Café Scientifique - Taming microbes: a journey from fermented beverages to cell factories

For thousands of years, humans have relied on microbes without even knowing they existed, from brewing beer to baking bread. Today, these tiny organisms are no longer just accidental partners but powerful allies, carefully engineered to address global challenges. Invisible yet essential, microbes now fuel breakthroughs that impact our lives, from medicine and agriculture to food, materials, and chemistry. Thanks to advances in genetic and metabolic engineering, we can design microorganisms as efficient cell factories, offering sustainable solutions for the production of valuable compounds. Join Jérémy Le Reun from the Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (France) to explore this long journey of microbial domestication and discover how microbes are used to shape a greener and more resilient bioeconomy.

Café Scientifique is a place where, for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology. Meetings take place in cafes, bars, restaurants and even theatres, but always outside a traditional academic context. Anyone is welcome to come and learn something new, ask questions, and join in the discussion.