costlier routes to continental Europe, typically routing through Singapore, Dubai, or Doha. The chair confirmed that flexible travel windows and partial reimbursement schemes had been built into the award structure to accommodate flights from the southern hemisphere.
The program also featured mentorship lunches, where senior academics sat with early-career delegates to discuss career pathways, grant writing, and movement between academic and industry roles. Scholarships for attendees from low- and middle-income countries were similarly emphasised, reflecting a commitment to global scientific equity.
Practicalities and Accommodation in Ioannina
Logistics were a recurring thread, with the chair keen to stress that attendees would be supported by Zita Congress & Event Management. The secretariat handled registration, abstract submission, and accommodation bookings, allowing delegates to focus on the science. Pre-arrival information packs were sent out well in advance, including guidance on visa requirements for non-EU passport holders.
Accommodation options ranged from budget hostels and family-run guesthouses to purpose-built conference hotels near the university. For delegates comparing choices in detail, the official accommodation page provided an updated list of partner hotels with negotiated rates. Many attendees stayed within the old town, where lakeside cafés and the famous castle created a memorable backdrop for evening discussions.
Early booking was recommended, particularly during the Greek Orthodox feast days that fell within the symposium week, when regional pilgrimages put pressure on hotel availability.
Global Connections and the Australian Research Community
The interview closed with a discussion of how ISABC 2023 sat within the wider international landscape, particularly for Australian researchers. The chair noted that Australia's regulatory environment, overseen by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, shapes how quickly metallodrug candidates progress to clinical trials. Sharing findings with European colleagues, operating under the European Medicines Agency framework, was seen as genuinely useful.
Australian delegates were encouraged to forge new collaborations around shared access to infrastructure such as the Australian Synchrotron and ANSTO's neutron scattering facilities. The chair noted that joint proposals had become increasingly common, with several sessions designed to surface such opportunities. Many attendees also began planning return trips, with the symposium's detailed accommodation overview offering a useful starting point for future visits. These connections give Australian research a clearer pathway onto global stages beyond North America and Asia.
Delegates highlighted the value of smaller regional gatherings that bring Australian bioinorganic chemists together between major international conferences. The chair closed by reflecting on how the symposium had reinforced a sense of shared purpose among bioinorganic chemists worldwide.
Registration and abstract submission were handled through the official secretariat, Zita Congress & Event Management. Early booking was encouraged, along with timely travel award applications and any accessibility or dietary requirements. The chair closed by reminding attendees that the real value of ISABC 2023 lies in conversations that begin at the coffee queue and continue for years afterwards.