Our senior researcher Robert Caesar attended the 10th European Workshop on Lipid Mediators at the Institute Pasteur in Paris, a meeting bringing together researchers working on bioactive lipids, inflammation, metabolism, immunity, nutrition, and lipid signaling. The conference had a mix of basic mechanistic biology and translational research, making it a good opportunity to broaden perspectives beyond the microbiota.

Robert found it particularly interesting to see how some groups are now integrating lipid biology with gut microbiota research. For example,  Vincenzo Di Marzo's gave a plenary lecture on "The endocannabinoidome, the gut microbiome and dietary fatty acids: a well-functioning triangle", which illustrated the complex interplay between diet, microbial communities, and host lipid signaling.

Another interesting talk was Nan Chiang's presentation on specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) and their receptors in orchestrating inflammation resolution and tissue regeneration. The work highlighted how SPM pathways actively promote the resolution of inflammation without being immunosuppressive, emphasizing resolution pharmacology as an emerging therapeutic strategy.

Robert presented his own work on interactions between lipids and the gut microbiota and received some feedback from researchers with complementary expertise in lipid biology. The meeting was the opportunity to get to know a research community outside the traditional microbiota field and establish new contacts that may be valuable for future collaborations.

The meeting was a great opportunity for networking and Robert took the chance to discuss an ongoing collaboration on linoleic metabolites with Craig Wheelock from Karolinska Institute.