In our team, we study essential processes in the molecular biology of the pathogen Brucella abortus, a zoonotic pathogen with a strong intracellular tropism. During its infectious cycle, B. abortus is expected to meet different stresses to which the bacterium is adapted. Beyond its ability to survive these stresses, the bacterium needs to grow in its host before being transmitted to the next host. Therefore, growth and stress response are two key factors for the success of B. abortus infectious cycle. A better knowledge of the associated molecular mechanisms will improve our basic knowledge allowing the next generation to choose the best possible treatments in the future.

Our current research lines include :

• Adaptation to envelope stress as well as high copper concentrations

• Envelope growth, particularly the localization of lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis

• Polarity of virulence factors

Link : https://www.urbm.be/research-groups/xavier-de-bolle 

Bacteria often encounter sudden variations of their environment such as toxins exposure, which require the onset of adaptation mechanisms to maintain bacterial fitness during the stress period.

Our research group aims at deciphering the molecular mechanisms that are initiated upon metal and antibiotic stresses, which are frequently encountered by bacteria. More precisely, we focus our interest on copper and iron homeostasis systems and their potential relationship with bacterial lifestyles within the alpha-proteobacteria phylum, which encompasses the aquatic free-living Caulobacter crescentus, the animal pathogen Brucella sp, the plant symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti and the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

Link: https://www.urbm.be/research-groups/jean-yves-matroule

Our group is interested in understanding essential molecular mechanisms of bacteria from the phylum Bacteroidetes, a large phylum including free-living, commensal, and pathogenic bacteria which colonize a wide variety of niches.
Our main model organisms are: Capnocytophaga canimorsus, a commensal of dogs and cats’ mouth that causes generalized infections with a high mortality rate in humans that have been bitten, scratched, or licked by a dog; and Flavobacterium johnsoniae, a free living fresh-water and soil bacterium.

Our current research lines focus on:
• Envelope biogenesis and homeostasis in Bacteroidetes.
• Identification of C. canimorsus virulence factors and development of novel diagnostic tools.
• Development of novel bacterial hosts for the production of enzymes of industrial, dietary and pharmaceutical interest.

Link: https://www.urbm.be/research-groups/francesco-renzi

Our group is interested in understanding how bacteria respond to stress and regulate their cell cycle by combining genetic and biochemical approaches. Our bacterial models include both alpha-proteobacteria (the free-living Caulobacter crescentus; the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens; the intracellular pathogen of mammals Brucella abortus) and gamma-proteobacteria (the nosocomial, multidrug resistant (MDR) and opportunistic pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii; the uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) and the intracellular pathogens Salmonellae).

Link: https://www.urbm.be/research-groups/regis-hallez

My research currently focuses on the study of interactions between bacteria and mobile genetic elements (MGEs), (i.e. bacteriophages, plasmids, transposons, etc) in the ocean and gut microbiomes using a combination of bioinformatics, microbiology, biochemistry and microbial ecology methods. Specific interests are the functional characterization of genes of unknown function in bacteria and bacteriophages, the development of network-based analytical frameworks to model ecological interactions, evolutionary relationships among MGEs and propose classification methodologies for MGEs and the study of the interactions among MGEs sharing/infecting the same host.

Link: https://www.urbm.be/research-groups/gipsi-lima-mendez