Around 200 scientists from across the globe gathered in the auditorium of Saarland University for the International Conference on Engineered Living Materials (ELM 2026). Organized by the INM \u2013 Leibniz Institute for New Materials with support from the DFG Priority Programme SPP 2451 \u201cLiving Materials with Adaptive Functions\u201d and the Leibniz ScienceCampus \u201cLiving Therapeutic Materials\u201d, the conference provided a platform for interdisciplinary exchange at the interface of materials science, biology, and bioengineering over the course of three days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ELM conference, now in the 5th edition, focused on new approaches to the development and control of living materials. The presented work covered a broad spectrum of current research, ranging from biologically based therapeutic materials and cooperative microbial systems to biohybrid platforms, living bioelectronics, and sustainable material concepts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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