The 3rd International Symposium on Microfluidics for Sensing and Sequencing (ISM2S 2026): Frontier Technology for Sustainability and Planetary Health
Microfluidics has emerged as a transformative technology that bridges the gap between traditional laboratory techniques and involves multidisciplinary and cutting-edge topics, including chemical, biological, medical and environmental science.
Following previous ISM2S in Cranfield (2024) and Oxford (2025), this two-day event in 2026 covers the topic of biosensing and microfluidics for high-throughput, single-microbe sensing and sequencing to address the global challenges on environment and health, including but not limited to biosensing, microfluidics, engineering biology, single-cell analysis and sequencing, point-of-care diagnostics, antimicrobial resistance, and environmental sustainability and planetary health. That frontier technology will tackle the main challenges to planetary health and sustainability.
The event will gather world-leading experts to present and discuss recent research progress on frontier technologies, including microfluidics for sensing and sequencing, in particular on single-cell analysis for real-world impact to contribute to the challenges of sustainability and planetary health. We highly encourage early-career researchers and research students to engage with world-leading scientists.
Conference theme
Frontier Technology for Sustainability and Planetary Health
- Advancing microfluidic and sensing technologies
Application of microfluidic systems to the development of low-cost sensors for real-time monitoring of human disease and health, environmental and public health - One health and sustainability
Understanding the role of environmental reservoirs in infectious disease spread and leveraging wastewater-based epidemiology for tracking antimicrobial resistance, disease surveillance, and outbreak prediction through an integrated One Health perspective - Engeineering biology and planetary health
Engineering biology enabled tools for sustainable monitoring and remediation of emerging contaminants, and environmental, plant and animal health
Abstract submission
Please download our abstract submission form
Then upload your completed submission here.
Call for abstracts: 30 May 2026
Key dates
Registration opens: 30 April 2026
Call for abstracts: 20 July 2026 (including invited speakers)
Registration closes: 20 August 2026
Conference fees
| Early bird (ends 15 May 2025) | £450 |
| General | £500 |
| Student* | £350 |
*Please bring your student ID with you on the day.
**Includes a welcome drink on arrival, 3 course meal and ½ bottle of wine and the venue is St John’s College, Cambridge
If you are unable to attend after registering, please let us know as soon as possible, the deadline for refunds will be one month before when catering orders are placed.
Keynote speakers
Prof. David A Weitz (Harvard University, USA)
Keynote: High Sensitivity Diagnostics with Droplet Microfluidic Devices
Prof. Jonathon Cooper (University of Glasgow, UK)
Keynote: Innovations in Medical Diagnostics, Devices and Digital Health
Prof. Yong-Guan Zhu (Chinese Academy of Sciences, China)
Keynote: (To be confirmed)
Prof. Anderson Ho Cheung Shum (University of Hong Kong, HK)
Keynote: Droplets for Single-Cell-Based Interactions and Sequence-Specific Properties
Prof. Tuomas Knowles (University of Cambridge, UK)
Keynote: Physical and Chemical Aspects of the Behaviour of Biopolymers and Other Soft Systems
Prof. Baojun Wang (Zhejiang University, China)
Keynote: Synthetic Biology Enables New Paradigm of Biosensing
Invited speakers
Dr Ting-Hsuan (Cecil) Chen, City University of Hong Kong, China
Prof Peter Vikesland, Virginia Tech, USA
Prof Haifeng Ye, Eastern China Normal University, China
Prof Baojun Wang, Zhejiang University, China
Prof Shuailong Zhang, Beijing Institute of Technology, China
Prof Huabing Yin, University of Glasgow, UK
Prof Ziyi Yu, Nanjing Tech University, China
Prof Yu Shrike Zhang, Harvard Medical School, USA
Prof Shaohua Ma, Tsinghua University, China
Prof Qun Fang, Zhejiang University, China
Prof Damion Corrigan, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
Sponsorship opportunities
As a sponsor of our two-day annual conference, you will have the opportunity to engage with the wastewater analysis industry and academia while also being highlighted as an event sponsor for maximum exposure.
Registration sponsor
Includes materials in the registration/welcome area and conference auditorium
Logo on the event website, event communications and event promotional activity
Exhibition stand
2 x event tickets, including dinner
£4,000 + VAT
Refreshment breaks sponsor
Includes materials in the refreshment break area and conference auditorium
Logo on the event website, event communications and event promotional activity
Exhibition stand
2 x event tickets, including dinner
£4,000 + VAT
Dinner sponsor
Includes materials in the dinner venue and conference auditorium
Logo on the event website, event communications and event promotional activity
Exhibition stand
2 x event tickets, including dinner
£4,000 + VAT
Exhibitor only option (5 available)
Includes x 1 event ticket, including dinner
£1,000 + VAT
If you would like to talk about other sponsorship opportunities or involvement in the conference please get in touch: zhugen.yang@cranfield.ac.uk.
Organising Committee
Tuomas Knowles, University of Cambridge, UK
Anderson Ho Cheung Shum, City University of Hong Kong, China
Andrew Singer, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, UK
Zhugen Yang, Cranfield University, UK
Ziyi Yu, Nanjing Tech University, China
Scientific session
1. Plenary Health and Sustainability
2. Biosensors and Chemical sensors
3. Microfluidic and Lab-on-a-Chip
4. Antimicrobial Resistance and One Health
5. Engineering Biology
Scientific Committee
Ting-Hsuan Chen (Cecil), City University of Hong Kong, China
Jonathan Cooper, University of Glasgow, UK
Xinyu Liu, University of Toronto, Canada
Andrew Singer, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, UK
Anderson Ho Cheung Shum, City University of Hong Kong, China
Baojun Wang, Zhejiang University, China
David A Weitz, Harvard University, USA
Chengjie Xu, City University of Hong Kong, China
Yan Xu, Osaka Metropolitan University, Japan
Tuomas Knowles, University of Cambridge, UK
Zhugen Yang, Cranfield University, UK
Ziyi Yu, Nanjing Tech University, China
Shrike Yu Zhang, Harvard Medical School, USA
Shuailong Zhang, Beijing Institute of Technology, China
Yong-Guan Zhu, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Event programme
| 08:30-09:00 | Registration and coffee |
| 09:00-09:10 | Welcome and overview of Cranfield Sensor Laboratory |
| 09:10-12:40 | Session 1: Plenary Health and Sustainability. Talk 1, 2, Coffee break Talk 3, 4, 5, and 6 |
| 12:40-13:00 | ECR session |
| 13:00-14:00 | Lunch break and poster session |
| 14:00-15:00 | Industrial session Industrial panel discussion |
| 15:00-15:30 | Coffee break |
| 15:30-16:10 | Session 2: Biosensors and Chemical sensors. Talk 1, 2, Coffee break Talk 3, 4, 5, and 6 |
| 19:00-22:00 | Gala dinner (invite only) |
Location and travel details
Palmerston Room, St John's College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TP, UK
Who should attend
We encourage our academics, early career researchers and research students, industrial and governmental sectors to engage with world-leading scientists and entrepreneurs.
How to register
To register, please complete the online form.
If you have registered and still need to make payment, please use our online portal.
