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In the face of the alarming rise in infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens, the scientific community is being challenged to rethink strategies for combating infectious diseases. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), naturally present in most living organisms, represent a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics and open new avenues for innovative therapeutic approaches. The 9th International Symposium on Antimicrobial Peptides is part of this global effort, bringing together leading international experts to explore major advances in AMP research, spanning a wide range of topics from peptide discovery and engineering, including artificial intelligence based approaches, to applications in human and veterinary medicine, as well as environmental sciences. The conference will be held in eastern France, the birth place of Louis Pasteur, a pioneer of modern microbiology. A special visit to the Louis Pasteur House in Arbois will be organized for all participants.

Join us in Besançon for three days of scientific exchange, innovation, and collaboration in an inspiring historical setting.

Programme

Wednesday, November 18^th

08h00-9h00: Registration-Welcoming coffee

09h00-9h15: Opening Ceremony, Vincent Humblot & Katy Jeannot

09h15-10h15: Opening lecture (45 min + 15 min) “Tiny heroes for immense challenges: the next global challenge”, invited speaker: John H REX Chief Medical Officer, F2G Ltd, Operating Partner, Advent Life Sciences, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA

Chair: Pr Katy Jeannot (University hospital of Besançon, CNRS 6249 Chrono-environment, France)

10h15-10h45: Coffee break

Session I: Antimicrobial peptide resistance

Chairs: Pr Javier Pizarro (Institut Pasteur, Paris, France) & Pr Ruth Massey (University College Cork, Ireland)

10h45-11h25: (30 + 10 min) invited speaker:

11h25-11h40:  Resistance and tolerance to antimicrobial peptides in Gram-negative bacteria: roles for cell envelope and stress response modulation; Nicolas JACQUIER, Lausanne, SWITZERLAND.

11h40-11h55: Limited and delayed adaptation to a proline-rich antimicrobial peptide in Francisella novicida, Maxime GACHON, Brétigny-sur-Orge, FRANCE

11h55-12h00: SMALTIS company (industrial communication)

12h00-13h45: Lunch (Buffet, Espace Gramond)

 

Session II: Discovery and biosynthesis of antimicrobial peptides

Chairs: Pr Michaël Lafond (Aix-Marseille University – INRAE-BBF, Marseille, France) & Pr Mohammad R. Seyedsayamdost (Princeton University, USA) 

13h45-14h25: invited speaker: Pr Mohammad R. SEYEDSAYAMDOST, Princeton University, USA

14h25-14h40: Biosynthesis and functional characterization of novel type ii sactipeptides from the human gut microbiome, Wajdi JAOUAD, Grenoble, FRANCE

14h40-14h55: Optimization and functional characterization of clec3a-derived antimicrobial peptides, Katinka MIES, Cologne, GERMANY

14h55-15h10: A cell-free DNA-to-bioactive platform for rapid discovery of natural peptide lantibiotics enables gut eradication of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, Longcheng GUO, Hong Kong, CHINA

15h10-15h25: Heterologous expression as a powerful tool for the production and discovery of antipseudomonal and antimycobacterial peptide natural products, Silja MORDHORST, Tübingen GERMANY

15h25-15h40: Deciphering the Mechanism of Action of a Short, Synthetic Designer AMP Against Gram-Negative and Gram-Positive Bacteria, Sucharita SHADANGI, Odishia, INDIA

15h40-16h15: Coffee break

Session III: Innovation, Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning in Antimicrobial Peptides

Chairs: Pr Sylvie Rebuffat (National Museum of Natural History, Paris, France) & Pr Philip Yongxin Li (University of Hong Kong, RP China)

16h15-16h55: AI‑Driven Discovery of Cryptic Antimicrobials from the Human Microbiota invited speaker: Prof. Philip YONGXIN LI, Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong

16h55-17h10: AI-Guided Discovery and Probiotic Delivery of Enterococcus-Targeting Bacteriocins for Pathogen Control and Intestinal Barrier Repair, Xiuqi JIANG, Hong Kong CHINA

17h10-17h25: Uncovering Antimicrobial and Immunomodulatory Effects of Natural and Encrypted Peptides from the Mexican Axolotl using Machine Learning and AI, Constance AUVYNET Coyoacan, MEXICO

17h25-17h40: Discovering novel antimicrobial peptides in the Animal Kingdom, Pyrgelis Nikos, Athens, GREECE

17h40-19h15: Poster Session Wine & Cheese (Espace Gramond)

 

Thursday, November 19^th

8h00-8h45: Meet the experts: Yijie Li (Strasbourg, FRANCE) session dedicated to Master students, PhD students, and postdoctoral researchers (young researcher session). This session will be organized in collaboration with master’s students from Marie and Louis Pasteur University

Chair: Dr Hélène Bouras

Session IV: Microbial Ecology, Microbes and interactions with their hosts

Chairs: Pr Séverine Zirah (National Museum of Natural History, Paris, France) & Dr Alyssa Carre Mlouka

8h45-9h25: Beyond Antimicrobial Activity: PAX Cyclolipopeptides Have Multifaceted Roles in Xenorhabdus–Nematode–Insect Interactions, Dr Alyssa CARRE MLOUKA (Montpellier University, FRANCE)

9h25-9h40: Two antimicrobial peptides in host-symbiont interactions: functional analysis in the rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae, a major insect pest of stored cereals, and the bacterium Sodalis pierantonius, Marie TILLET, Villeurbanne, FRANCE

9h40-9h55: Antimicrobial peptides as signaling molecules in gut bacteria, Carla MAGGIO, Marseille, FRANCE

9h55-10h10: Candidalysin targets bacteria: a possible role in fungal-bacterial competition, Ons KHARRAT, Bordeaux, FRANCE,

10h10-10h45: Coffee break

Session V: Peptide design and Bioengineering 

Chairs: Pr Gilles Subra (University of Montpellier, France) & Pr Jean-Louis Reymond (University of Bern, Switzerland)

10h45-11h25: Chemical Space Guided Design of Antimicrobial Peptides » invited speaker, Jean-Louis REYMOND, University of Bern, Switzerland

11h25-11h40: Multidomain engineering of bovine host defense peptides for broad-spectrum antimicrobial applications, Sergi TRAVÉ-ASENSIO, Caldes de Montbui, Catalonia, SPAIN

11h40-11h55: Omp38 inclusion bodies for engineering long-lasting antibiofilm surfaces, Diana OLIMPO, Naples, ITALY

11h55-12h10: Strategic Residue Substitution in Tolaasin for the Synthesis of New Bioactive Derivatives, Matthias VANHEEDE, Gent, BELGIUM

12h10-12h45: Lunch box (MSHE)

12h45-13h00: Bus Arbois Tourisme, departure 13H15  

14h00-18h00: Social activity, Departure towards Arbois (natal village of Pasteur), Visit of Pasteur’s museum, degustation of wines (Fruitière vinicole Arbois).

20h00: Gala at the Vauban’s Citadel

 

Friday, November 20^th

8h00-8h45: Meet the experts: invited speaker : Dr Hélène Bouras

session dedicated to Master students, PhD students, and postdoctoral researchers

Session VI: Mechanism of action of Antimicrobial peptides

Chairs: Dr Céline Landon (CNRS, Orléans, France) & Pr Markus WEINGARTH (Utrecht University, The Netherlands)

8h45-9h25: On the mechanisms of Cell-envelope targeting antibiotics invited speaker Markus WEINGARTH, Utrecht University, The Netherlands

9h25-9h40: Mechanism of action of non-lytic antimicrobial peptides studied by in vivo solid-state NMR and fluorescence microscopy, Hugo LEGRAS-HEMONNOT, Paris, FRANCE,

9h40-9h55: Metabolomic and proteomic analysis reveals the differential cellular responses of Bacillus subtilis to cationic antimicrobial peptides, Arunima SANDEEP, Montréal, CANADA

9h55-10h10: Affecting membrane organization to resensitize resistant bacteria to common antibiotics, Adéla MELCROVÁ, Groningen, The Netherlands

10h10-10h15: Flash Industry or flash Poster

10h15-10h45: Coffee break

 

Session VII: Vectorization/clinical, environmental applications

Chairs: Dr Vincent Humblot, (FEMTO-ST Institute, CNRS & Marie et Louis Pasteur University, Besançon, France) & Pr Olivier Leshouhaitier (University of Rouen, Evreux, France)

10h45-11h25: Development of the Atrial Natriuretic Peptide as new powerful drug against Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms: its mechanism of action and therapeutic potential.( invited speaker Pr Olivier LESHOUHAITIER, University of Rouen, Evreux, France

11h25-11h40: Modulation of bacteriocin-secreting activity through synthetic peptide signaling in Streptococcus salivarius, Julie GEORTAY, Louvain-la-Neuve, BELGIUM

11h40-11h55: Antimicrobial peptide biosensor for rapid bacterial identification: deciphering complex data using linear discriminant analysis, Lucie BASTIEN, Grenoble, FRANCE

11h55-12h10: Covalent immobilization of Ruminococcin C antimicrobial peptide on silicon surfaces for antibacterial application, Chloé RICHET, Besançon, FRANCE

12h10- 13h10: Closing lecture (45 min + 15 min) invited speaker Pr Marilyn ANDERSON, Trobe University, co-founded HEXIMA, Member of the Australia Academy of Science, Melbourne, Australia

Chair: Dr Vincent Humblot, (FEMTO-ST Institute, CNRS & Marie et Louis Pasteur University, Besançon, France)

13h10-13h30: Awards (Oral & Poster) (Scientific committee) & Conclusions (Dr Vincent Humblot)

13h30: Lunch box or buffet (MSHE)

13h30-14h: Departure

Abstract Submission

Deadline abstract submission: 9 October 2026

Presentation of the abstract (Arial 10). The abstract text must not exceed than 500 words. Indicate the title, authors’ names, institutions – Please structure your abstract using the following items: Introduction, Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusions.

To Submit your abstract, please use this template and send to comptabilite@sfm-microbiologie.org

Reviewing and selection process: All abstracts submitted will go through a peer-review process. If your presentation is accepted, the final decision will be carried out by the conference Scientific Committee. The conference Scientific Committee reserves the right to reject low quality abstracts, as well as those not pertinent to the themes of the conference.

Posters: Abstracts selected for poster presentation will be displayed during the poster sessions. (cf conference program).

Registration fees – Registration closes on 23 October – 30 October.

Registration categories	Until 31 August	From 9 to 23 october
Standard registration – member of French Society for Microbiology	400 €	500 €
Standard registration	450 €	550 €
Students (PhD, Master’s, Postdoctoral Researchers)	270 €	320 €
Companies / Industry – members	750 €	800 €

Social Programme