Viruses 2026 – New Horizons in Virology
Viruses 2026 – New Horizons in Virology
Part of the Viruses Conference Series series
12 October 2025
12 November 2025
5 January 2026
27 February 2026
21 January 2026
8 March 2026
Virus, Replication, Assembly, Pathogenesis, Outbreak, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Public Health, Structural Biology
Welcome from the Chairs
Dear Colleagues,
We’re excited to invite you to the Viruses 2026 – New Horizons in Virology conference, happening in Barcelona, Spain, from 11 to 13 March 2026. Sponsored by MDPI and the open-access journal Viruses, this event continues the tradition of successful meetings in Basel (2016), Barcelona (2018, 2020, and 2024), and online (2022). Join us for an inspiring program where you’ll discover cutting-edge research and have the chance to connect with global experts and peers in the field.
We are constantly reminded of the critical importance of virology research as new viral outbreaks impact people, animals, and plants worldwide. This conference aims to bring together international researchers studying various topics related to viral replication, pathogenesis, structure, immunology, epidemiology, public health, and other areas of virology.
We’re excited to feature a diverse lineup of leading experts and welcome abstracts for short talks or posters. This is your chance to share your research, exchange ideas, and engage in meaningful discussions with fellow scientists in an inspiring, collaborative atmosphere.
We can’t wait to welcome you to Barcelona and create an unforgettable experience together.
Sincerely,
Dr. Eric Freed and Dr. Albert Bosch
Viruses 2026 Chairs
Conference Secretariat
Ms. Mina Marjanović
Ms. Jovana Vanovac
Mr. Cédric Spinnler
Dr. Ana Sanchis
viruses2026@mdpi.com
Event Chairs
Dr. Freed is recognized as a leader in the field of virus assembly who has made important strides in understanding the mechanisms of retroviral replication at the molecular level, with an emphasis on late stages of the HIV-1 replication cycle. As Director of the HIV DRP, he oversees a program of basic, translational, and clinical research aimed at developing a better understanding of HIV that can be used to generate more-effective treatment strategies. His research focuses on HIV-1 Gag trafficking, Env incorporation, virus assembly, budding, release, maturation, and drug resistance. Dr. Freed has a special interest in the complex relationship between viral proteins and cellular factors and pathways, believing that characterizing fundamental aspects of the retrovirus replication cycle will suggest novel targets for the development of antiretroviral therapies. Recent work in the Freed lab has also focused on the ability of Env mutations to broadly rescue defects in virus replication, including those conferred by antiretrovirals.
Dr. Albert Bosch received his PhD in Biology from the University of Barcelona in 1979. He is Full Professor of Microbiology and Head of the Enteric Virus laboratory of the University of Barcelona, with over 40 years of experience in Virology, with over two hundred peer-reviewed articles on enteric viruses in scientific journals, as well as complete books. His research has been focused on basic and applied aspects of enteric viruses, covering molecular biology, diagnostics, food safety and environmental occurence of hepatitis A virus, astrovirus, norovirus, sapovirus and rotavirus. He has two international PCT patents on exploitation. The Enteric Virus laboratory was the first university lab in Spain to receive the certification of compliance of Good Laboratory Practices. He is the President of the Assembly of the International Society for Food and Environmental Virology and the President of the Spanish Society for Virology; he is the former President of the Water Microbiology section of the Spanish Society for Microbiology. He is the President of the Experimental Sciences section of the Royal European Academy of Doctors. He is Editor of “Food and Environmental Virology”, “Journal of Applied Microbiology” and “Letters in Applied Microbiology”. He is a member of numerous scientific committees, notably the scientific committee of the Spanish Food Safety Authority, the European Standardization Committee (CEN) of the EU on standardization of molecular methods for virus detection in foods; he also belongs to the scientific panel Food and waterborne diseases of the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC). He acted as Chairman of the Astrovirus Study Group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV).
Event Committee
Our research objectives are to advance knowledge of coronaviruses. Coronaviruses have a broad host range and primarily cause gastroenteric and respiratory diseases in animals and humans, including human SARS, MERS and pandemic COVID19. Major efforts by our group are aimed at identifying mechanisms by which coronaviruses enter host cells. Coronaviruses have spike proteins that bind host cells and then effect a virus-cell membrane fusion process that is essential for virus entry. Our research probes coronavirus spike protein dynamics through this early infection stage. Illuminating spike protein structure and function identifies determinants of zoonotic coronavirus transmission and reveals new therapeutic strategies to control pathogenic infections. Additional goals are to further understand how coronaviruses assemble and secrete from infected cells. Several aspects of coronavirus assembly and secretion remain obscure. Our research develops recombinant viruses and assembly-secretion assays to identify virus-cell interactions operating throughout this late infection stage. New findings on coronavirus assembly and secretion pathways can advance virus vaccine development. Our research is student-driven and dedicated to scholarly graduate biomedical scientific education.
Dr. Krug completed her Ph.D. in the laboratory of Dr. Philip Pellett at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention while a graduate student at Emory University in 2001. Her graduate research focused on the initiation of viral DNA replication by the human herpesviruses -6A, -6B, and 7. Her post-doctoral research in the laboratory of Dr. Margaret K. Offermann at the Winship Cancer Center focused on the interaction of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus with the innate immune response of endothelial cells. This was followed by a post-doctoral fellowship with Dr. Samuel H. Speck in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Emory University to train in the molecular virology of additional oncogenic herpesviruses, Epstein-Barr virus and murine gammaherpesvirus 68. Dr. Krug continued her investigations of virus-host interactions using the murine gammaherpesvirus pathogen in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics of Stony Brook University as an Assistant Professor in 2008, then as an Associate Professor in 2016. In 2019, Dr. Krug was appointed as a Stadtman Investigator in the HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch. Her honors include an NIH Ruth L. Kirchenstein National Research Service Award in 2008, American Cancer Society Research Scholar in 2011 and winner of the Stony Brook University Discovery Fund Prize in 2015.
Department of Biochemistry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, ON, Canada – Website
Karen Maxwell completed her Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto, where she worked in Dr. Marvin Gold’s lab studying the assembly of bacteriophage lambda. Her postdoctoral work was done at the Ontario Centre for Structural Genomics where she led a project focused on phage structural genomics. She then moved on to a Research Associate position at the Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto before starting in the Department of Biochemistry as an Assistant Professor in 2016.
Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain – Website
Professor of Virology at the University of Barcelona and coordinator of the Enteric Viruses group. As its name suggests, our research area is enteric viruses transmitted via the fecal-oral route. Specifically, our work has focused on the molecular biology of the hepatitis A virus and astroviruses, and as a result of this basic research, we have developed many applied topics. I would highlight the development of molecular techniques for virus detection in environmental and food samples and vaccine design.
We are an international team of scientists, human and veterinary physicians, and technical staff led by Prof. Dr. Eike Steinmann. We use cutting-edge techniques to investigate molecular and medical aspects of the hepatitis E virus, hepaciviruses, coronaviruses, and viral transmission. The Department of Molecular & Medical Virology, headed by Prof. Steinmann since April 2018, is part of the Faculty of Medicine at Ruhr University Bochum. Through lectures, seminars, and practical courses in the field of virology, our department contributes to the teaching of physicians and natural scientists.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Michigan Medicine University, Ann Arbor, MI, USA – Website
Dr. Christiane Wobus is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan Medical School. She joined the department in 2007 and was subsequently promoted to Associate Professor in 2014. In 2014, she was also awarded the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award from the Humboldt Foundation in Germany. Before joining the University of Michigan, Dr. Wobus was a postdoctoral fellow at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, where she co-discovered murine norovirus and subsequently developed the first cell culture system for noroviruses. She received her undergraduate training in Germany before moving to Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, where she obtained her M.Sc. in 1997 studying the plant virus pea enation mosaic virus. She then returned to Germany for her doctoral studies on adeno-associated viruses at the German Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, and obtained her Ph.D. degree in 2000. Currently, Dr. Wobus’ research focuses on norovirus and astrovirus – host interactions. Her long-term goal is to identify conserved features between enteric viruses and across species that may ultimately lead to the development of effective prevention and control strategies for human noroviruses and astroviruses, major causes of non-bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. At the national and international level, Dr. Wobus is a member of the editorial board of Journal of Virology and an editor for Journal of General Virology. She currently serves as the chair of the American Society of Virology Travel Award committee.
Keynote Speakers
David Ho has been advancing therapies against viral diseases for over 40 years and has worked on AIDS research since the beginning of the epidemic. His lab initially focused on clinical virology, HIV-1 pathogenesis, and treatment, helping to uncover the dynamics of HIV-1 replication and CD4 T cell turnover in vivo. They led the development and testing of combination antiretroviral therapy, the first to show durable HIV-1 suppression in patients. The lab then turned to vaccine development against HIV-1. Their first two candidates—ADVAX, a multigenic clade C/B’ DNA vaccine, and ADMVA, a similar vaccine using Modified Vaccinia Ankara virus—completed Phase 1 clinical testing. Over the past decade, Dr. Ho has focused on preventing HIV-1 transmission through engineering potent bispecific antibodies and developing long-acting antiretroviral drugs for pre-exposure prophylaxis, while also revisiting the challenge of HIV-1 eradication. These efforts led to the creation of 10E8.4/iMab, a bispecific antibody for HIV-1 prevention, which received US FDA Fast Track designation and is now being tested in Tanzania after an initial Phase 1 trial at sites including Columbia University Irving Medical Center. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Ho drew on his experience advising governments during the 2002–2003 SARS outbreak to lead a multi-disciplinary team at Columbia University. The group identified one of the broadest and most potent panels of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, several of which are now in clinical development for treatment and prevention. In addition to ongoing HIV work, the Ho lab continues to study the pathogenesis, molecular mechanisms, and antibody-driven evolution of SARS-CoV-2.
Invited Speakers
French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food & Environment (INRAE), Plant Health Institute of Montpellier (PHIM), Montpellier, France – Website)/834-Group/(Val)/5543-MULTI
Stéphane Blanc is a Research Director of the Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture et l’Environnement (INRAE). He moved on the Campus of Baillarguet in 2004 where he heads a research group in the Plant Health Institute of Montpellier (PHIM). As a specialist of plant viruses, Stéphane Blanc and his group investigated the interaction between viruses and insect vectors during transmission and virus evolution. More recently, S. Blanc initiated a research program focused on the mysterious biology of multipartite viruses. This program rapidly took off and is now extended to a more general investigation of viral genome segmentation and on the unforeseen properties of multicomponent viral systems.
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA – Website
Anna Cliffe is an Associate Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology at the University of Virginia (UVa) in Charlottesville, Virginia. She received her PhD from the University of Edinburgh, under the mentorship of Professors Tony Nash and Bernadette Dutia. Upon completing her PhD, she moved to Dr. David Knipe's laboratory at Harvard Medical School to investigate the chromatin control of HSV-1 lytic replication and latency. She then moved to Dr. Mohanish Deshmukh's laboratory at UNC Chapel Hill, where she established a primary neuronal model of HSV-1 latency to investigate the mechanisms of reactivation. Using multiple model systems including primary neuronal cultures, induced human neurons, and animal models, research in her lab aims to understand the biology of HSV infection of neurons. This includes investigating how the viral genome is epigenetically restricted in latency and remodeled for reactivation, the impact of host immune signaling on HSV latency, and the contribution of HSV infection to the development of neurodegenerative disease.
Our research objectives are to advance knowledge of coronaviruses. Coronaviruses have a broad host range and primarily cause gastroenteric and respiratory diseases in animals and humans, including human SARS, MERS and pandemic COVID19. Major efforts by our group are aimed at identifying mechanisms by which coronaviruses enter host cells. Coronaviruses have spike proteins that bind host cells and then effect a virus-cell membrane fusion process that is essential for virus entry. Our research probes coronavirus spike protein dynamics through this early infection stage. Illuminating spike protein structure and function identifies determinants of zoonotic coronavirus transmission and reveals new therapeutic strategies to control pathogenic infections. Additional goals are to further understand how coronaviruses assemble and secrete from infected cells. Several aspects of coronavirus assembly and secretion remain obscure. Our research develops recombinant viruses and assembly-secretion assays to identify virus-cell interactions operating throughout this late infection stage. New findings on coronavirus assembly and secretion pathways can advance virus vaccine development. Our research is student-driven and dedicated to scholarly graduate biomedical scientific education.
Dr. Marta Giovanetti currently works at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Since 2015, she has served as a Visitant Researcher at the Flavivirus Laboratory, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Salvador. She was a Researcher Fellowship at the Department of Infection Genetics and Imunomediate Diseases, Higher Institute of Health Rome, in 2011–2014. She obtained a Ph.D. in Immunology and applied Biotechnology from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, in 2017. Her research interests include phylogenetics; phylodynamics; molecular evolution; genomic surveillance; WGS; emerging and re-emerging viral pathogens.
Urs Greber was trained in cell and molecular biology and virology at ETH Zurich, the Scripps Research Institute La Jolla, and Yale University. He was a START fellow of the Swiss National Science Foundation, later appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Zurich (UZH), where he was promoted to Associate and then Full Professor. An elected member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO), he is also cofounder of the biotech start-up 3VBiosciences (Sagimet Biosciences). His research has made pioneering contributions to the understanding of virus-receptor interactions, virus entry and uncoating, membrane traffic, cytoplasmic transport, and nuclear DNA import. He has published over 160 peer-reviewed articles and reviews in leading journals, including *Cell*, *Nature Cell Biology*, *Nature Communications*, *Nature Nanotechnology*, *Science Advances*, *Cell Host & Microbe*, *EMBO Journal*, *PNAS*, and many more. His recent work explores innate immunity and cell-to-cell transmission of human DNA and RNA viruses, including adenovirus, rhinovirus, and coronavirus. His lab applies system-wide analyses of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids in organelles, click chemistry in cells and micro-tissues, as well as advanced light and electron microscopy and numerical models to reveal the molecular basis of cell-to-cell variability in viral infections.
MRC–University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK – Website
Joe Grove is a Sir Henry Dale Fellow and MRC Investigator based at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research. He became interested in virus entry mechanisms during a PhD at the University of Birmingham, under the expert supervision of Prof. Jane McKeating. This was followed by a master class in cell biology and microscopy at the Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, with Prof. Mark Marsh. He established independence at University College London and has developed programmes of research on virus entry by hepatitis C virus and, latterly, SARS-CoV-2. Joe is a proud nerd, occasional runner and recovering guitarist. In the Grove Lab, we harness cutting-edge artificial intelligence alongside classical experimental virology to investigate the structure, function and evolution of viral proteins. Our focus is viral entry glycoproteins, but our combined computational and experimental approach is broadly applicable across molecular virology.
Leo trained with Prof. Dan Tawfik and Sir Greg Winter before establishing his lab at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. Significant work includes the discovery of the cytosolic antibody receptor TRIM21 and dissection of how it prevents infection by intercepting viruses, bacteria and pathogenic proteins inside the cell. Leo has also developed technologies based on his research such as ‘TrimAway’, a technique which exploits TRIM21 for the rapid and specific degradation of cellular proteins. Leo’s lab also investigates HIV infection; past work includes the discovery that HIV uses dynamic pores in its capsid to import nucleotides for DNA synthesis and the role of IP6 in building and stabilising the capsid.
Dr. Krug completed her Ph.D. in the laboratory of Dr. Philip Pellett at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention while a graduate student at Emory University in 2001. Her graduate research focused on the initiation of viral DNA replication by the human herpesviruses -6A, -6B, and 7. Her post-doctoral research in the laboratory of Dr. Margaret K. Offermann at the Winship Cancer Center focused on the interaction of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus with the innate immune response of endothelial cells. This was followed by a post-doctoral fellowship with Dr. Samuel H. Speck in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Emory University to train in the molecular virology of additional oncogenic herpesviruses, Epstein-Barr virus and murine gammaherpesvirus 68. Dr. Krug continued her investigations of virus-host interactions using the murine gammaherpesvirus pathogen in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics of Stony Brook University as an Assistant Professor in 2008, then as an Associate Professor in 2016. In 2019, Dr. Krug was appointed as a Stadtman Investigator in the HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch. Her honors include an NIH Ruth L. Kirchenstein National Research Service Award in 2008, American Cancer Society Research Scholar in 2011 and winner of the Stony Brook University Discovery Fund Prize in 2015.
Department of Biochemistry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, ON, Canada – Website
Karen Maxwell completed her Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto, where she worked in Dr. Marvin Gold’s lab studying the assembly of bacteriophage lambda. Her postdoctoral work was done at the Ontario Centre for Structural Genomics where she led a project focused on phage structural genomics. She then moved on to a Research Associate position at the Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto before starting in the Department of Biochemistry as an Assistant Professor in 2016.
Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV), Hamburg, University of Lübeck, Germany – Website
Prof. Dr. Stephanie Pfänder is a virologist specializing in the study of RNA viruses, particularly coronaviruses and flaviviruses. She leads the Emerging Viruses research group at the Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV) in Hamburg and holds a professorship at the University of Lübeck. Her research focuses on understanding virus-host interactions and developing antiviral strategies. Prof. Pfänder coordinates the EU-funded DEFENDER project, which brings together European institutions to advance antiviral research.
Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain – Website
Professor of Virology at the University of Barcelona and coordinator of the Enteric Viruses group. As its name suggests, our research area is enteric viruses transmitted via the fecal-oral route. Specifically, our work has focused on the molecular biology of the hepatitis A virus and astroviruses, and as a result of this basic research, we have developed many applied topics. I would highlight the development of molecular techniques for virus detection in environmental and food samples and vaccine design.
We are an international team of scientists, human and veterinary physicians, and technical staff led by Prof. Dr. Eike Steinmann. We use cutting-edge techniques to investigate molecular and medical aspects of the hepatitis E virus, hepaciviruses, coronaviruses, and viral transmission. The Department of Molecular & Medical Virology, headed by Prof. Steinmann since April 2018, is part of the Faculty of Medicine at Ruhr University Bochum. Through lectures, seminars, and practical courses in the field of virology, our department contributes to the teaching of physicians and natural scientists.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Michigan Medicine University, Ann Arbor, MI, USA – Website
Dr. Christiane Wobus is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan Medical School. She joined the department in 2007 and was subsequently promoted to Associate Professor in 2014. In 2014, she was also awarded the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award from the Humboldt Foundation in Germany. Before joining the University of Michigan, Dr. Wobus was a postdoctoral fellow at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, where she co-discovered murine norovirus and subsequently developed the first cell culture system for noroviruses. She received her undergraduate training in Germany before moving to Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, where she obtained her M.Sc. in 1997 studying the plant virus pea enation mosaic virus. She then returned to Germany for her doctoral studies on adeno-associated viruses at the German Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, and obtained her Ph.D. degree in 2000. Currently, Dr. Wobus’ research focuses on norovirus and astrovirus – host interactions. Her long-term goal is to identify conserved features between enteric viruses and across species that may ultimately lead to the development of effective prevention and control strategies for human noroviruses and astroviruses, major causes of non-bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. At the national and international level, Dr. Wobus is a member of the editorial board of Journal of Virology and an editor for Journal of General Virology. She currently serves as the chair of the American Society of Virology Travel Award committee.
Dr. Yuan’s work leverages systems-based approaches and state-of-the-art technologies to examine the virus-host interface, identifying targets for antiviral intervention, with a focus on RNA viruses that pose a pandemic threat. Concepts established in his findings are harnessed to design and develop new antiviral drugs, as well as immunization with live attenuated and synthetic vaccines against viral diseases. Dr. Yuan has achieved breakthroughs in identifying novel cellular factors (e.g. SREBP, AP2M1, PMI) and lead compounds for broad-spectrum antiviral therapy. This provides a transformative solution to challenges such as drug resistance, limited coverage, and high costs that are inherent in the traditional “one drug-one bug” approach. His innovative application of click-chemistry and fragment-based techniques in virological study addresses the obstacle of the undruggable proteome in modern antiviral discovery. His pioneering integration of metabolic rewiring intervention with standard antiviral monotherapy represents a paradigm shift in patient management, particularly for those with delayed admission. His research endeavors are supported by notable funding bodies, including the NIH (USA), NSFC Excellent Young Scientist Fund (Hong Kong and Macau) and National Key Technologies R&D Program (China). Additionally, his team collaborates with prominent pharmaceutical and biotech companies on early-phase drug discovery and vaccine development.
Instructions for Authors
Viruses 2026 will accept abstracts only. The accepted abstracts will be available online on Sciforum.net during and after the conference. Moreover, participants will have the opportunity to contribute a full manuscript to a Special Issue related to the conference in the open-access journal Viruses.
Please note that abstract submission and conference registration are two separate processes. Please use your institutional email address for both processes.
To present your research at the event
- Create an account on Sciforum if you do not have one and then click on ‘New Submission’ in the upper-right corner of the window; or, click on ‘Submit Abstract’ at the top of this webpage.
- Choose a session that is best suited for your research.
- Submit an abstract in English—the word limits are a minimum of 150 words and a maximum of 300 words.
- The deadline to submit your abstract is 12 October 2025. You should be notified about its acceptance by 12 November 2025.
- Upon submission, you can select if you wish to be considered for oral or poster presentation (or both). Following assessment by the Chairs and Scientific Committee, you will be notified by 12 November 2025 whether your contribution has been accepted for oral or poster presentation.
- Please note that, in order to finalize the scientific program in due time, at least one registration by any of the authors, denoted as the Covering Author, is required to cover the presentation and publication of any accepted abstract. The Covering Author registration deadline is 21 January 2026. Your abstract will be withdrawn if your registration is not complete by this date.
Oral Presentations
Short talks will be 15 min long, including questions (12+3 Q&A). The typical presentation should be up to a 10–12-minute talk.
Flash Poster Presentations
Flash poster presentations, selected from poster submissions by the chairs, will take place in a special session in the main conference room, lasting 3 minutes each. Presenters can prepare two to three slides featuring the main figures of their poster or display their entire poster on the screen. There will not be a Q&A segment following the flash poster presentations.
Additionally, a vertical poster board for the poster session will be provided. Further details about poster presentations can be found below.
Poster Presentations
Each presenter will be provided with a vertical poster board. Maximum poster size is limited to A0: 84 x 120 cm / 33 x 47 in (width x height) in the vertical orientation (portrait). Please print your poster prior to the conference. A plan for the poster session will be circulated later.
Publication Opportunities
-
All accepted abstracts will be available online in Open Access form on Sciforum.net during and after the conference.
- Participants of this conference are cordially invited to contribute with a full manuscript to the Special Issue "TBD" in the journal Viruses, with a 20% discount on the publication fees. Please note that no other discounts will be applicable.
- Viruses is indexed within Scopus, SCIE (Web of Science), PubMed, and other databases, and has an Impact Factor of 5.818 (2021) and a 5-Year Impact Factor of 5.811 (2021).
Registration
In-Person Registration
The registration fee includes attendance at all conference sessions, morning/afternoon coffee breaks, lunches, a conference bag, and a program book. Participation in the conference is considered final only once the registration fees have been paid. The number of participants is limited: once the number of paid registrations reaches the maximum number of participants, unpaid registrations will be canceled.
When registering, please provide us with your institutional email address. This will accelerate the registration process.
Important Information
Please note that abstract submission and conference registration are two separate processes. During registration, please provide us with the same email address you used to submit your abstract(s). Otherwise, leave us a comment in the registration form, providing the email address used during the submission process. In addition, please use your institutional email address for both processes.
In order to finalize the scientific program in due time, at least one registration by any of the authors, denoted as the Covering Author, is required to cover the presentation and publication of any accepted abstract. Covering Author registration deadline is 21 January 2026. Your abstract will be withdrawn if your registration is not complete by this date.
Participants of the event will be able to download an electronic Certificate of Attendance by accessing their dashboards on Sciforum.net once the event is concluded. The certificates will be found under the "My Certificates" category.
Discounts
Group Registration
Groups of five or more attendees are offered a 10% discount on the registration fees. To enjoy this discount, you need to complete one multiple registration by selecting the number of people attending in each category (type of registration) during the first step of the registration process. Kindly note that no other discounts will be applicable. Please do not use the same email address for each person, but their individual institutional email addresses. Thank you for your understanding.
Partnering Societies
Members from partnering societies are granted a 20% discount on all registration fees. Please make sure to provide us with proof that you are part of one of our partnering societies. Are you part of a society that isn't partnering with the conference? Contact us to discuss a possible partnership!
Reduced fees
If you are affiliated with a university in a low- or middle-income country, you are automatically eligible for a price reduction. However, please note that the reduced price will only be added to your registration when it is processed. This means that you do not have to pay the stated price immediately upon registration, and you will receive an invoice with the price adjustment after registering. Below you can find the list of low- and middle-income countries.
Registration fees
|
Early Bird Until 5 January 2026 |
Regular Until 26 February 2026 |
Late From 27 February 2026 |
Supported documents | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic – Research Institutions | 700.00 EUR | 800.00 EUR | 900.00 EUR | |
| Student | 400.00 EUR | 450.00 EUR | 500.00 EUR |
Scanned copy or photograph of your current student ID with a valid expiry date is required. |
| Early Career Researchers | 440.00 EUR | 540.00 EUR | 640.00 EUR |
PhD must have been completed within the past five years, and proof of the graduation date (e.g., scanned copy of the diploma) is required. |
| Editorial Board Member / Guest Editor of Viruses | 450.00 EUR | 550.00 EUR | 650.00 EUR | |
| Author / Reviewer of Viruses | 600.00 EUR | 700.00 EUR | 800.00 EUR |
Valid registration requires involvement as an author or reviewer for MDPI's open access journal "Viruses" within the last three years (2023-2024-2025). |
| Non-Academic | 1000.00 EUR | 1100.00 EUR | 1200.00 EUR | |
| Chairs, Invited Speakers, MDPI Guests | Free | Free | Free |
Cancellation policy
| Cancellation of paid registration is possible under the terms listed below: | |
| > 2 months before the conference | Full refund but 60 EUR are retained for administration |
| > 1 month before the conference | Refund 50% of the applying fees |
| > 2 weeks before the conference | Refund 25% of the applying fees |
| < 2 weeks before the conference | No refund |
Disclaimer
In the unlikely event that MDPI deems it necessary to cancel the conference, all pre-paid registration fees will be reimbursed. MDPI shall not be liable for reimbursing the cost of travel or accommodation arrangements made by individual delegates.
Beware of unauthorized registration and hotel solicitations
Note that Sciforum is the only official registration platform to register to Viruses 2026 and that we are not associated with any hotel agency. While other hotel resellers and travel agencies may contact you with offers for your trip, they are not endorsed by or affiliated with Viruses 2026 or Sciforum. Beware that entering into financial agreements with non-endorsed companies can have costly consequences.
Insurance
The organizers do not accept liability for personal accident, loss, or damage to private property incurred as a result of participation in Viruses 2026 – New Horizons in Virology. Delegates are advised to arrange appropriate insurance to cover travel, cancellation costs, medical, and theft or damage of belongings.
MDPI Conference Admissions Policy
- All registered conference delegates are asked to always wear their badges throughout the conference.
- Conference sessions, the catering area, and the poster area are solely restricted to badge holders. Any person attending these areas without a badge will be asked to leave the premises.
- Badge holders must not allow their badges to be worn by anyone else. Any failure to do so is likely to lead to the badge holder and the person wearing the badge being removed from the premises.
- Press badges are restricted to publishers, editors, journalists, broadcasters, and web bloggers associated with the conference subject area. Members of the press may be asked to produce accreditation in the form of a photocopy of a recognized press or media card, a business card, a letter from the editor, or an official web address linking to a press release in order to verify their position.
- Photographs and videos may be taken during the conference. Anyone attending the conference consents to such photography and filming without compensation and confirms that the Organizers shall be entitled to use such photographs and videos, which may include photographs and videos of visitors, for the purpose of marketing the conference in the future and for exploitation in any and all media, without liability.
Payment methods
Wire transfer, Credit card
Currencies accepted by this event
Swiss francs (CHF) , Euros (EUR) , US dollars (USD) , Pounds sterling (GBP) , Japanese yen (JPY) , Canadian dollars (CAD) and Singapore dollars (SGD)
Visa Information
Please note that you must apply for your own visa application. MDPI is not responsible for any visa application. However, MDPI can provide a Visa Support Letter. To be eligible for such a document, the criteria below must be fulfilled.
Visa Support Letter
- Applicants must have paid for registration and submitted an abstract in order to get a letter of support.
- Applicants must provide us with a scan of their valid, in-date passport that contains a photo of them.
- Applicants must provide us with a letter of support from their institution to confirm that they support the delegate attending the meeting.
- This must be carried out in good time before the meeting; "last minute" requests will not be processed.
More useful information on visa application
Plan Your Trip
Travel
By plane:
The international airport of Barcelona is called Barcelona-El Prat (BCN) and is located 10 km from the city center. The airport is well connected to airport hubs in Europe and several locations around the world. For more information about the airport and flights, please visit the official website at https://www.aena.es.
From BCN to the city center
- By shuttle bus: AEROBUS (https://aerobusbarcelona.es). This bus connects Barcelona Airport (Terminal 1 and Terminal 2) with the city center (Pl. Catalunya) in 35 minutes. It runs every day of the year with departures every 5 minutes and costs EUR 6,75.
- By train: TRAIN R2 NORD (https://rodalies.gencat.cat). This train connects Terminal 2 of the airport with the city center (Barcelona-Passeig de Gràcia). It runs every day of the year with departures every 30 minutes and costs EUR 2,40.
- By taxi: Taxis just outside the arrival area. The taxi from the airport to the city center (Plaza Catalunya) costs approximately EUR 30–35. Public taxis can apply four types of fares in Barcelona. These fares must be visible inside the taxi and are usually printed on a sticker over the window. Finally, the amount payable must be indicated on the taximeter. VTC apps that work in Barcelona are Bolt and Cabify and might offer cheaper rates.
From BCN to the conference venue
- By metro: LINE L9 (https://www.tmb.cat). This metro line connects Barcelona Airport (Terminal 1 and Terminal 2) with the northwest of the city (Zona Universitària). From here, you can take TRAM T1, T2, or T3 (get off at L'Illa stop) or bus 7 or 67 (get off at Diagonal—Entença stop) (https://www.tmb.cat). The metro from the airport costs EUR 5,15 and the tram or bus EUR 2,40. You can buy the bus/tram ticket at the tram stop or on the bus.
- By taxi: Taxis just outside the arrival area. The taxi from the airport to the conference venue costs approximately EUR 30–35. VTC apps that work in Barcelona are Bolt and Cabify and might offer cheaper rates.
By train:
Barcelona Sants station is Barcelona's largest train station and provides rail services both in and around Barcelona and for the whole of Spain and beyond. For more information about the station and train service, please visit the official website at https://www.renfe.com.
Once you get to the station, you have the following options to reach the conference venue:
- By bus: LINES V7 or 78 (https://www.tmb.cat).
- By taxi: Taxis just outside the station. The taxi from the station to the conference venue costs about EUR 10.
Partnered Accommodations
We want your stay in Barcelona during the conference to be as comfortable as possible. With that in mind, we have agreed on a discount with several hotels to make your choice of accommodations easier. Please book your accommodation online and contact the hotels directly with any issues or requests related to accommodation bookings.
We are delighted to announce that the following hotels will offer a discounted price for all Viruses 2026 attendees:
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Oriente Atiram and Meson Castilla Atiram: Located in Las Ramblas, they have a fantastic central location next to Plaza Catalunya and the famous Boqueria market, 20–25 minutes away (by metro) from the conference venue. Arenas Atiram: The Arenas Atiram Hotel offers a highly personalized service together with very friendly, elegant facilities, 30–40 minutes away (by metro or bus) from the conference venue. Tres Torres Atiram: Located in the center of one of Barcelona's best residential neighborhoods, next to the distinguished commercial and leisure districts, Diagonal Avenue, it is 30–40 minutes away (by metro or bus) from the conference venue. |
Click the button below to make your booking and add the 10% discount code "VIRUSES2026":
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Hostal Aslyp 114: The Hostal Aslyp114 is a cozy hotel with private rooms located just 10 minutes away from the conference venue. Please add the 5% discount code ‘BCN114’ and indicate that you will be attending Viruses 2026 while making your reservation. |
Click the button below to make your booking and add the 5% discount code "BCN114":
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These accommodations have been carefully chosen to provide comfort and convenience for our guests while ensuring affordability through negotiated rates. Prepare to make the most of your conference experience with our exclusive lodging options designed to enhance your stay.
Beware of Unauthorized Registration and Hotel Solicitations!
Note that Sciforum is the only official registration platform to register to Viruses 2026 and that we are not associated with any hotel agency (other than those listed above). While other hotel resellers and travel agencies may contact you with offers for your trip, they are not endorsed by or affiliated with Viruses 2024 or Sciforum. Beware that entering into financial agreements with non-endorsed companies can have costly consequences.
Location and Venue
Barcelona
Barcelona is the capital and largest city of Catalonia and is Spain's second-largest city, with a population of over one and a half million people.
Located on the northeastern Mediterranean coast of Spain, this city has a rich and diverse history, with its roots dating back to Roman times. The fruitful medieval period established Barcelona's position as the economic and political center of the Western Mediterranean. The city's Gothic Quarter bears witness to the splendor enjoyed by the city from the 13th to the 15th centuries.
The 20th century ushered in widespread urban renewal throughout Barcelona city, culminating in its landmark Eixample district, which showcases some of Barcelona's most distinctive Catalan art-nouveau, or modernista, buildings. The Catalan Antoni Gaudí, one of the most eminent architects, designed buildings such as La Pedrera, the Casa Batlló, and the Sagrada Família church, which have become world-famous landmarks.
In 1992, Barcelona gained international recognition by hosting the Olympic games, which brought about a massive upturn in its tourism industry. For visitors, this has translated into the very modern yet incredibly old city you see now in the 21st century, where new elements work to both preserve and celebrate the city’s heritage and origins.
Barcelona has plenty of outdoor markets, restaurants, shops, museums, and churches. The city is also very walkable, with an extensive and reliable Metro system for more far-flung destinations.
For a complete overview, see wikitravel.org or visit barcelonaturisme.com.
Venue – Auditori L’illa
Auditori L’illa and Convention Centre is located in the L’illa Diagonal shopping centre, at the heart of Barcelona’s main commercial and financial area. The Auditori L’illa and Convention Centre is an extensive public facility designed to provide its users with a wide range of services. The Auditorium, the meeting rooms and the exhibition and restaurant areas allow for the organisation of tailor-made events, depending on the needs of each client. Together, these make the Auditori L’illa and Convention Centre the most complete alternative of its kind. The privileged location of L’Illa Diagonal on Barcelona’s main avenue provides quick access from the airport, Sants station or the Rondas, while public transport such as underground and surface transport is also excellent.
If you're interested in a virtual tour of our conference venue, feel free to check it out here.
Partnership Opportunities
Sponsoring
We invite you and your company to showcase your brand to a diverse audience of professionals and become a vital part of Viruses 2026. Explore our sponsorship opportunities and join us in shaping the future of virology-related research and innovation.
From branding in highly visible conference materials and events to an exclusive presentation opportunity, find the perfect sponsorship package tailored to your needs in our sponsorship brochure by clicking the button below.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss any further options, please do not hesitate to contact the Conference Secretariat. Connect with us today to secure your spot and maximize your impact.
Society Collaboration
Are you part of a society and interested in Viruses 2026? Contact us at viruses2026@mdpi.com to discuss a media partnership where your society members can access a 20% discount on all registration fees!
Sponsors and Partners
Organizers
Partnering Societies
Media Partners
