The International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium 2009 (IBS-09) will be the 18th event of highly successful meetings where basic scientists and industrial experts meet to interchange experimental results and ideas about this interdisciplinary field. The locations of the international symposia circulate between different geographical regions. Following the symposium in Frankfurt, we are very pleased to welcome you to join us at IBS-09 in the nice city of Bariloche-Argentina in 2009.

IBS-07 has emphasized the remediation of mining activities and environmental protection connected with mining and mining industries. Evidently, our attention should follow mainly on those topics due to their importance for the society in developed and developing countries. In addition, the Organizing Committee of IBS-09 decided to focus the meeting on the diversity and behaviour of microorganisms in stirred-tank and heap reactors in commercial operations as well as in mining areas and extreme environments. Microbial ecology is undoubtedly one of the main keys to advance in industrial biohydrometallurgical applications and to analyse the possible uses of bioremediation for contaminated sites.

IBS-09 will be a new opportunity for scientists and industrial experts to meet colleagues, to present their own experimental results, to interchange their experiences at basic or applied level and to establish new collaborations.

We certainly hope to see you in Bariloche in 2009.