Congrès International Bacteriocin International Conference - BIC 2023 19 au 21 juin 2023

Bacteriocins were discovered by Professor André GRATIA (1893-1950), almost at the same time as the discovery of penicillin by Sir Alexandre FLEMING (1881-1955). Research on this class of antimicrobial molecules has steadily been developed around the world in order to better understand their activities and drive their applications. Bibliometric data on bacteriocins are constantly increasing, confirming the interest in these molecules (Figure 1).

Significant advances in the understanding of their biosynthetic pathways as well as their modes of action have been accomplished in the last decades and opened new avenues for diverse and multisectoral applications. Nowadays, research on bacteriocins is given a new impetus in the medical field to face the problem of antibiotic resistance, which is thought to be the next global health crisis. More recently, their multifunctional potential has been expanded with the unveiling of further niches of exploitation based on the activity of bacteriocins against viruses and cancer cell lines, as well as their ability to promote plant growth and regulate the microbiota (Figure 2).