Symbiotic Interactions

The VAAM Specialist Group "Symbiotic Interactions" currently comprises around 140 members from universities, research institutions and industry. The primary aim of the specialist group is to promote regular contact and exchange between German and international working groups, to make the work of the specialist group internationally visible and to organise joint training events for young scientists. In addition, the specialist group organises an annual mini-symposium on symbiosis topics at the VAAM annual conference. The research activities, just like the specialist group itself, are interdisciplinary in nature. The focus is on the diverse interactions of microorganisms with animal or plant hosts, which can be mutualistic, commensal or pathogenic. The ideas of the respective model systems, the comparison of the symbiotic systems with each other and the methods used are at the centre of the activities.