October 6–9, 2026 · Berlin, Germany
Join leading experts in material science, engineering, and medical care for the world's premier bioceramics conference — hosted in one of Europe's most dynamic life science hubs.
A Warm Welcome to Bioceramics 36
Dear friends and colleagues,
it is a great pleasure to invite you to attend Bioceramics 36 — the 36th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Ceramics in Medicine (ISCM) — taking place October 6–9, 2026, in Berlin, Germany. The call for abstracts is still open. Late-breaking abstracts may be submitted by email to knabeduc@staff.uni-marburg.de using the posted abstract template and indicating the affiliation and contact details of all authors.
The goal of Bioceramics 36 is furthering the relationship between material science, engineering, and advancing medical care. As a result, the meeting will have a strong translational focus and will comprehensively cover various aspects of bioceramics research, including but not limited to innovations regarding design and processing of ceramics and bioactive glasses for medical applications, orthopedic and dental implants, biomineralization, bone regeneration and bone tissue engineering, 3D printing, patient-specific implants, dental restorations, drug delivery, cancer treatment, cardiac assist devices, and soft tissue applications.
The conference will serve as a platform for bringing together leading experts and researchers from material science and engineering, the life sciences, clinicians, and industry representatives from across the globe, fostering an environment conducive to stimulating discussions and networking. Bioceramics 36 is hosted by the Philipps University Marburg and co-organized with the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (Professor Peter Fratzl, biomineralization) and departments of the Charité University Medical Center Berlin.
Berlin's Capital region is recognized as one of the leading medical technology locations in Europe, characterized by strong growth and high dynamism, and stands as a crucial hub for the life science industry in Germany, hosting around 360 medical technology and 280 biotech companies, alongside 35 pharmaceutical companies and over 145 medical centers and hospitals. The region's vibrant healthcare economy and research landscape contribute significantly to major advancements in healthcare. Medical technology in the Berlin region is characterized by successful technology transfer and the rapid translation of research results into competitive products. The strong interplay between medical centers, science, and industry facilitates taking technological innovations to the patient at an early stage.
Berlin is home to the Charité University Medical Center, one of Europe's largest university hospitals, and boasts approximately 40 institutions dedicated to life science research, in addition to renowned institutions in the material science and engineering fields such as the Technical University Berlin, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, as well as other well-known Max Planck, Fraunhofer, Helmholtz, and Leibniz Institutes and the Free University.
As such, we are particularly excited to host Bioceramics 36 in Berlin's City West and southern district with the Free University, the Dahlem campus with the Harnack House — center of the German Oxford in Berlin — the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, as well as one of the campuses of the Charité Medical Center. In addition, Berlin's top tourist attractions are easily accessible by public transport.
On behalf of the organizing committee,
Christine Knabe, PhD — Conference Chair
Keynote Speakers
Bioceramics 36 brings together an exceptional international roster of keynote speakers representing world-leading institutions across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Australia.
Derek F. Amanatullah
Stanford University, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Redwood City, USA
Esther Amstad
Soft Materials Laboratory (SMaL), Institute of Materials at EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
Iulian Antoniac
Head, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Romania
Hamed Benghuzzi
University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, USA
Aldo R. Boccaccini
Head, Institute of Biomaterials, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
Marc Bohner
RMS Foundation, Bettlach, Switzerland
Joel D. Bumgardner
Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
Jérôme Chevalier
Professor at Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, France
Christèle Combes
CIRIMAT – ENSIACET, Toulouse, France
Christophe Drouet
Deputy Director of CIRIMAT Institute, University of Toulouse, France
Uwe Gbureck
Department for Functional Materials in Medicine and Dentistry, University of Würzburg, Germany
Maria Pau Ginebra
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, BarcelonaTech, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Barcelona, Spain
David Grossin
Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse, University of Toulouse, France
Kunio Ishikawa
Department of Biomaterials, Faculty of Dental Science Kyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
Yuelian Liu
Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Oral Cell Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Jānis Ločs
Institute of Biomaterials and Bio-engineering, Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia
Moreica Pabbruwe
Health Technology Management Unit, Bio-engineering CITRA East Metropolitan Health Service, Perth, Australia
Marcelo Prado da Silva
Military Institute of Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Programme, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Alexander Rack
European Synchrotron Radiation Facility – ESRF, Grenoble, France
Prof. Dr. Dr. Carsten Rendenbach
Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Cologne and Charité University Medical Center Berlin, Germany
Charles C. Sorrell
School of Materials Science & Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Australia
Simone Sprio
CNR, Institute of Science, Technology and Sustainability for Ceramics (ISSMC), Faenza, Italy
Michael Stiller
Department of Experimental Orofacial Medicine, Philipps University Marburg, Germany
Osamu Suzuki
Division of Biomaterials Science and Engineering, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Japan
Michael Swain
Biomaterials Unit, University of Sydney, Australia
Anna Tampieri
Institute of Science, Technology and Sustainability for Ceramics (ISSMC-CNR), Faenza, Italy
Michelle A. Tucci
Dept. of Anesthesiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, USA
Min Wang
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Prof. Dr. Paul Zaslansky
Department of Operative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, Charité University Medical Center Berlin
Local Organizing Committee
Bioceramics 36 Chair
Prof. Dr. Christine Knabe-Ducheyne
Department of Experimental Orofacial Medicine
Philipps University Marburg, BIH Visiting Professor
Bioceramics 36 Co-Chair
Prof. Dr. Peter Fratzl
Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
Source: Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
Photographer: Sebastian Rost
Committee Members
Prof. Dr. Dr. Michael Stiller
Department of Experimental Orofacial Medicine,
Philipps University Marburg
Prof. Dr. Paul Zaslansky
Department of Operative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, Charité Center for Oral Health Sciences, Charité University Medical Center Berlin
Dr. Ing. Franziska Schmidt
Department of Prosthodontics, Charité Center for Oral Health Sciences, Charité University Medical Center Berlin
Prof. Dr. Dr. Carsten Rendenbach
Department of Maxillofacial Surgery,
University of Cologne and
Charité University Medical Center Berlin
Scientific Program Overview (Tentative)
October 6–9, 2026 · SANA Hotel Berlin, Germany
Schedule at a Glance
October 6–9, 2026 · SANA Hotel Berlin, Germany
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
12:00 p.m. — Pre-Conference Dahlem Walking Tour
Optional walking tour departing from the Harnack House.
2:00–4:00 p.m. — Opening Ceremony & Plenary Session I
2:00 p.m. Opening ceremony
2:30 p.m. Plenary Lecture I — Prof. Ahmed El-Ghannam (UNC Charlotte, USA): Bioactivity of ceramics and lessons we have learned over the past 55 years
3:15 p.m. Plenary Lecture II — Prof. Dietmar W. Hutmacher (QUT Australia): How does Hydration alter the Properties of Aliphatic Polyester Composite Scaffolds?
4:00–4:20 p.m. — Break: Meet & Greet
4:20 p.m. Daniel Staemmler, Elsevier GmbH: AI in Publishing
4:50–6:05 p.m. — Plenary Session II: Biomineralization
Keynote: Marc Bohner (RMS Foundation) — Keynote: Esther Amstad (EPFL) — Contributed presentations
7:00–9:00 p.m. — Welcome Reception
Villa Clara Cram · deGruyter Foundation · Herwarthstraße 14, Lichterfelde Ost
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
9:00–10:30 a.m. — Concurrent Sessions III & IV
Session III: Zirconia Ceramics for dental restorations (Keynotes: Mike Swain, Chris Sorrell, Jérôme Chevalier)
Session IV: Bone grafts & regeneration
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. — Concurrent Sessions V & VI
Session V: Controlled release materials (Keynotes: Hamed Benghuzzi, Michelle A. Tucci, Anna Tampieri)
Session VI: Bone grafting cements (Keynotes: Christèle Combes, Uwe Gbureck)
1:45–3:30 p.m. — Concurrent Sessions VII & VIII
Session VII: Bioceramics for hip and knee prostheses (Keynotes: Moreica Pabbruwe/Chris Sorrell, Derek Amanatullah)
Session VIII: Bone grafting materials — novel approaches (Keynotes: Iulian Antoniac, Jānis Ločs)
3:50–5:35 p.m. — Concurrent Sessions IX & X
Session IX: Bioactive systems for Bone Regeneration & Analysis of bioactive ceramic-induced bone formation (Keynotes: Christophe Drouet, Alexander Rack)
Session X: Antibacterial Bioceramics (Keynote: Simone Sprio)
6:30–10:00 p.m. — Conference Gala Dinner
Harnack House, Berlin-Dahlem · Historic venue of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, where 35 Nobel Prize winners gathered 1929–1943
Thursday, October 8, 2026
9:00–10:30 a.m. — Concurrent Sessions XI & XII
Session XI: 3D printing of bioceramic scaffolds and tissue engineering (Keynote: Ming Wang)
Session XII: Dental zirconia implants and in vitro models (Keynote: Aldo Boccaccini)
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. — Concurrent Sessions XIII & XIV
Session XIII: Bone grafting materials and biological matrices for alveolar ridge augmentation (Keynotes: Joel Bumgardner, Yuelian Liu)
Session XIV: 3D printed scaffolds for bone regeneration
2:00–3:00 p.m. — Concurrent Sessions XV & XVI
Session XV: Regulatory Aspects (Keynote: David Grossin)
Session XVI: Processing and synthesis of bioceramics (Keynote: Marcelo Prado da Silva)
3:00–3:30 p.m. — Plenary Session XVII
Keynote: Prof. Dr. Paul Zaslansky (Charité Berlin) — Dentin & Enamel from basics to the clinical arena
3:30–4:25 p.m. — Poster Session
18 poster presentations covering biomaterials, drug delivery, AI in ceramics, antibacterial systems, and more.
4:45–6:00 p.m. — Concurrent Sessions XVIII & XIX
Session XVIII: Biomimetic design and machine learning
Session XIX: Clinical Findings (Keynote: Osamu Suzuki)
Friday, October 9, 2026
9:00–10:30 a.m. — Plenary Session XX
Clinical applications, challenges and patient-related aspects
Keynote (TBC): Biomechanical, biological and patient-population related considerations — bioceramic scaffolds for load bearing segmental defect repair
Keynote: Carsten Rendenbach — Patient specific reconstruction of segmental mandibular defects after tumor ablation
Keynote: Michael Stiller — Clinical aspects — alveolar ridge augmentation and sinus floor augmentation with bioactive bone grafting materials
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. — Plenary Session XXI
Translation from laboratory to product – challenges & regulatory hurdles
Presentation by leaders from industry and academia & Panel discussion. Panel members include: Ahmed El-Ghannam, Dietmar Hutmacher, Paul Ducheyne and others.
12:30–1:00 p.m. — Closing Ceremony & Awards
From 2:00 p.m. — Optional Post-Conference Tours
Dahlem tour · KPM tour · Spree River Cruise · Wannsee boat tour · Sightseeing tours historic city center & city west
Conference Gala Dinner: Harnack House
The conference dinner will take place on Wednesday, October 7, from 6:30 to 10:00 p.m. at the Harnack House — the historic conference venue of the Max Planck Society in Berlin-Dahlem. The Harnack House provides a historic and atmospheric setting for the conference dinner, steeped in the legacy of 20th-century physics and chemistry. The Harnack House was established in 1929 as a conference venue, club and guest house of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, where Albert Einstein, Max Planck, Max Von Laue, Lise Meitner, and Otto Hahn used to gather. A total of 35 Nobel Prize winners visited the Harnack House between 1929 and 1943.
Harnack House
CONFERENCE VENUE OF THE MAX PLANCK SOCIETY
Address: Ihnestr. 16-20, 14195 Berlin
For transit directions, please visit the "Venue and Travel" section.
source: Harnack-House Berlin https://www.harnackhaus-berlin.mpg.de/en
Welcome Reception: Villa Clara Cram
We are delighted to welcome you to Bioceramics 36. Please join us for the Welcome Reception on Tuesday, October 6, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the iconic Villa Clara Cram of the deGruyter Foundation in Lichterfelde Ost (Herwarthstraße 14, 12207 Berlin). We look forward to seeing you there to make new contacts and reconnect with old acquaintances.
Key History & Background
- Origin: Built in 1913 and acquired in 1931 by Herbert and Clara Cram (née de Gruyter), the eldest daughter of publisher Walter de Gruyter.
- Family Linchpin: Clara hosted prominent literary and academic salons for Walter de Gruyter Publishers and maintained modern intellectual views despite her conservative surroundings.
- Refuge and Legacy: The grand estate served as a vital anchor for the extended family, welcoming 21 grandchildren before Clara's passing in 1984.
- Modern Era: Preserved and transformed into a conference venue and workspace by De Gruyter Brill, with its rooms named after Clara and Herbert Cram's daughters. Their oldest son Kurt-Georg turned deGruyter into an internationally reknowned publishing house after World War II and established offices in New York and Tokyo
Make Your Trip to Berlin Truly Unforgettable
Berlin's top tourist attractions are easily accessible by public transport from the conference venue. Whether you prefer to explore from the water or on foot, the German capital offers a wealth of experiences for every interest. From the iconic Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag dome to the picturesque Spree river and the scenic Wannsee lakes, Berlin's landmarks and natural landscapes provide unforgettable experiences before, during, or after the conference.
Spree River Cruises
A Spree river cruise is an excellent way to see top Berlin sights including the Museum Island and important government buildings from the water. For details please visit: www.sternundkreis.de/en/shop/ship-tours/, city tour from Friedrichstrasse, and Spree cruise through the city center.
Wannsee Boat Cruises
Operating out of the Wannsee Pier, the Wannsee boat cruises feature scenic round trips — highlighted by the sought-after two-hour 7-Lakes Tour — that carry passengers along the Havel River past historic lakeside villas, royal palaces, and tranquil nature reserves. Available on Oct 5, 2026: 7-Lakes Tour from Wannsee.
Bus & Walking Tours
For various additional sightseeing options and tours, please visit: visitberlin.de, Berlin bus tours, Berlin City Tour, and guided city tours with museum.
For Opera performances and tickets, please visit: Giselle | Staatsoper Berlin (October 8),
Deutsche Oper - Saalplanbuchung LA FORZA DEL DESTINO - Webshop (October 8), Carmen - Deutsche Oper Berlin (October 9).
Transit Directions to Conference Events
To the Welcome Reception (Villa Clara Cram)
- Exit the SANA hotel to the right and walk down Spichernstraße to the Spichernstr. U9 subway station (5-minute walk) (Fig. 1).
- Take the U9 toward Rathaus Steglitz for 7 stops (9 minutes); get off at the terminus.
- Use the exit toward Grunewaldstraße and board Bus 186 in the direction of Lichterfelde Süd (Fig. 2), buses run every 10 min.
- Ride bus 186 for 11 stops (11 minutes) and get off at stop Herwarthstrasse.
- Walk 260 meters (3 minutes) to reach Villa Clara Cram (Fig. 3.).
To the Conference Dinner (Harnack House)
- Head from the SANA hotel to the Augsburger Straße subway stop (2-minute walk).
- Take the U3 line in the direction of Krumme Lanke.
- Ride for 9 stops (approximately 14 minutes).
- Get off at Freie Universität (Thielplatz).
- Walk 240 meters down the street to the Harnack House (Fig 4.).
Address: Ihnestr. 16-20, 14195 Berlin
Fig. 1: map 1 - walk - Sana Hotel to U9 subway stop Spichernstrasse
Fig. 2: map 2 - proximity U9 subway exit and 186 bus stop.
Fig. 3: map 3 - walk from 186 bus stop Herwarthstrasse to Villa Clara Cram (Herwarthstr. 14).
Fig. 4: map 4 - walk from subway station U3 (Thielplatz/Freie Universität) to the Harnack House
maps - source: openstreetmap.de
Transit Directions from the SI-Hotel Steglitz to the SANA Hotel:
To travel from the SI-hotel to the SANA hotel, you can easily use public transit:
· Subway: Head to the subway entrance right across the street from the SI-hotel. Take the U9 line in the direction of Osloer Straße.
· The Ride: Stay on for 7 stops (about 9 minutes) and get off at Spichernstrasse station.
· The Walk: From U9 Spichernstrasse station, it is approximately a 5-minute walk to the SANA Berlin Hotel (indicated in red on map above, Fig. 1).
SANA Hotel Berlin — Your Conference Home
The conference venue is the SANA Hotel Berlin (www.sanahotels.com/en/hotel/sana-berlin), an excellent 4-star hotel with a prime location in the City-West Center of Berlin. The SANA Berlin Hotel is just minutes away from Berlin's main attractions — such as the Berlin Zoo, Kurfürstendamm, KaDeWe department store, the Memorial Church, Tiergarten Park, and other must-see sights in Berlin — allowing guests to explore the capital and create unforgettable memories during their trip to Berlin.
A block of rooms has been reserved for Bioceramics 36 participants. The conference rate is 134 € without breakfast and 159 € with breakfast. Reservations can be made by email to rsv1.berlin@sanahotels.com using the keyword bioceramics 36. The hotel's location in City-West places you within easy reach of the conference venues, including the Free University, the Dahlem campus, and one of the campuses of the Charité Medical Center. Berlin's top tourist attractions are also easily accessible by public transport from the hotel.
Conference Rate
134 € per night without breakfast
159 € per night with breakfast
Book using the keyword: bioceramics 36
How to Reserve
Email: rsv1.berlin@sanahotels.com
Reference keyword: bioceramics 36
A block of rooms has been reserved specifically for conference participants. The hotel's prime City-West location puts you minutes away from Berlin Zoo, Kurfürstendamm, KaDeWe, the Memorial Church, and Tiergarten Park.
Our Sponsors & Organizing Institutions
Bioceramics 36 is made possible through the generous support and collaboration of our organizing institutions and sponsors.
Organizing Institutions
We are proud to partner with world-renowned universities, research institutes, and medical centers that share our commitment to advancing the relationship between material science, engineering, and medical care. These institutions represent the strong interplay between medical centers, science, and industry that characterizes Berlin's vibrant healthcare economy and research landscape.
Bioceramics 36 is co-organized with the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (Professor Peter Fratzl, biomineralization) and departments of the Charité University Medical Center Berlin. Berlin is home to the Charité, one of Europe's largest university hospitals, and boasts approximately 40 institutions dedicated to life science research, in addition to renowned institutions in the material science and engineering fields such as the Technical University Berlin, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, as well as other well-known Max Planck, Fraunhofer, Helmholtz, and Leibniz Institutes and the Free University.
Ready to Join Us?
Submit your abstract and register for Bioceramics 36 today. We look forward to welcoming you to Berlin in October 2026 for stimulating discussions, networking, and advancing the future of bioceramics research.
Contact & Information
Conference Chair: Christine Knabe, PhD
Website: iscm-bioceramics.org/bioceramics-36/
Dates: October 6–9, 2026
Venue: SANA Hotel Berlin, City-West
For registration and tour bookings, please contact us at knabeduc@staff.uni-marburg.de
Our Sponsors:
RMS Foundation
Elsevier GmbH
CAM Bioceramics
European Cells and Materials
Bioengineering, MDPI
Free Media Partner
Imprint
ISCM is administered and represented by its officers and governing members in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society.
ISCM Officers
Secretary General: Prof. Kunio Ishikawa, Kyushu University, Japan
Treasurer: Prof. Chikara Ohtsuki, Nagoya University, Japan
Contact: iscm.bioceramics@gmail.com
Bioceramics 36