The Internation Union of Microbiological Societies or IUMS, founded in 1927 as the International Society of Microbiology, is now one of 27 Scientific Unions (as of 2005[update]) of the International Council of Science (ICSU).
The objectives of the Union are to promote the study of microbiological sciences internationally: initiate, facilitate and coordinate research and other scientific activities which involve international cooperation; ensure the discussion and dissemination of the results of international conferences, symposia and meetings and assist in the publication of their reports; represent microbiological sciences in ICSU and maintain contact with other international organizations.
IUMS activities include the classification and nomenclature of bacteria, fungi and viruses, food microbiology, medical microbiology and diagnostics, culture collections, education, and biological standardization.
The IUMS has three divisions:
These divisions each have their own set of officers and objectives. Each division is responsible for the organization of their own International Congresses. They work together toward the goal of furthering microbiology research and communication globally. In addition to the three divisions, the IUMS also conducts scientific activities through the following:
The president-elect of IUMS is Professor Geoffrey L. Smith of Imperial College London.