Our research team focuses towards understanding the molecular basis of virulence mechanisms of the model organism, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic Gram-negative pathogen and is responsible for a wide variety of human diseases ranging from acute infections in hospital, to chronic colonization of the respiratory tract of cystic fibrosis patients. The main difficulties in treatment of patients infected with P. aeruginosa are a multi-resistance to antibiotics and a great adaptation capacity of the pathogen, which lead to the synthesis of many toxic products promoting host invasion and colonization and spread throughout the body.
Antivirulence strategies that can be developed from the characterization of virulence determinants are thus key to fight against P. aeruginosa. Its virulence is multi-factorial and we particularly focus on exported or secreted products, also called effectors, which contribute greatly to P. aeruginosa virulence by facilitating colonization and survival in the eukaryotic host or competition with other bacteria. Several effectors using the Tat export pathway or the H2-T6 secretion system are under study in the lab.
Characterize P. aeruginosa effectors to understand its pathogenesis and act on its virulence
We investigate their characterization by multidisciplinary approaches of molecular microbiology, genetics, biochemistry and cell biology and through collaborations for microscopy and structural biology. We would like to address the mechanism of action of these effectors, their partners in the bacteria and their targets in the host.
Pr A. Lazdunski (1985 – 2008) Professeur – Univ. Aix-Marseille II –
Post doctoral researchers
Dr B. Ize (2008 – 2010) – FRM Post-doc
Title of the project : Role of the Tat system in P. aeruginosa virulence
Now CNRS Researcher in S. Bleves’s lab (LISM-Marseille)
Dr E. Durand (2008 – 2010) – ANR post doc- 3D Pilus
Title of the project : Structure-function study of the Xcp pseudopilins in P. aeruginosa
Now INSERM Researcher at the LISM-Marseille
Dr A. Hachani (2005 – 2007) – Post-doc on a contract from the Ministry of Research to welcome researchers from abroad
Technical staff
A. Courbois (2020-2021) – AMIDEX funded – Aix-Marseille University –
PhD students
B. Berni (2015-2019) – MRT funded – Aix-Marseille University –
Title of the PhD : Caractérisation et mécanisme de sécrétion d’un nouvel effecteur d’une machinerie de sécrétion de type VI- chez P. aeruginosa – Viva September 2019.
M. Gimenez (2014-2018) – MRT funded – Aix-Marseille University –
Title of the PhD : Role of the P. aeruginosa Tat system: identification of substrates and role in twitching motility– Viva the 17th of December 2018.
A. Laubier (2011 – 2014) – VLM funded – Aix-Marseille University –
Title of the PhD : The Patatin-like proteins, novel lipolytic toxins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa : potential targets against infection ? – Viva on the 3rd of october 2014.
T. Sana (2009-2013) – MRT funded – Aix-Marseille University –
Title of the PhD : Caracterisation of two type VI secretion systems in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Cross-regulation and role in the microtubules-dependant invasion of non-phagocytic cells – Viva the 20th of June 2013.
R . Salacha (2006 – 2010) – MRT funded – University of Aix-Marseille II –
Title of the PhD : Patatins of P. aeruginosa: secreted or not secreted ? That is the question ? – Viva on the 11th of June 2010.
P. Nogueira-Orlandi (2001 – 2004) – CNPq funded, Brazil. Viva in January 2004
Master 2 students
S. Djermoun (2018) – Aix-Marseille University – MBVB Master 2 student – Now PhD student in Christian Lesterlin’s lab (Lyon)
O. Chabiron (2017) – Aix-Marseille University – MBVB Master 2 student
R. Bouharaoua (2016) – Aix-Marseille University – MBVB Master 2 student
B. Berni (2015) – Aix-Marseille University – MBVB Master 2 student
V. Tutagata (2014) – Aix-Marseille University – MBVB Master 2 student
M. Gimenez (2013) – Aix-Marseille University – MBVB Master 2 student
C. Cibien (2021) – Aix-Marseille University – MBVB Master 1 student
M. Schiano (2019) – High school student 2nd Lycée Sainte Trinité (Marseille)
B. Cardoso (2019) – Aix-Marseille University – L2 student
M. Cortiggiani (2019) – Aix-Marseille University – L3 student
M. Hachemane (2019) – Aix-Marseille University – MBVB Master 1 student
A. Nabonnand (2018) – Aix-Marseille University – L3 student
C. Aubéry(2018) – High school student 3ème Collège du Thors (Vaucluse)
R. Lacombe (2018) – High school student 3ème Collège de Pernes les fontaines (Vaucluse)
M. Ghazaryan (2018) – High school student 3ème Collège de Provence (Marseille)
G. Lextrait (2018) – Aix-Marseille University – L3 student
M. Sarrazin (2018) – Aix-Marseille University – MBVB Master 1 student – Now M2 student in S. Canaan’s team (LISM- Marseille)
D. Popoff (2017) – Aix-Marseille University – L3 student
Y. Thibaudeau (2017) – Aix-Marseille University – L3 student
A. Litnari (2016) – Aix-Marseille University – Sécurité sanitaire des aliments Master 1 student
Y. Hassoun (2016) – Aix-Marseille University – MBVB Master 1 student
C. Raynaud (2016) – Aix-Marseille University – MBVB Master 1 student
S. Jaussaud (2016) – Aix-Marseille University – L3 student
I. Rajaobelina (2016) – Aix-Marseille University – L3 student BHB
S. Poquet (2015) – Aix-Marseille University – MBVB Master 1 student
E. Voilin (2015) – Polytech student
S. Chautard (2015) – Polytech student
N. Tchilian (2015) – University of Aix-Marseille II – L1 student
A. Gaubert (2014) – Aix-Marseille University – MBVB Master 1 student
S. Chautard (2014) – Polytech student
L. Pariente (2014) – High school student 2nd Lycée Sainte Trinité (Marseille)
P. Kara (2014) – High school student 2nd Lycée Sainte Trinité (Marseille)
M. Gimenez (2013) – Aix-Marseille University – MBVB Master 1 student
G. Urbain (2013) – Aix-Marseille University – MBVB Master 1 student
C. Chauvet (2013) – Polytech student
L. Villiers (2013) – Polytech student
J. Darmon (2013) – High school student 3ème collège Sylvain Menu (Marseille)
B. Péan (2012) – High school student 3ème collège G. Brassens (Montpellier)
S. Wild-Chopinet (2011) – High school student Stagiaire de 3ème collège Chevreuil (Marseille)
D. Ranada (2011) – University of Aix-Marseille II – MBVB Master 1 student – Now Post doc in R. Ieva’ lab (CBI-Toulouse)
C. Tonglet (2010-2011) – University of Aix-Marseille II – L2/L3 student
A. Gagnaire (2010) – University of Aix-Marseille II – L2 student
P. Van Overvelt (2010) – University of Aix-Marseille II – MBVB Master 1 student
R. Zoued (2010) – University of Aix-Marseille II – MBVB Master 1 student – Now Post doc in M. Waldor’s lab (BWH-Boston)
C. Champion (2009) – University of Aix-Marseille II – MBVB Master 1 student
E. Carpentier (2008) – University of Aix-Marseille II – ESIL student
T. Herpin (2008) – University of Aix-Marseille II – L3 student
F. Kovacic (2008) – Antibiotarget network PhD student
Pseudomonas team 2009-2016
Dr R. Voulhoux (2004-) – DR2 CNRS –
G. Ball (1986-) – IE CNRS –
Pr Kathrina Forest (2015) visiting researcher with IMERA
Dr B. Douzi (2015-2017) – Post doc – ANR funded
N. Gomez (2016-) – PhD student VLM funded – Aix-Marseille University
C. Raynaud (2017) – MBVB Master 2 student – Aix-Marseille University
S. Lhospice (2015-2016) IE – ANR funded
S. Michel (2012-2016) – PhD MRT funded – Aix-Marseille University – (2016-2017) – ATER – Aix-Marseille University –
Title of the PhD : P……. Viva on the 18th of December 2017
F. Cadoret (2010 – 2013) – PhD MRT funded – Aix-Marseille University (2013-2014) – ATER – Aix-Marseille University –
Title of the PhD : PA7, an atypical strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Transcriptomic study and caracterisation of a third functional T2SS, Txc. Viva on the 7th of july 2014.
B. Douzi (2008 – 2011) – Fellowship from Tunisia (BDI) – University of Aix-Marseille II –
Title of the PhD : Type II secretion system of P. aeruginosa : interactome and structure function relationship – Viva the 28th of Octobre 2011.
V. Viarre (2006 – 2010) – MRT funded – University of Aix-Marseille II –
Title of the PhD : The Hxc type II secretion system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, caracterisation and functional study of the liposecretine HxcQ. Viva the 25th of June 2010.
Eliza Ye-Chen Soh, Frances Smith, Maxime Rémi Gimenez, Liang Yang, Rebecca Munk Vejborg, Matthew Fletcher, Nigel Halliday, Sophie Bleves, Stephan Heeb, Miguel Cámara, Michael Givskov, Kim Hardie, Tim Tolker-Nielsen, Bérengère Ize, Paul Williams
Paulo Vinicius da Mata Madeira, Samira Zouhir, Pauline Basso, David Neves, Aurélie Laubier, Richard Salacha, Sophie Bleves, Eric Faudry, Carlos Contreras-Martel, Andréa Dessen
Thibault G. Sana, Christoph Baumann, Andreas Merdes, Chantal Soscia, Thomas Rattei, Abderrahman Hachani, Cerith Jones, Keiryn L. Bennett, Alain Filloux, Giulio Superti-Furga, Romé Voulhoux, Sophie Bleves