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 […]
Identification of Gut Biomarkers of FPIES (Food protein induced enterocolitis syndrome) in a Longitudinal Comparative Pediatric Study
Anais Lemoine, a paediatrician at APHP’s Trousseau hospital, did her PhD at Micalis, in the Probihôte team. This study is the result of collaboration with clinicians from the APHP at Trousseau and Pitié-Salpétrière hospitals and two INRAE laboratories at UPSaclay (Micalis and MTS/LIAA). Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) is a non-IgE-mediated allergy without known biomarkers. […]
Phage-mediated intercellular CRISPRi for biocomputation in bacterial consortia
In the field of Synthetic Biology, biological systems are engineered to sense inputs and respond in a programmed manner, a process called biological computing. Traditional biocomputing faces limitations due to the resource burden on single engineered cells, restricting the amount of foreign DNA they can simultaneously express. A recent solution, distributed biological computing, involves using […]
FabT, a Streptococcus pyogenes membrane lipid regulator that flips the switch between bacterial sur-vival and virulence
The pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcus; GAS) causes severe infections with long-term sequellae. GAS infections account for 517,000 deaths annually worldwide. The research teams at the Cochin Institute (Bactéries et périnatalité; INSERM and CNRS) and at Micalis Institute (MicrobAdapt, INRAE) were intrigued by the presence of variants that emerged during experimental infections in primates, […]