Microbes in Focus: Launch of the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) coordinated by the University of Lyon 1

The kick-off meeting of the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) Microbes in Focus took place on May 19th, 2026, bringing together all selected students for the official launch of the programme. Coordinated by Erwan Gueguen, Associate Professor at Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, the programme focuses on modern tools in molecular microbiology, microbial genetics, and the study of microorganisms.

The BIP will bring together 27 students and numerous academic staff members from five European partner universities: the University of Minho, the University of Gdansk, the Technical University of Madrid (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), Maynooth University, and the University of Granada. The programme is also supported by Arqus.

The intensive on-site phase will take place at Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 and will involve researchers and faculty members from the University of Lyon 1, the CNRS, and the INSERM, notably from the laboratories MAP, MMSB, CIRI, IGFL, LBTI and LEM. International researchers and lecturers from partner institutions in Minho, Gdansk, Madrid, Granada and Maynooth will also contribute to the programme, alongside invited scientists from the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

Lectures and workshops will address major contemporary topics in microbiology, including microbial genetics, yeast and filamentous fungi biology, bacterial pathogenesis, antimicrobial resistance, anti-phage systems, molecular pathogen detection, microbial ecology, bioinformatics and the use of artificial intelligence tools such as AlphaFold.

Beyond its scientific and pedagogical dimensions, Microbes in Focus also contributes to strengthening Lyon 1’s European collaborations. The event notably enabled the establishment of new bilateral agreements with the Technical University of Madrid and the University of Gdansk, with the objective of increasing future student and staff mobility between the institutions.

Members of the participating laboratories and research units will also have the opportunity to attend several of the lectures organized during the intensive week, subject to room capacity.

The full programme is available on the official BIP website.