"The increasing number of bacteria resistant to all antibiotics and antimicrobials and the virtual lack of antiviral drugs make necessary to develop therapeutics based on new targets/approaches. European-wide-acting sectors must permanently improve their capabilities and capacities to cope with these challenges. Thus, the demand for experts trained to understand infectious diseases in their whole complexity is rising.INBIONET is an initiative from seven academic groups internationally recognized in the fields of microbial pathogenesis, innate immunity and molecular recognition, an intensive research SME, Preclin Biosystems, a multinational pharmaceutical company, Sanofi-Aventis, and a technological park (ParcBit). INBIONET partners will embark on the analysis of bacteria, viruses and enteric parasites specified by various infection strategies to identify cellular pathways important for infection as well as pathogen determinants involved in disease progression. Therefore, trainees will receive a comprehensive overview of some key concepts that pathogens use to ensure their success. It is expected that this knowledge will lead to the development of innovative therapies based on the modulation of the host-pathogen interface. INBIONET training will also focus on key aspects dealing with know-how transfer between academia and industries, and entrepreneurship.The four-year INBIONET training programme, at the interface between microbiology, immunology and cellular biology, should help to train the next generation of European scientists in the competitive field of “microbial anti-immunology” and set the grounds for new preventatives and therapeutics. INBIONET academic and industrial partners do provide the necessary critical mass to offer a top level training not currently offered in such dimension by any European academic institution thereby giving trainees a thorough and truly interdisciplinary background to meet the demands of the European (scientific) labour market."