He obtained a Master at Kyoto University in 1989, got the position of Assistant professor at Fukuyama University in 1990, and obtained a Ph.D. at Kyoto University in 1993. After a Post-Doc experience at INRA, France, from 1996 to 97, he moved to Kobe University in 2004 as an Associate professor and was promoted to Professor of Applied Microbiology in 2009. He has specialized in functional genomics of bacteria, including Bacillus subtilis and its relatives, since the beginning of his career today.

Marc Ongena is Research Director at the FRS-FNRS and associate Professor at University of Liège. He is co-heading the MiPI lab (45 persons in total) and leading a research group of 15 persons (2 technicians, 2 MS thesis students, 9 PhD students, 1 Post-Docs). The research work in the group is dedicated to the study of soil dwelling bacteria that retain a strong potential to protect plants against diseases and therefore represent promising alternatives to chemical pesticides as plant-beneficial bacteria. Focusing on Bacillus and Pseudomonas as typical plant-associated species, we investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying such biocontrol activity. We are particularly interested in the chemistry and ecological functions of secondary metabolites involved in plant protection, which includes a range of non-ribosomally synthesized compounds including cyclic lipopeptides but also bacteriocins. As it is pivotal in microbial chemical ecology, we are devoting a large part our research in better understanding how and to what extent interkingdom and interspecies interactions may impact the expression of this arsenal of metabolites.

Dr Soković graduated at Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade (1995), Master  (1998), PhD (2001). She did postdoc at the Wageningen University (The Netherlands) (2002-2003). The main research topics are mycology, food safety, biological activity of natural products. Published more than 400 international papers, several books chapters, 140 conferences, cited 10 000 times, h index 50. She is a highly cited (top 2%), among 10 the most cited scientist in Serbia. She is a reviewer in international journals, and guest editor. Dr Soković is Assistant Minister for Science from 2019. at the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of Republic of Serbia.

Dr. Marko Vinceković is a full professor working in higher education for 20 years. Most of his competencies are related to colloid chemistry and applied chemistry in agriculture. Since 2003 he has been researching biopolymer molecular structure/function relationship and Physico-chemical processes in complex systems with biopolymers . Current research interest is in the investigation of intermolecular interactions in new biopolymer-based microcapsule formulations for plant nutrition/protection and functional food preparation.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marko_Vincekovic

Monica Höfte is a full professor at the Ghent University. She is the head of the laboratory of Phytopathology at the Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering since 1997 and head of the Department since 2022. She is an agricultural engineer with a PhD degree in microbial ecology. Monica Höfte is a general plant pathologist with a wide interest in both fundamental and practical aspects of plant-pathogen interactions. Her research interests are biological and integrated control of plant pathogens, and natural and induced resistance mechanisms against fungi and bacteria in a wide variety of tropical (cocoyam, rice, banana) and temperate crops (lettuce, tomato, bean, cabbage, pepper, grapevine). The group has been working on soilborne pathogens such as Pythium, Fusarium, Verticillium and Rhizoctonia for many years.  In the field of biocontrol, the focus is on cyclic lipopeptides produced by Pseudomonas and Bacillus strains.

Dr. Stéphane Compant works on the understanding of plant colonization processes by pathogenic and beneficial fungi and beneficial bacteria (in the rhizosphere and as endophytes in vegetative and reproductive/disseminative organs). He also deciphers specific plant-microbe and plant-microbe-microbe associations. Aspects of microbial ecology, in-depth analysis of microbial behaviour of strains colonizing ligneous or non-ligneous plants and their genomic contents are further studied.