Spatial growth of major foodborne pathogens in food-like matrices alters food-related stress responses and gastrointestinal tolerance
How does the spatial organisation of foodborne pathogens influence their stress tolerance and survival? Happy to share our latest publication in npj Science of Food. During her PhD jointly conducted between AERIAL and the Micalis Institute, Elodie Hoch investigated how growth as 3D microcolonies within food-like matrices shapes the physiology of major foodborne pathogens. Our […]
Scientific illustration as a multiscale framework for representing biofilms
This paper started with an encounter between microbiology and scientific illustration. Two years ago, Antoine Carlioz, then a student at École Estienne in Paris, joined us for his final degree project with a challenge: How can we visually represent the complexity of biofilms across scales? That collaboration grew into a much larger project, and I […]
Sutterella identified as a pathobiont that blocks IL-22-mediated gut protection
In a study published in Gut Microbes, researchers from the ProbiHôte team have shown that bacteria of the genus Sutterella, which are commonly found in the human gut microbiota, can exacerbate intestinal inflammation by disrupting a key pathway that protects the intestinal mucosa. The study reveals that these bacteria inhibit activation of the […]
Understanding the intracellular dormancy of Listeria monocytogenes
Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a widespread pathogenic bacterium that causes listeriosis, a rare foodborne disease with one of the highest mortality rates among foodborne infections. Lm was long thought to live only in the cytosol of infected cells, but it is now known that it can also persist inside vacuolar compartments called LisCVs (Listeria-containing vacuoles). […]
Caesarean birth: sex-specific effects on the microbiota
The effects of caesarean delivery on the newborn microbiota appear to vary according to sex. A research team in Micalis demonstrates this in a mouse model, showing increased susceptibility to colonic inflammation and a compromised gut barrier in males. These findings were published in Gut Microbes. Previous studies have already shown that caesarean delivery alters […]
3D imaging and artificial intelligence: a dual breakthrough to design protective biofilms against harmful bacteria
By combining 3D imaging and artificial intelligence, two recent scientific publications have opened a new path to design protective biofilms. These microbial communities, when properly assembled, can block pathogens such as Salmonella. This innovative experimental and predictive approach reduces reliance on antibiotics and biocides, with promising applications for animal health, food safety, and environmental protection.Bacteria […]
A new mechanism for inhibiting bacterial division
Natural genetic transformation is integrated into the cell cycle of pneumococcus. The pathogenic bacterium S. pneumoniae, commonly known as pneumococcus, is capable of integrating DNA sequences present in the external environment into its genome. This natural transformation process, which is highly conserved in bacteria, contributes to their diversification by enabling intra- and inter-species gene exchange. […]
Extracellular DNA filaments associated with surface polysaccharide II give Clostridioides difficile biofilm matrix a network-like structure
Clostridioides difficile is a Gram-positive, strictly anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium responsible for nosocomial and community-acquired intestinal infections. One of the major problems associated with these infections is the frequent occurrence of recurrences: in 15 to 25% of cases after a first episode, often due to a relapse linked to the same bacterial strain. These relapses are […]
Identify and use key bacteria from the intestinal microbiota to promote its ecological barrier effect against antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria
The gastrointestinal tract is a reservoir of opportunistic pathogens, where pathobionts take advantage of dysbiosis to proliferate in immunocompromised patients. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) originate from the gastrointestinal tract, where their proliferation precedes dissemination into the bloodstream and can lead to systemic infection. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for resistance to intestinal colonisation by VRE is essential […]
Antibiotic resistance: towards drugs to disarm bacteria
A new strategy to combat antibiotic resistance A consortium of researchers with multidisciplinary skills, coordinated by INRAE and including the CNRS, the Université Paris-Saclay and Inserm, has identified a molecule capable of “disarming” pathogenic bacteria in the face of the immune system, without any negative effects on the host microbiota. These results, already patented and […]