The International Union of Microbiological Societies

The International Union of Microbiological Societies was founded in 1927 as the International Society for Microbiology.
IUMS is one of the 31 Scientific Unions of the International Council of Scientific Unions, a nongovernmental organization with a unique global membership that brings together 40 international scientific Unions
and Associations and over 140 national and regional scientific organizations IUMS has 96 national member societies and 26 associate member societies spread throughout the world and consists of three Divisions:

 BACTERIOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY (BAM),
 MYCOLOGY AND EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY (MEM)
 VIROLOGY

The main activity of IUMS has been to organize a global meeting of microbiologists every three years. IUMS meeting will be held in Florence on October 23-25, 2024. 
Grants to young scientists and scientists from developing countries to attend IUMS International Congresses.
Grants to member societies and COMCOFs for assistance in organizing workshops, training courses, and scientific meetings. 

IUMS is the voice of microorganisms

Microorganisms were the first form of life to appear on our planet 3.8 billion years ago.
2.5 billion years ago, they generated the first eukaryotic cell from which derived all
animals and plants
 All animals and plants, including humans, evolved and now survive in a world dominated by microbes that are inextricably linked to their functioning and survival (Kent H. Redford, Conservation Biology)
 1 trillion species of microorganisms populate our planet. They include bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, unicellular microorganisms
 A minority of them are pathogens (1400 species, 208 viruses or prions, 538 bacteria, 317 fungi, 57 protozoa, and 287 helminths) and are also responsible for infectious diseases
 999,99 billion species of microorganisms are useful and essential to life on our planet. 

A call to action from IUMS:

IUMS is worried about the dramatic impact of our civilization on the diversity of microorganisms that sustain life on our planet. The intention of the new mission of IUMS is:
 To raise awareness of the importance of microbes for every living organism and the planet itself.
 To mobilize the search for sustainable solutions to save the microbes, which will also help to save our
planet.
 Bring the diversity of microorganisms to the attention of the United Nations.