Medical Biodefence Conference

The Medical Biodefense Conference (MBDC) is an international conference organised by the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology and takes place every two years in Munich.

The conference brings together experts from science, politics, the health sector and other stakeholders in the field of medical biodefence from all over the world. The MBDC is a platform for the exchange of information on strategies and research related to medical countermeasures against biological threats. This includes risk management and emergency response planning as well as the latest advances in diagnostics, vaccines and therapies for infectious diseases that can be used in a bioterrorist attack or natural outbreak.

The conference was first held in 1994 as an annually predominantly national and military-orientated biodefence conference. After letters laced with anthrax spores were sent to several US news outlets and members of the Senate immediately after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2021, biological attacks raised internationally concerns. In 2003, guests from 18 nations participated at MBDC to discuss the latest developments in the field of medical biodefence.

Since 2009, the MBDC has been an international civil-military event and is listed as a German confidence-building measure at NATO and UNODA.

With a high scientific level, the conference is now one of the most important in the field of medical biodefence. Since 2011, 500 participants from 50 nations have regularly participated in the MBDC.

The next Medical Biodefence Conference is planned for September/October 2025.

MBDC 2023