Twinn4MicroUp Hosts Summer School on Microbial Synthetic Biology in Bari
From 17 to 19 June 2026, the Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment of the University of Bari Aldo Moro (UNIBA) hosted the Summer School on Microbial Synthetic Biology, organised within the framework of the Twinn4MicroUp project. Held in the Department’s Aula Magna, the three-day school brought together PhD students, junior researchers and leading international experts to explore the tools, pathways and applications driving the next generation of microbial biotechnology.
The School was opened by Prof. Evangelos Topakas (NTUA, Twinn4MicroUp Project Coordinator), Gennaro Agrimi (UNIBA, School Coordinator) and Prof. Luigi Palmieri (Director of the host Department), and was coordinated by an Organising Committee comprising Prof. Gennaro Agrimi, Dr. Eugenia Messina and Mrs. Silvia D’Eusebio (UNIBA), Prof. Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic (IMGGE) and Dr. Christina Ferousi (NTUA).
Over the three days, seven invited speakers from Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Italy and Canada guided participants through a rich scientific programme. Topics included:
- Synthetic biology toolkits for genome engineering and yeast applications – Tigran Yuzbashev and Evgeniya Yuzbasheva
- Rewiring microbial metabolism through synthetic pathways and growth-coupled selection – Enrico Orsi
- Synthetic biology for plastic upcycling and bio-based monomer production – Nick Wierckx
- Genome mining and CRISPR-enabled discovery of specialised metabolites, with a hands-on antiSMASH session – Tilmann Weber
- Whole genome synthesis in yeast and debugging genetic interactions – Charles Boone
- The quest for synthetic cells, from origin-of-life chemistry to integrated systems – Emiliano Altamura
Beyond the lectures, the programme included two dedicated sessions for participants’ talks and discussion, a guided walking tour of Old Bari and a social dinner, creating space for networking and interdisciplinary dialogue among the next generation of synthetic biologists.
The event also benefited from the support of several leading scientific societies and research infrastructures, including the Italian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Società Italiana di Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare; SIB), the Italian Interuniversity Consortium for Biotechnology (Consorzio Interuniversitario per le Biotecnologie; CIB), the Italian node of ELIXIR Europe, and the Hellenic Scientific Society of MikroBioKosmos (MBK), whose contributions helped strengthen the scientific scope of the Summer School and foster broader engagement across the research community.
By combining cutting-edge science with hands-on training and informal exchange, the Summer School reinforced Twinn4MicroUp’s commitment to capacity building and cross-institutional collaboration, while showcasing Bari as a welcoming setting for international scientific exchange.
Full programme (PDF) – https://twinn4microup.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Summer-School-MBS.pdf
Event webpage – https://twinn4microup.eu/msb-summer-school/
