16. Congress of The Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists

The New Zealand Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (NZSBMB) was awarded the hosting rights for this Congress in 2017. We gave no thought to pre-recorded talks, virtual posters, or the need for on-demand delivery of content anywhere in the world. Our top secret Congress Dropbox still contains folders with quaint, old-fashioned names such as “Menus”, “Floorplan” and “Social Tickets”. If only we knew then what we know now!

Through all the changes brought about by COVID-19, our vision for the 16th Congress of the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (FAOBMB) remained unchanged. Our goal for the Congress was, to showcase the diversity and excellence of the molecular life sciences in New Zealand and beyond. To achieve this goal, NZSBMB partnered with the New Zealand Microbiological Society, the New Zealand Society of Plant Biologists, the Australian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Australian Society for Microbiology. The result was a spectacular scientific programme with 15 plenary lectures, 250 speakers in 50 parallel sessions, and over 300 posters (accompanied by 10 hours of lightning talks). The fully online format was novel for many of us, but we found exciting new ways to communicate our science and to engage with each other—from local watch parties (appropriately distanced, of course), to typing our questions for speakers instead of awkwardly raising our hands, to arranging video chats with friends and collaborators (old and new) in the virtual Meeting Hub.

We were very generously supported by an amazing group of sponsors and exhibitors, who have stuck with us as we pivoted from an in-person event, to hybrid, to online. I am sure you will join me in thanking them— not only for their support of the Congress, but also for working like crazy to keep our research going in the face of lockdowns and supply chain disruptions. Thanks team!

Putting together a meeting like this has taken a huge amount of effort by a large number of people. I am extremely grateful to the members of the Organising Committee, including representatives from all of the partnering societies who have been critical for building the scientific programme. I particularly want to acknowledge three key people. The Programme Chair, A/Prof Jane Allison, has done a mountain of work to solve the multi-dimensional jigsaw puzzle of a programme that was hybrid, then online. Then there are our Professional Conference Organisers, Arna Wahl Davies and Nerida Ramsay from Composition Limited. Words cannot convey the twisting, turning journey they have been on to deliver this event for us, so I will choose a number instead. At the time of writing, I have sent 2,237 emails to Arna since early 2019. There’s still plenty of time to break 3,000...

Thank you to all those who registered, asked questions, engaged, presented, tweeted, you really did make for a big (virtual) science party!

A/Prof Wayne Patrick
Congress Chair

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