NCIMB’s consultant microbiologist Dr Carol Devine reports on the COST – European Network for MIC Management (EURO-MIC) conference on Microbially Influenced Corrosion
Last week I headed to Berlin to attend a COST- European Network for MIC Management (EURO-MIC) conference on microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC).
MIC describes the negative effects of microorganisms on materials – a phenomenon of increasing concern to the European community.
During the conference, held at BAM (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und – prüfung/ the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing), I enjoyed some outstanding presentations from the keynote speakers, as well as several high quality offered papers. Young scientists also had the opportunity to present their work.
Papers focussing on the development of molecular methods for the detection and monitoring of microorganisms causing MIC are of particular interest to us here at NCIMB, especially in relation to the oilfield microbiology work that we undertake.
It was great to discuss MIC with those from different disciplines and to hear about new research – and researchers – coming through. And of course I couldn’t travel all that way without squeezing a little bit of sightseeing and some excellent cheesecake!
The aim of this COST Action and the new European MIC network, supported by Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) is to encourage communication and collaboration between academia and industry – between material scientists, corrosion engineers, microbiologists, integrity managers and production chemists.
This European MIC network will combine the efforts and experience of experts from different backgrounds and develop prevention measures in collaboration with industry and researchers – encouraging communication, knowledge sharing and the training of a new generation of young researchers from different disciplines.
Five workgroups have been set up to achieve these goats. For more information, please see https://www.euro-mic.org/
It was great to discuss MIC with those from different disciplines and to hear about new research – and researchers – coming through. And of course I couldn’t travel all that way without squeezing a little bit of sightseeing and some excellent cheesecake!
