Meeting: PhoBioS COST Action Meeting & Special Session at SPIE Photonics Europe 2026 in Strasbourg

COST Working Group meeting, Action CA21159, Understanding interaction light – biological surfaces: possibility for new electronic materials and devices (PhoBioS).

Various biological surfaces are known to be covered by elaborated micro- and nano-structures, serving a number of functions (e.g. anti-reflective, structural coloration, anti-fouling, pro- or anti-adhesive, etc.) and inspiring numerous industrial applications. Recent years have witnessed a remarkable boost in research in this field. To a large extent, this boost owes to the increasing interdisciplinary of approaches being applied to the study of structured biosurfaces. Sciences as different as classical zoology and botany are inseminated with the advances in genetics and molecular biology; biologists collaborate more and more with nanotechnologists, materials scientists and engineers – all these contribute to the widening of the horizons of research on micro- and nano-structured biological surfaces, and to biomimetic and bioengineering applications of these surfaces in industry. We aim at ‘riding the wave’ of these developments with our proposal. The main goal of the COST Action “Understanding interaction light – biological surfaces: possibility for new electronic materials and devices” is to bring together scientists coming from distinct disciplines into this vibrant field of research, focusing on the photonic effects of nano-and micro-structuring of biological surfaces and their bionic applications. Our consortium will ensure cross-inspiration among the different participants coming from different research fields and will boost innovation in research and eventual industrial developments.

Session Date: 13-14 April 202

PHOBIOS at SPIE Photonics Europe 2026

Join the PHOBIOS Special Session and COST Working Group Meeting in Strasbourg

The PHOBIOS community will gather in Strasbourg for a combined face-to-face event that connects the
COST Action Working Group Meeting with the PHOBIOS Special Session at SPIE Photonics Europe 2026.
This format creates a strong opportunity to present research, meet collaborators, and strengthen interdisciplinary exchange
across biophotonics, light–matter interactions, biomedical sensing, imaging, and bioinspired photonic surfaces.

Event at a glance

Event: New Frontiers in Light-Based Technology

Format: Face to face

Venue: Hilton Strasbourg

Location: Strasbourg, France

Dates

13 April 2026: Core Group + Working Group meetings

14 April 2026: PHOBIOS Special Session / Workshops / Conference activities

Scientific focus

Biophotonic surfaces, light–matter interactions, biomedical sensing and imaging,
structured biological surfaces, optical diagnostics, and translational photonics.

Important opportunity for authors

If your paper has already been accepted for SPIE Photonics Europe 2026, you may still request
to have it redirected to the PHOBIOS Special Session. This may make your contribution
eligible for the PHOBIOS financial support package.

Authors interested in joining the PHOBIOS session should contact Prof. Dror Fixler
by 13 March 2026. Every effort will be made to check with SPIE whether the change is still possible.

How to join

Review the session details and scientific scope on the SPIE conference page.

If you already have an accepted contribution, request a redirection to the PHOBIOS Special Session.

Contact the session coordinator before the deadline to maximize the chance of inclusion and support.

Why this session matters

This special session is designed to strengthen the PHOBIOS research network by bringing together experts
from photonics, materials science, biomedical engineering, sensing, imaging, and bioinspired technologies.
It offers a focused scientific environment within a major international SPIE event, while also supporting
collaboration and dissemination within the COST Action framework.

Researchers at different career stages are encouraged to participate, especially those whose work bridges
fundamental light–matter interaction studies with practical biomedical or environmental applications.

Contact

Prof. Dror Fixler
Tel Aviv University

Email: fixeled@tauex.tau.ac.il

View session details

Note: Financial support is subject to PHOBIOS / COST Action rules, eligibility criteria,
and available budget. Participants are encouraged to contact the organizers as early as possible.

PhoBioS COST Action CA21159

Agenda — COST Working Group Meeting

The meeting will focus on the final phase of the Action, Working Group reflections, future collaboration opportunities, and a strategic discussion on possible continuation of the PhoBioS network beyond the Action.

13 April 2026

COST Working Group Meeting / Core Group / Strategic discussion

09:00–09:15	Registration and welcome
09:15–10:30	Core Group meeting This session could focus on the final phase of the Action, including key priorities, remaining activities, and points that need coordination at Core Group level. It would also be a good moment to reflect on the broader legacy of PhoBioS and identify which elements of the network have been most valuable and worth sustaining. Possible topics: key remaining tasks and deliverables, priorities for the final period of the Action, lessons learned from the network so far, which activities, formats, or collaborations have created the most value.
10:30–10:50	Discussion about Training School in Turkey Presenter: MERVE ERGİNER HASKÖYLÜ
10:50–11:20	Coffee break
11:20–12:30	Joint Working Groups meeting (hybrid) This session could bring together short WG reflections with a focus not only on achievements, but also on what may continue beyond the Action. Rather than detailed reporting, the emphasis could be on outcomes, collaborations, and opportunities. Possible points for discussion: most valuable outputs or achievements from each WG, collaborations initiated through the Action, themes or activities that could continue in a lighter format, possible joint outputs such as papers, workshops, conference sessions, training activities, or future proposals.
12:30–13:30	Break An opportunity for informal discussion.
13:30–15:30	Joint strategic discussion: future of the PhoBioS network This session would bring together a shared reflection on the future value of the network and a more open brainstorm on whether there is interest in maintaining a light post-Action network. The aim would be to identify which aspects of PhoBioS have been most useful to members, what may be worth preserving after the Action ends, and what form a continued network could realistically take. Guiding questions might include: What has worked particularly well in PhoBioS? Which parts of the network would members find most valuable to continue? Is the main added value scientific exchange, networking, visibility, training, or support for future funding? What would be the most realistic and useful form of continuation? What should be the purpose of a continued network? What value could it provide to members? Which guiding principles should shape it, for example openness, inclusivity, interdisciplinarity, collegiality, and light governance? Which practical continuation formats would be most useful, such as occasional online seminars, thematic side meetings at conferences, small working clusters around specific topics, visibility activities for early-career researchers, grant matchmaking and consortium building, or joint publications and roadmap-style outputs?
15:30–16:00	Coffee break
16:00–16:30	First discussion on possible Terms of Reference If there is interest in continuing the network in some form, this session could explore whether it would be useful to prepare a short Terms of Reference as a simple foundation for future coordination. Possible elements to discuss: overall mission and scope, who the network is for, membership and participation, possible coordination model, types of activities the network might support, the lightest possible structure needed to keep it active and useful.

Further updates to the agenda may be introduced depending on Working Group coordination and final meeting logistics.