The University of Sheffield welcomed scholars from around the globe last week for the 26th Annual Gathering in Biosemiotics, a resounding success for the international research community. Presenters travelled from 21 countries across five continents to share cutting-edge work exploring communication and sign processes across living systems - from cellular signalling to interspecies communication and human cognition.
Hosted by Sheffield's School of Architecture and Landscape in partnership with the International Society for Biosemiotics Studies, the conference was held across two University sites: The Wave, home of the Faculty of Social Sciences, and the Arts Tower, home of the School of Architecture and Landscape.
A particular highlight was the specially themed day "Biosemiotics and the (Built) Environment," held at the Arts Tower, which explored the role of communication and signification in the built environment and how meaning is cast into built form. Delegates also gathered at the historic Cutlers' Hall for a memorable conference dinner celebrating the community's achievements.
The conference was organised by Dr Tim Ireland, in collaboration with Prof Paul Cobley, Emeritus Professor in Language and Media at Middlesex University.
Full details about this year's conference, including the programme and schedule, can be found at the conference website.
Next year's gathering will be organised by Tom Froese, Associate Professor and head of the Embodied Cognitive Science Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. Further details and the call for abstracts will be announced in due course.
More information on Biosemiotics and the Gatherings is available at https://biosemiotics.org/