The 5th International Electronic Conference on Antibiotics
The 5th International Electronic Conference on Antibiotics
Global Threats and Opportunities: Shaping the Next Generation of Antimicrobials
Part of the International Electronic Conference on Antibiotics series
Event's Timezone: Central European Summer Time
23 February 2027
26 April 2027
30 April 2027
24 May 2027
17 June 2027
Antimicrobial Resistance, Antimicrobial Stewardship, one health, Biofilm Biology, Novel Antibiotics, AI-Powered Strategies
The ECA 2027 is Now OPEN for Abstract Submission and Registration.
Instructions for authors are available online.
Submit your abstracts HERE.
For any inquiries, please contact us at eca@mdpi.com.
Welcome from the Chairs
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the Organizing Committee and the journal Antibiotics (ISSN: 2079-6382, Impact Factor: 5.5, CiteScore: 10.2), it is our great pleasure to welcome you to the 5th International Electronic Conference on Antibiotics—Global Threats and Opportunities: Shaping the Next Generation of Antimicrobials (ECA 2027).
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains one of the most pressing global health challenges of our time, threatening decades of progress in medicine, public health, agriculture, and infectious disease control. Addressing this complex issue requires interdisciplinary collaboration across clinical practice, microbiology, epidemiology, ecology, pharmaceutical sciences, and public policy. In this context, ECA 2027 aims to provide a dynamic and interactive platform for researchers, clinicians, healthcare professionals, industry experts, and policymakers worldwide to exchange knowledge, share innovative findings, and discuss emerging strategies to combat AMR.
The scientific program covers a broad range of topics at the forefront of antibiotic research and antimicrobial resistance mitigation, including:
S1. Antimicrobial Stewardship and Clinical Optimization.
S2. One Health and AMR Ecology.
S3. Antibiotic Resistance Mechanisms and Epidemiological Characteristics.
S4. Conventional Methods and AI-Powered Strategies in Antimicrobial Development.
S5. Biofilm Biology and Antimicrobial Tolerance.
S6. Global Perspectives on Antimicrobial Resistance Intervention.
Through oral presentations, poster sessions, and scientific discussions, participants will have the opportunity to present their latest research, exchange novel ideas, and explore both established and emerging approaches to antimicrobial discovery, stewardship, surveillance, and resistance intervention. Special attention will be given to innovative technologies, interdisciplinary solutions, and global collaborative efforts that can help address the growing burden of AMR.
We sincerely thank all speakers, authors, reviewers, session chairs, and attendees for their valuable contributions. We hope that ECA 2027 will foster meaningful scientific exchange, inspire new collaborations, and advance collective efforts toward safeguarding the effectiveness of antimicrobial therapies for future generations.
We look forward to welcoming you to ECA 2027 and to an engaging and productive conference experience.
Kind regards,
Prof. Dr. Manuel Simões,
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Portugal
Dr. Marc Maresca,
CNRS, Aix-Marseille University, Centrale Marseille, iSm2, Marseille, France
Chairs of the 5th International Electronic Conference on Antibiotics
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Event Chairs
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Portugal
Manuel Simões has a PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering and is currently Associate Professor with Habilitation at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, where he is Pro-Director. He has more than 180 papers published in journals indexed in JCR (h-index = 48), 4 books (1 as author and 3 as editor) and more than 40 chapters in books. His research focusses on biofilms and antimicrobial action and resistance. He has been highlighted as a highly cited author in 2020 and 2021 by Clarivate Analytics. SCOPUS ID: 55608338000; Orcid ID: 0000-0002-3355-4398.
Dr. Marc Maresca is currently a researcher at Aix-Marseille Université. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Université Paul Cézanne (France, 2003) working on food contaminants named mycotoxins. In 2003, he moved to England to work on enteropathogenic E coli in Brendan Keny’s lab. Then, he moved back to France to continue his work on mycotoxins and their effects on human health. He is currently working at Aix-Marseille Université and his research aims to identify and develop new molecules—natural, synthetic, or bio-inspired—with antimicrobial properties. He focuses on antimicrobial peptides and their mimics as well as on plant derivatives and evaluates, in addition to their antimicrobial effects, additional activities such as anti-inflammatory and anti-tumorigenic effects.
Session Chairs
Prof. Dr. Sara M. Soto González
Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
Currently, Prof. Dr. Sara Soto is the Head of Viral and Bacterial Infections at ISGlobal and Associate Professor at the University of Barcelona. Her research group is focused on the transmission of antimicrobial resistance and related genes in a One-Health vision, the search of new antibiotics and targets, and bacterial virulence and its relationship with antimicrobial resistance. After being awarded an “Extraordinary Doctorate Award” for her PhD degree from the University of Oviedo, Prof. Dr. Soto underwent a Postdoctoral Short-Fellowship in the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany, followed by a 3-year postdoctoral grant from the Spanish Ministry of Health, at Prof Jordi Vila's laboratory. In 2005, she obtained a prestigious 6-year research contract (Miguel Servet CP05/00140) from the Spanish Ministry of Health that allowed her to establish herself as an independent researcher. She has published more than 82 publications in scientific journals, 86 communications to congresses, 35 research projects (14 as Principal Investigator) and 4 contracts with private companies. She has coordinated the European H2020 project NOMORFILM (Grant. 634588), and ISCIII-national projects directed to find new molecules from natural or synthetic origin with antibacterial and antibiofilm activities (generating three patents).
Dr. Yolanda Sáenz
Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR), Spain
Dr. Yolanda Sáenz is the Principal Investigator in the Molecular Microbiology Area at the Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR), Spain. Her group characterises mechanisms used by pathogenic bacteria to resist antimicrobial action, increase virulence or protect themselves from environmental pressures. Over the last years, she has achieved a long track record from a One Health approach in antimicrobial resistance, mainly in Pseudomonas spp. and Enterobacteriaceae. Her work also focuses on the finding of new substances, compounds or technologies (such as cold atmospheric plasma) with antimicrobial or antibiofilm activity. Overall, she has participated in 32 national and international research projects, has published more than 150 indexed articles, 11 book chapters, 300 conference communications, and holds one patent. She has acquired a broad and varied research experience from academic stays at prestigious research centres in Spain, Belgium and Peru. She has also supervised numerous students and collaborated in national and international university teaching and scientific activities. She is a member of the Networks RED2022-134545-T and RED2024-153647-T, and was also a member of the Network P220RT0168 CYTED, COST Actions CA19110 and CA18113, and REIPI Spanish Networks. She is a member of various scientific societies (ESCMID, SEM, GEIVEX, BSAC, GEMARA-SEIMC), as well as an editor/reviewer of scientific journals and evaluator of international projects.
Prof. Dr. Domenico Schillaci
Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Italy
Prof. Domenico Schillaci is currently Full Professor of Microbiology at Department of Biological Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science and Technology (STEBICEF) at University of Palermo, Italy. He teaches Microbiology for Pharmacy students and supervises numerous theses in the field of applied microbiology. His research focuses on antibiotic resistance, particularly the mechanisms linked to biofilm-associated pathogens. He has led projects to improve the effectiveness of antibiotics (e.g., amoxicillin, tobramycin, vancomycin, colistin, ciprofloxacin) using nano/micro-delivery systems and functionalized polymers. He has also investigated anti-virulence strategies, targeting enzymes like Sortase A, and explored natural and synthetic anti-biofilm agents. His current scientific interest is on the potential of antimicrobial peptides from natural sources in new drug development. Prof. Schillaci is a regular speaker at international conferences and has authored 117 publications (Scopus AU-ID: 6603674133, h-index: 36, citations: 4,035). In October 2022, October 2023, October 2024, he was named among the World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University. He serves as a peer reviewer for several journals and has been on the editorial board of Antibiotics (MDPI) since April 2021.
Prof. Dr. Efstathios Giaouris
University of the Aegean, Lemnos, Greece
Prof. Dr. Efstathios (Stathis) Giaouris is a professor of food microbiology in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of the Aegean. He holds an MSc in Food Science and Technology (2003) and a PhD in Food Microbiology (2008) from the Agricultural University of Athens. A significant portion of his doctoral research was conducted at INRA–AgroParisTech in Paris, supported by a highly competitive European Union Marie Curie Fellowship. He has participated in numerous funded projects in food microbiology, hygiene, and safety, collaborating with academic partners and the food industry. His research output includes more than 70 peer-reviewed articles (with more than 3,300 citations; Scopus h-index 28), 10 book chapters, and more than 120 conference and workshop presentations (including 32 oral presentations at international events, several of which he was invited to deliver). He is among the top 2% of scientists worldwide, based on the impact of their work (citations) in the subfields of food science/microbiology for 2024 and 2025, according to the lists published annually by Stanford University and Elsevier. Prof. Giaouris serves on the editorial boards of multiple international scientific journals, including Food Microbiology, Journal of Food Protection, Foods, Antibiotics, and Heliyon, and has reviewed more than 450 manuscripts and research proposals for national and international bodies. He is also a member of several scientific societies and is registered as a trainer in food hygiene and safety with the Hellenic Food Authority (EFET). His primary research focuses on bacterial biofilms and their implications for food safety and quality, exploring sustainable control methods, including phytochemicals, quorum-quenching, and nanotechnology approaches.
Dr. Márió Gajdács
Department of Public Health, Albert Szent-Györgyi Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Hungary
Dr. Márió Gajdács is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Public Health, Albert Szent-Györgyi Faculty of Medicine at the University of Szeged. He received his pharmacy degree, Ph.D. (medical microbiology), board certification in “Pharmacology”, and “Non-clinical and clinical research” from the University of Szeged, and holds a Master in Public Health (MPH; specialization: epidemiology) and a Master of Healthcare Management from the University of Pécs. His research interests comprise the investigation of the influencing factors and facilitators of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) using epidemiological and social science methods; he is also interested in digital epidemiological/infodemiological studies, and other topics of public health importance. He published >180 publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Event Committee
University Hospital, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany,
Epidemiology, IQVIA, Frankfurt, Germany
Prof. Dr. Karel Kostev is Senior Scientific Principal for Epidemiology Research at IQVIA in Frankfurt (Germany). After completing his sociology and statistics studies at the University of Freiburg i.Br., he obtained a doctorate degree in evidence-based medicine [Dr. rer. med./Doctor of Theoretical Medicine] at the University of Leipzig. He subsequently pursued postdoctoral studies in epidemiology at the University of Marburg, and was appointed as a professor at the University Hospital of Giessen and Marburg. He also holds various SAS certifications. He has been working at IMS health/IQVIA for 23 years and has extensive experience in managing and performing epidemiological analyses using observational data. He is the author or co-author of more than 600 papers and more than 300 presentations at various medical conferences. His core research specialization is the epidemiology of chronic diseases. Prof. Dr. Kostev is also currently teaching epidemiology and medical sciences at the University Hospital of Marburg.
Associate Director, JMI Laboratories, A Subsidiary of Element Materials Technology, North Liberty, USA
Dr. Papp-Wallace is the Associate Director at JMI Laboratories in North Liberty, Iowa. JMI Laboratories is a CLIA-certified clinical microbiology reference laboratory that provides support for preclinical drug development, surveillance studies, and bacterial and fungal phase I – IV clinical trials. She completed her doctorate in Pharmacology at Case Western Reserve University, followed by postdoctoral training in microbiology and antimicrobial resistance at Veterans Affairs Northeast Ohio Healthcare System in Cleveland, Ohio under the direction of Dr. Robert A. Bonomo. Her research interests include understanding mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative bacteria and identifying strategies to overcome resistance. As Research Scientist at the Veterans Affairs Northeast Ohio Healthcare System and tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, she led projects that focused on structure-function relationships of clinically important β-lactamases from Gram negatives using microbiological and biochemical testing as well as structural biology with >80 peer-reviewed manuscripts. Dr. Papp-Wallace is Section Editor-in-Chief for Section "Mechanism and Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance" for Antibiotics. She is also an editor for Microbiology Spectrum and serves on the editorial board for Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
serine β-lactamases, β-lactams; β-lactamase inhibitors; Burkholderia; carbapenem-resistant gram negatives; structure-activity relationships; enz
Sessions
S2. One Health and AMR Ecology
S3. Antibiotic Resistance Mechanisms and Epidemiological Characteristics
S4. Conventional Methods and AI-Powered Strategies in Antimicrobial Development
S5. Biofilm Biology and Antimicrobial Tolerance
S6. Global Perspectives on Antimicrobial Resistance Intervention
Registration
When registering, please provide us with your institutional email address. This will accelerate the registration process. If you are registering several people under the same registration, please do not use the same email address for each person, but their individual institutional email addresses. Thank you for your understanding.
Registration Categories
Paid Registration
Paid registration provides full access to the conference program and associated benefits, including:
- Abstract submission;
- Eligibility for event awards competition (if applicable);
- Certificate of Presentation or Participation;
- 20% Discount on APC of conference's Special Issue (to be updated) , published in Antibiotics (all submissions undergo MDPI’s standard peer-review process);
- Complimentary publication in Medical Sciences Forum (all submissions undergo MDPI’s standard peer-review process).
To ensure timely finalization of the scientific program, at least one author per abstract (designated Covering Author) must complete a paid registration. Abstracts will be withdrawn if the required payment is not completed by 24 May 2027.
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Group of 3, 5% off;
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Group of 5 or more, 10% off;
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Group of 10 or more, 15% off.
|
Early Bird Until 30 April 2027 |
Regular Until 17 June 2027 |
Supported documents | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author, Reviewers, Editorial Board Members, Topical Advisory Panel Members, Review Board Members, Guest Editors | 30.00 CHF | 50.00 CHF | |
| Student | 30.00 CHF | 50.00 CHF |
Please upload the front and back of your valid Student lD card. |
| Academic | 50.00 CHF | 70.00 CHF | |
| Non-academic | 100.00 CHF | 150.00 CHF |
| Supported documents | |
|---|---|
| Conference Chairs, Session Chairs, Committee Members of the Conference, Keynote Speakers, Invited Speakers, MDPI Guests |
Please upload your invitation email. |
Cancellation policy
| > 2 weeks before the conference | Full refund |
| < 2 weeks before the conference | No refund |
Disclaimer
We will endeavour to present the program advertised. However, MDPI and its partners reserve the right to alter or cancel, without prior notice, arrangements, timetables, plans, or other items relating directly or indirectly to the 5th International Electronic Conference on Antibiotics—Global Threats and Opportunities: Shaping the Next Generation of Antimicrobials. MDPI and its partners are not liable for any loss or inconvenience caused as a result of such cancellation.
Beware of Unauthorized Registration
Note that Sciforum is the only official registration platform to register to ECA 2027. Beware that entering into financial agreements with non-endorsed companies can have costly consequences.
Insurance
The organizers do not accept liability for personal accident, loss, or damage to private property incurred as a result of participation in the event.
Payment methods
Wire transfer, Credit card
Currencies accepted by this event
Swiss francs (CHF) , Euros (EUR) , US dollars (USD) , Pounds sterling (GBP) , Japanese yen (JPY) , Canadian dollars (CAD) and Singapore dollars (SGD)
Instructions for Authors
The 5th International Electronic Conference on Antibiotics will accept abstracts only. The accepted abstracts will be available online on Sciforum.net during and after the conference.
Deadline for abstract submission: 23 February 2027.
Abstract acceptance notification: 26 April 2027.
Please note:
An abstract acceptance email only confirms that your abstract has been accepted. Oral or poster presentation invitations are determined separately by the conference chairs, and you will receive an additional email with the presentation result.
Abstract submissions should be completed online by registering with www.sciforum.net and using the "Submit Abstract" function once logged into the system. No template is required.
Abstract Requirements
1. Types of Submissions
- Accepted: Original research abstracts; systematic reviews or meta-analyses abstracts (must comply with PRISMA 2020).
- Not accepted: Narrative, scoping, comparative, perspective, opinion, or essay-style reviews.
2. Content Requirements
- Length: 200–300 words.
- Structure: Introduction, Methods, Results, Conclusions.
- Language: Clear, publication-ready English.
- Originality: Must be original and unpublished; previously published abstracts will not be considered.
3. Authorship
- The submitting author must ensure all co-authors approve the content.
- The same author can submit a maximum of two abstracts, but only one abstract per author may be selected for an oral presentation.
- Each abstract must designate one presenter. To change the presenter, please contact us after you receive the oral/poster presentation invitation.
- Only live presentations are accepted.
- Presenters who do not attend the live session will not be eligible for awards or presentation certificates.
The slot for the oral presentation is 15 mins. We advise that your presentation lasts for a maximum of 12 mins, leaving at least 3 mins for the Q&A session.
Authors are encouraged to prepare presentations using PowerPoint or equivalent software for online display alongside their abstract. If provided, slides will be presented directly on the conference website via the Sciforum.net slide viewer and should be prepared in the same format as a traditional conference presentation of research results. All slides must be converted to PDF format prior to submission to ensure accurate online display.
Each presentation should:
- Communicate the research question or objective, methodology, key results, and scientific novelty;
- Use a clear and logical structure, typically Introduction-Methods-Results & Discussion structure (IMRaD) or a field-appropriate alternative;
- Emphasize the relevance of the work;
- Support key findings with clear figures or tables where appropriate;
- Conclude with a critical interpretation of the results and their impact.
Posters should be designed to allow independent understanding of the research and clearly present the essential elements of the study.
Each poster should include:
- Title, authors, affiliations, and contact details (clearly displayed at the top);
- Brief introduction outlining the research objective;
- Concise methodology summary;
- Main results, supported by clear, well-labeled figures or tables where appropriate;
- Short conclusion summarizing key findings and their relevance.
Technical specifications:
Dimensions (cm): 84.1 × 118.9 (A0 - portrait)
Resolution:300 dpi
Pixel size (portrait, 300 dpi):9933 × 14043 px
Minimum font size:≥24
The poster template can be downloaded HERE. We will reach out to you closer to the dates of the conference with more information.
Note: The uploaded poster may be used as provided and serves as a reference. However, as long as the technical specifications are followed, scholars are welcome to use any poster template of their choice.
Any request concerning abstract or proceedings paper withdrawal should be communicated to the Conference Organizing Team as early as possible, preferably prior to final acceptance and confirmation of the conference program. Please note that once abstracts are published in the Conference Report or once Proceedings papers are published in the Proceedings journal and assigned a DOI, they become part of the permanent scholarly record and cannot be fully removed.
AI Policy
The responsible use of generative AI tools in the preparation of abstracts, posters, and presentations is permitted; however, any such use must be clearly disclosed, specifying the tool employed and its role. Authors retain full responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of their work.
Potential Conflicts of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial, professional, or personal relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the integrity, interpretation, or presentation of their work. Failure to provide accurate disclosures may result in the removal of the abstract from the conference program and associated publications.
If there is no conflict, please state "The authors declare no conflicts of interest." This should be conveyed in a separate "Conflict of Interest" statement preceding the "Acknowledgments" and "References" sections at the end of the manuscript. Any financial support for the study must be fully disclosed in the "Acknowledgments" section.
1. Copyright Ownership
In accordance with Swiss copyright law, you, as the author, are the original creator of your work and retain full copyright ownership of your submitted abstract.
2. License Grant
By submitting your abstract for publication on the Sciforum.net platform, you grant MDPI, the platform’s publisher, a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to:
- Publish, reproduce, and distribute the abstract online.
- Make the abstract publicly available in connection with the conference.
3. Author’s Retained Rights
This license is non-exclusive. As you retain full copyright, you are free to:
- Reuse, republish, and build upon your work in any way.
- Develop the abstract into a full paper for submission to other journals or publications.
- Enter into subsequent agreements, including granting an exclusive license or transferring copyright to another publisher for a future version of the work.
4. Author’s Responsibility
You remain solely responsible for complying with the policies of any other journal or publisher to which you may submit a subsequent version of your work, particularly concerning prior publication rules. MDPI and Sciforum.net bear no responsibility for any conflicts arising from your future submissions.
Publication Opportunities
1. Antibiotics Journal Publication
Participants in this conference are cordially invited to contribute a full manuscript to the conference's Special Issue (to be updated), published in Antibiotics (ISSN: 2079-6382, Impact Factor: 5.5, CiteScore: 10.2) , with a 20% discount on the publication fee. Conference discounts cannot be combined with reviewer vouchers. All submitted papers will undergo MDPI’s standard peer-review procedure. The abstracts should be cited and noted on the first page of the paper.
2. Proceeding Paper Publication
Authors of accepted abstracts are highly encouraged to submit an extended proceeding paper (ideally 4–8 pages in length) for the conference's dedicated proceedings volume in the Medical Sciences Forum (ISSN: 2673-9992) for free, please submit it after the conference.
Proceeding paper submission deadline: 9 August 2027.
Please click HERE to submit your proceeding paper to the Medical Sciences Forum and be sure to disclose the conference information in your cover letter or mention the conference name in your submission.
ECA 2027_proceeding_paper-template.dot
Publication Notice: Proceeding papers will undergo peer-review procedure. Acceptance at the conference does not ensure final publication.
Event Awards
To acknowledge the support of the conference's esteemed authors and recognize their outstanding scientific accomplishments, we are pleased to announce the establishment of the Best Oral Presentation Award and Best Poster Award.
The Awards
- Best Oral Presentation Award
Eligibility: Open to all authors selected as oral speakers who have delivered their presentation. Failure to present, delegation of the presentation to another person, or use of AI-generated voice or similar substitutes will result in disqualification.
Criteria: Evaluation considers scientific rigor (clear, literature-supported research question or hypothesis, appropriate methodology, robust analysis and critical discussion of the results), IMRaD/field-appropriate structure, clarity of presented data (clear, well-labeled figures and tables), presentation skills and audience engagement, demonstrated scientific novelty and impact.
Prize: A prize of CHF 300 and a certificate in recognition of your outstanding contribution.
- Best Poster Award
Eligibility: Open to all authors who have presented their work through posters. Failure to present, delegation of the presentation to another person, or use of AI-generated voice or similar substitutes will result in disqualification.Criteria: Evaluation considers scientific rigor (clear, literature-supported research question or hypothesis, appropriate methodology, robust analysis, and critical discussion of the results), IMRaD/field-appropriate structure enabling independent understanding, clarity of presented data (clear, well-labeled figures and tables), presentation skills (if orally presented), demonstrated scientific novelty and impact.Prize: A prize of CHF 200 and a certificate in recognition of your outstanding contribution.
Winner Announcement: The award winners will be evaluated and selected by the scientific committee after the conference. Results will be announced on the website and all winners will be individually contacted via email.
Sponsors and Partners
For information regarding sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, please click here.
Organizers
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