Biocontrol 4.0 meets participants of the AFT 2026 congress
As part of the Advanced Fermentation Technology 2026 (AFT 2026) congress, held at Polytech Lille - Université de Lille, the Biocontrol 4.0 portfolio was introduced to participants through a scientific visit of the BioEcoAgro laboratory platforms.
Organised within the framework of the Trans-Training project, the visit highlighted some of the work carried out within the portfolio, with a particular focus on Trans-Lipo, a project dedicated to the study and valorisation of microbial metabolites of interest for biocontrol.
A visit designed for a scientific and professional audience
Following a previous outreach visit for secondary-school students, this new lab tour was adapted to a scientific and professional audience, including researchers, industry representatives and stakeholders from the biotechnology and fermentation sectors.
The aim was to give participants a concrete overview of the workflow developed in the laboratory: starting from a microbial strain of interest, assessing its ability to produce bioactive metabolites, moving towards controlled production, and then analysing, characterising and purifying the molecules obtained.
The visit was structured around three complementary platforms.
Molecular biology and microbiology: from strain engineering to biological activity
The first part of the visit focused on molecular biology and microbiology approaches. Participants were introduced to work on the genetic engineering of bacterial strains, particularly in the context of heterologous lipopeptide synthesis.
This session also included the presentation of bacterial flask cultures, used as a first evaluation step before moving towards more controlled fermentation systems. Antimicrobial assays were also shown to illustrate the link between metabolite production and the biological activity observed against target microorganisms.
Fermentation: moving towards controlled metabolite production
The second part of the visit focused on fermentation. This step makes it possible to move from flask cultures to fermenter-based production, where several parameters can be monitored and adjusted, including pH, temperature, agitation, aeration and foam formation.
This platform also provided a direct link with the analytical steps, as samples obtained from fermentations are subsequently analysed to verify the molecules produced and compare production profiles under different culture conditions.
Analytical platform: characterising and purifying the molecules produced
The final part of the visit was dedicated to the analytical approaches used to study metabolites obtained from cultures and fermentations. HPLC-MS is used to compare production profiles, identify families of molecules and monitor metabolites of interest, including lipopeptides. Semi-preparative HPLC was also presented as a complementary step for collecting fractions enriched in molecules of interest. These fractions can then be concentrated, re-analysed or used in biological assays, in order to more precisely connect a chemical profile with an observed biological activity.
Overall, the visit provided a concrete illustration of how the different BioEcoAgro platforms contribute to the work carried out within the Biocontrol 4.0 portfolio. It also highlighted the interactions between several portfolio projects, particularly Trans-Training, Trans-Manage and Trans-Lipo.
Flyers and a document presenting the laboratory’s research activities in connection with the Biocontrol 4.0 portfolio were also distributed to participants, giving them the opportunity to discover the different projects, partners and cross-border actions developed within the portfolio.
