Prof. Karen Guillemin, Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, US.

As guest of the CRC 1182

Prof. Karen Guillemin

Institute of Molecular Biology
University of Oregon
Eugene, United States.

Talks about:

Teaming with microbes: lessons in animal-bacterial mutualisms

Animals have evolved in a microbial world and must coexist with dense, multispecies microbial communities. We seek to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which animals and their resident microbes establish mutually beneficial coexistence. We have developed gnotobiotic zebrafish as an experimental model to dissect these processes, using live imaging of the cellular interactions during colonization and identification of molecular determinants of mutualisms. By exploring the chemical cues perceived by bacteria to mediate host colonization, we find that bacteria often sense chemicals that reflect the host colonization status and microbial modifications of host tissues. Using gnotobiotic zebrafish for unbiased biochemical screens, we have identified several secreted bacterial proteins that impact animal development and tissue homeostasis. Our biochemical and cell biological analyses of these proteins reveal that their primary functions are in bacterial-bacterial competition but that their activities additionally impact host cell biology. Our discoveries reveal how bacterial-animal mutualisms are often built on mutual surveillance of common molecular and cellular processes essential for competitive success among multispecies cellular consortia.

Everyone is welcome!

For those who would like to attend on zoom, please use:https://uni-kiel.zoom.us/meeting/register/u50rfuCvqzkuG9zzsR1S16YOit4n6Hqodm4d

Who

Prof. Karen Guillemin

When

Thursday
March 30th, 2023
13:00

Where

Conference room of the ZMB, 4th floor
Am Botanischen Garten 11, 24118 Kiel, at Kiel University.

Institutions & Partners