Recherche

Genetics and physiology of the Gram-negative bacteria:
The adaptation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunist pathogenic bacterium, in stress conditions, and the role of the "quorum sensing"
Interactions between Pseudomonas fluorescent (a beneficial bacteria), phytopathogenic mushrooms and plants; importance of the secondary metabolism and post-transcriptional regulation in P. fluorescens.

Pathogenenesis of Gram-positive bacteria. Structure, function and regulation of bacterial molecules interfering with the eucaryotic environment (factors of virulence). Strategies of colonization and invasion of the host in vitro and in vivo. Adaptation to medium change (fever, inflammation). Mechanisms of survival (antibiotic tolerance and resistance). Genomic analysis of virulence genes.

Study of bacterial evolution and adaptation related to degradation of toxic compounds: biochemical mechanisms leading to modification of DNA: small (mutations) and large genetic changes (transpositions, horizontal gene exchange). Study of specificities and modes of action of self-transmissible genomic islands. Genetic characterization of pathways for degradation of hexachlorocyclohexane and mecoprop.

Development of bacterial biosensors: study of regulatory proteins specialized in the perception of the environment, in order to achieve new recognition capabilities of toxic compounds. Development of a biosensor for the detection of arsenic, easily usable in the field  in developing countries.

Molecular mechanisms underlying eukaryotic cell polarization: the ability to organize spatially, a fundamental cellular property that underlies many cellular functions. Live-imaging analysis of the process, using fission yeast cells, which are simple eukaryotic fungal cells. How the cellular spatial organization modulates cell cycle progression.

Quantitative signaling of the budding yeast MAPK network: development of new assays to quantify at the single cell level the activity of these signaling pathways. The aim is to understand the regulation of individual pathways and investigate how signaling specificity is achieved in order to avoid cross-talk in these cascades that share a large number of common components.