A peek inside the 2023 Bacterial Locomotion and Signal Transduction (BLAST) conference.

The 17th Bacterial Locomotion and Signal Transduction (BLAST) conference took place in hybrid form in Charleston, SC, USA. This conference focused on exciting new developments in the area of bacterial signaling and motility. It showcased the work of early career researchers with 50 talks and numerous posters over 4 days. Many of the presentations highlighted collaborations occurring between multiple laboratories, and incorporated approaches including physics, modeling, biochemistry, structural biology, molecular genetics, and bacterial physiology. Key themes included an expansion of our understanding of how signaling promotes success in diverse environments; an ability to analyze signaling in complex microbial communities; new approaches to identify input signals; and technological advances that are allowing a highly refined and mechanistic view of signal transduction. With 242 attendees in person and online, the field is buzzing with fresh ideas and new directions.