The Eliava Institute of Bacteriophage, Microbiology, and Virology (EIBMV, Tbilisi, Georgia) organized a conference: “Bacteriophages and Probiotics - Alternatives to Antibiotics”, which was held in Tbilisi on July 1-4, 2012. 

The Conference dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the birth of Professor George Eliava, the founder of the Eliava Institute of Bacteriophage, Microbiology and Virology. 

The Conference enhanced the awareness of applying bacteriophages and probiotics in therapy and prophylaxis of bacterial diseases and minimizing the use of antibiotics when possible. The Organizers strongly believe that a professional exchange of scientific knowledge and expertise between the CIS and Western colleagues will lead to new approaches in the fight against emerging or re-emerging, health threatening, multi-drug resistant bacteria and will contribute to the improvement of human, animal and plant health.

In the frames of the conference there was held the 3rd ISTC Targeted Initiative “Probiotics and Health” Workshop and a Steering Committee Meeting. Results and prospective of the projects funded and new project proposals will be discussed.

Before the conference (June 29-30) in the Holiday Inn Hotel a ProbioClass was performed in order to determine the probiotic priorities, to coordinate the research between the former USSR institutions, to exchange experience and to educate the young scientists. 

Organizing Committee: 
Dr. Revaz Adamia, Chair (EIBMV, Tbilisi, Georgia) 
Dr. Nina Chanishvili (EIBMV, Tbilisi, Georgia) 
Dr. Marina Goderdzishvili (EIBMV, Tbilisi, Georgia) 
Dr. Mzia Kutateladze (EIBMV, Tbilisi, Georgia) 
Dr. Manana Loladze (EIBMV, Tbilisi, Georgia) 
Dr. Marina Tediashvili (EIBMV, Tbilisi, Georgia) 
Dr. Martha Clokie (University of Leicester, UK) 
Dr. Giorgio Giraffa (CRA-Centro di Ricerca per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-Casearie, Lodi, Italy ) 
Professor Thomas Haertle (INRA, Nantes, France) 
Dr. Elizabeth Kutter (Olympia State College, Evergreen, USA) 
Dr. Vyacheslav Melnikov (ISTC, Moscow, Russia) 
Professor Tamas Torok (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, USA) 
Professor Mario Vaneechoutte (Gent University, Gent, Belgium) 


The Conference aims to review current achievements in the following areas: 
Phage Therapy 
Phage Prophylaxis and Diagnostics in Medicine, Veterinary and Agriculture 
Phage Ecology 
Probiotics as Therapeutic Means 
Probiotics in Food Production, 
Probiotics and Prebiotics, 
Genomics and Proteomics of Bacteriophages and Probiotics 

Working language: 
English (Please note that no simultaneous translation will be provided) 

Location: 
Eliava Institute of Bacteriophages, Microbiology, and Virology, 3 Gotua Street, Tbilisi, 0160, Georgia. 

Secretariat: 
Ekaterina Jaiani 
Natia Karumidze 
Ia Kustardze 
Khatuna Makalatia 
Tamar Suladze 

Contact person: 
Dr. Nina Chanishvili ( e mail: n_chanish.ibmv@caucasus.net)