The article offers information the joint spring meeting of the British Society for Matrix Biology and the German Connective Tissue Society (DGBF) which was held on April 2-4, 2012 at Oxford, England. The meeting was held in several sessions focusing on nanotechnology and cell adhesion and fibrosis. It includes several papers presented at the meeting on several topics including heparan sulphate, callus differentiation and glucocorticoids.