16-ISABC · Ioannina 2023

ISABC through the decades: a journey in bioinorganic chemistry

The sixteenth International Symposium on Applied Bioinorganic Chemistry convened in Ioannina in June 2023, hosted by the University of Ioannina with Zita Congress & Event Management as the official secretariat. Scientists gathered to discuss metal-based therapeutics, bioinspired catalysts, and the broader roles of metal ions in biology, continuing a tradition that now spans several decades.

Tracing the history of ISABC reveals a community that began as a small gathering and grew into a recognised forum for applied bioinorganic chemistry. The journey has wound through Florence, Naples, Sheffield, and Copenhagen before reaching the lakeside setting of Ioannina, each stop reflecting the priorities of the moment.

The founding years of an international gathering

The first ISABC convened in the early 1980s, when researchers working on the coordination chemistry of biological systems decided they needed a dedicated forum. Meetings on inorganic biochemistry were scattered across general conferences, and the founders wanted a venue where the bio side could take centre stage.

Florence is widely credited as the inaugural site, chosen for its strength in structural inorganic chemistry. Attendance was modest, perhaps 150 delegates, with plenaries delivered in halls that doubled as teaching spaces during semester.

The original remit covered metalloproteins, model compounds, and metal-based diagnostics. Topics that would later define applied bioinorganic chemistry, such as platinum anticancer drugs and gadolinium imaging agents, were only beginning to attract attention, yet the seeds were planted.

Growing roots across European host cities

After Florence, the symposium migrated every two to three years, each host city lending its flavour. Naples contributed bioinorganic spectroscopy, Sheffield brought industrial perspectives, and meetings in the Netherlands and northern Germany foregrounded supramolecular approaches.

By the 1990s, attendance had doubled. Younger researchers from across Europe and beyond submitted abstracts in greater numbers, encouraged by emerging funding mechanisms. The community was no longer purely European, with growing contingents from Australia, Japan, and North America joining each edition.

Host cities invested in outreach, organising excursions and arranging cultural events that helped cement social bonds. Many lifelong collaborations trace their origins to coffee breaks in cities as varied as Vienna, Galway, and Barcelona.

Australian voices in the bioinorganic conversation

Researchers from Australia have been regular fixtures at ISABC since the 1990s, with groups from the University of Melbourne, Monash, the Australian National University, and the University of Queensland sending delegations to most editions. Their contributions span medicinal inorganic chemistry and the bioinorganic chemistry of copper and zinc.

Funding from the Australian Research Council has supported these travel commitments, with the Discovery Programme and Future Fellowships enabling researchers to attend as a normal part of their professional life. Within Australian chemistry departments, attendance at ISABC is treated as a rite of passage for PhD students working on metallodrugs.

Australian delegates often arrive keen as mustard, ready to swap notes with European collaborators. Conversations in poster halls have produced joint projects with groups in Italy, Spain, and Germany, and several Australian labs now host European PhD students through these networks.

Themes that shaped modern applied bioinorganic chemistry

The intellectual centre of gravity at ISABC has shifted repeatedly. Early editions foregrounded structural studies of metalloenzymes, with X-ray crystallography and X-ray absorption spectroscopy dominating discussions. The 2000s brought a surge of interest in medicinal inorganic chemistry, particularly around platinum and ruthenium anticancer complexes.

More recent editions have emphasised bioinspired catalysis, synthetic enzymes, and the use of earth-abundant metals in place of precious ones. Environmental applications, including the bioinorganic chemistry of polluted waterways and the role of metal ions in climate-sensitive processes, have moved closer to centre stage.

A defining feature of the modern symposium is its willingness to host sessions on imaging, diagnostics, and radiochemistry, areas few founding participants would have anticipated. The growing presence of computational chemists, who model metalloprotein active sites, reflects a quiet revolution.

Ioannina 2023: a milestone on Greek soil

The choice of Ioannina reflects longstanding strength in inorganic and bioinorganic chemistry in Greece, particularly through groups at the University of Ioannina and collaborating institutions in Athens and Thessaloniki. The city's setting beside Lake Pamvotis, beneath the mountains of Epirus, offered a backdrop delegates found calming and stimulating.

Zita Congress & Event Management served as the secretariat, handling registration, accommodation bookings, and abstract submissions. Their involvement allowed the scientific committee to focus on programme design. The welcome message highlighted continuity with the symposium's heritage alongside Epirus hospitality.

Sessions ran across several venues within the university campus, with plenary lectures drawing overflow audiences. A reception featuring regional wines and produce from the surrounding countryside gave the meeting a distinct identity that delegates will remember alongside the chemistry.

Supporting emerging researchers from every region

ISABC has always been committed to early-career researchers. Travel awards for young scientists, poster prizes, and dedicated sessions for PhD students and postdoctoral fellows have shaped the symposium's design for decades.

The Ioannina edition continued this tradition with scholarships and travel grants aimed at widening participation from regions historically underrepresented at international chemistry meetings. Information about scholarship opportunities for early career researchers from developing countries is published on the official site, and applicants were encouraged to submit early.

These initiatives matter because attending an international conference can quickly become prohibitive for researchers from countries where research funding is limited. By reducing that barrier, the symposium helps ensure that scientific conversations include voices from every continent.

The road ahead for bioinorganic chemistry worldwide

Looking forward, ISABC faces questions common to many long-running scientific meetings: how to refresh its programme for new generations, how to incorporate emerging areas, and how to remain financially sustainable. Discussions in Ioannina touched on potential hosts for future editions, with growing interest from Asia and the southern hemisphere.

The field is moving toward greener chemistries, more sophisticated imaging agents, and deeper understanding of how trace metals influence human health. Bioinorganic chemistry is also becoming more interdisciplinary, drawing in cell biologists, environmental scientists, and clinicians alongside the traditional inorganic core.

For Australian researchers, the trajectory offers opportunities to lead sessions on metal nutrition, marine bioinorganic chemistry, and catalysts inspired by Australian biological systems. The country's biodiversity and strength in solar-driven chemistry position Australian groups well for the next decade of research.

Practical pointers for delegates and newcomers

ISABC closed with a sense that its long arc is still bending toward new horizons. Researchers left with fresh collaborations, new questions, and renewed appreciation for the community that has carried applied bioinorganic chemistry from a small Florence meeting to a global gathering. For anyone considering a future edition, the official symposium website remains the best starting point for registration updates, secretariat contacts, and information about travel support.