The 2016 Gordon Conference on Bacterial Cell Surfaces will present cutting-edge research on the molecular and cellular aspects of the structure and function of the bacterial cell envelope and surface. The conference will bring together an international group of researchers who are key contributors to the recent advances on a wide range of topics, including bacterial cell division and morphogenesis, peptidoglycan metabolism, cell wall targeting antibiotics, membrane dynamics, surface polymers, protein transport and secretion, signal sensing and stress responses, bacterial communities and motility or bacterial interactions with the host and with surfaces. Invited speakers will include both established and early-stage investigators, who are at the forefront of their fields. For the first time, a Gordon Research Seminar for postdocs and graduate students will precede the meeting, encouraging junior scientists to network and to exchange ideas with leaders in the field. Short talks will be selected from speakers at the GRS and posters presenters at the GRC. The collegial atmosphere at this conference, with ample discussion time in the program, as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings, stimulates open scientific discussions and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, contributing to future advances on the fundamental understanding of the Bacterial Cell Surface.