Could remedies from the past offer new solutions to combat antimicrobial resistance ?
This is the scientific challenge undertaken by Capucine Braillon, whose PhD thesis, co-supervised by Catherine Vonthron-Sénécheau (LIT | UMR 7200) and Pierre Fechter (Team Metals and Microorganisms: Biology, Chemistry and Applications, BSC | UMR 7242), was recognized among the nominees for the 2026 Michel Serres Prize during a ceremony held on June 16, 2026, at the Institut de France.
The Michel Serres Foundation–Institut de France honors doctoral theses that combine disciplines from the natural sciences with those from the humanities and social sciences, highlighting the value of interdisciplinary research.
With antimicrobial resistance expected to cause more deaths than cancer by 2050, Capucine Braillon turned to medieval Arabic medical manuscripts in search of forgotten therapeutic formulations. Her approach is based on a compelling idea: unlike conventional antibiotics, which target bacteria through a single mechanism and can eventually become ineffective due to resistance, the combinations of plant- and metal-derived compounds described in these historical pharmacopoeias may act simultaneously on multiple biological targets.
To find out more about Capucine Braillon's PhD thesis, listen to the Podcast produced by the Institut de France. In the episode, she explains why tree resins such as boswellia and myrrh captured her interest, how interdisciplinarity—bringing together chemistry, history, microbiology, and computer science—lies at the heart of her research, and what these centuries-old remedies can still contribute to modern science.
To learn more about the Michel Serres Foundation–Institut de France, click here.
