MCEC NEWSLETTER – NOVEMBER 2017

Dear readers,

Welcome to the third edition of the Microbial Control Executive Council (MCEC) Newsletter.

MCEC is proud to say that over the past few months, our newsletter subscription base has grown significantly. On behalf of MCEC, I would like to thank you all for your interest, and for spreading the word.

Since April, MCEC has gone to extensive lengths to reach out to you. Our trip to the European Coatings Show in Nuremberg, Germany was the first opportunity our members took to speak on behalf of MCEC. The response from both downstream users and the media was very positive and their feedback showed a real desire for further information and dialogue. 

MCEC holds the strong belief that microbial control can lead to several positive developments across a variety of fields. With these positive developments in mind, research and innovation are more important than ever. Throughout the year we have seized on several opportunities to transform MCEC into the preeminent information source on microbial control that it is today.

As such, the organisation has connected with downstream users and worked hard to promote the benefits of anti-microbial technologies. Similarly to the growth of newsletter subscribers, we have seen our LinkedIn following grow. The platform has been key in spreading the word about our organisation and the positive impact anti-microbial technologies have on society. Detailed articles have been advertised on our website and LinkedIn page. Simultaneously, we have connected with journalists and other media professionals to create media awareness and a dynamic information network focusing on our cause for future developments.  

All new content on MCEC will be posted on our LinkedIn page and website. If you do not already follow us on LinkedIn, I invite you to do so to stay up to date on all our exciting activities.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Schäfer, MCEC Chairman

MCEC LATEST ACTIVITIES

Since our last newsletter, MCEC has been actively engaging with downstream users and the wider industry to promote the benefits of microbial control technologies and showcase MCEC as an organisation. We attended the European Coatings Show in Nuremberg, Germany in early April and distributed information about the Microbial Control Executive Council. During the conference, we spoke to a variety of people about who we are and what we do. This served as an excellent opportunity for MCEC to showcase itself and promote the sustainability, safe use and benefits of anti-microbial technologies.

MCEC will  have a continued presence at similar events, such as the recent conference on biocides in construction in Kassel, Germany. MCEC’s David Tierney (Lonza) presented on the multitude of applications anti-microbial technologies have in construction products and the benefits they possess.

Attending events like the European Coatings Show has also offered MCEC the opportunity to reach a broader audience through meetings with trade journalists. These meetings have been very valuable and have resulted in the publication of several articles on MCEC. One such article published in Paint & Coatings Industry dealt with the topic of ‘A Life Without Microbial Control’ and discussed how microbial control contributes to healthcare, water treatment, sustainability, construction and industrial and consumer products. Additionally, MCEC contributed a blog post to Coatings World on the structure of MCEC, its activities, challenges and aspirations. These opportunities to engage with wider audiences will continue to be seized upon in the coming months.

MICROBIAL CONTROL SCIENCE – A FEW RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

1. Microbial biotechnology approaches to mitigating the deterioration of construction and heritage materials – Microbial Biotechnology, August 2017
2. Microbial Fouling in a Water Treatment Plant and Its Control Using Biocides – Biocontrol Science
3. Microbial control of arthropod-borne disease – Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, February 2017
4. Graphene-based antimicrobial nanomaterials: rational design and applications for water disinfection and microbial control – Journal of Environmental Science: Nano