Besides their major role in many infectious diseases, bacteria also serve as models to understand fundamental biological mechanisms. The research performed in the Department of Microbiology mainly focuses on the molecular characterization of functions that enable bacteria to interact with their environment and, in some cases, to cause diseases.
The scientists of the Department of Microbiology study various bacteria and Archaea (and their viruses) as model systems to analyze fundamental biological processes at the population, cellular and molecular levels. They also focus on mechanisms rendering some of these microorganisms virulent and enabling them to evade the host immune system, or to develop resistance to antibiotics. For these studies, the scientists of the Department of Microbiology possess a wide range of expertise and use diverse integrative approaches to improve our understanding of the biology of these microorganisms. These studies also constitute a prerequisite for the development of new therapies or new diagnostic tools that can be used to treat or prevent bacterial infections. The Department of Microbiology includes 20 teams: 15 research teams, 1 Institut Pasteur/Paris University laboratory, and 4 collections. Three entities also host a National Reference Center and 2 are WHO Collaborating Centers. In addition, several research teams from other departments (Genomes & Genetics, Structural Biology and Chemistry and Infection & Epidemiology) are affiliated to the Department of Microbiology. The Department also hosts a joint research entity with the CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research) – UMR2001. 
The gut environment regulates bacterial gene expression which modulates susceptibility to bacteriophage infection, Cell Host Microbe 2022 Apr 13;30(4):556-569.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.03.014
Bechon N, Mihajlovic J, Lopes A.A I, Sol Vendrell-Fernandez S; Deschamps J, Briandet R, Sismeiro O, Martin-Verstraete I, Dupuy B and Ghigo JM. (2022). Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron uses a widespread extracellular DNase to promote bile-dependent biofilm formation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Feb 15;119(7):e2111228119 doi: 10.1073/pnas.2111228119
Reverting the mode of action of the mitochondrial F O F 1-ATPase by Legionella pneumophila preserves its replication niche, Elife. 2021 Dec 9;10:e71978. doi: 10.7554/eLife.71978.
Listeriolysin S: A bacteriocin from Listeria monocytogenes that induces membrane permeabilization in a contact-dependent manner., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021 10; 118(40): .doi: 10.1073/pnas.2108155118.
Small RNA mediated gradual control of lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis affects antibiotic resistance in Helicobacter pylori., Nat Commun 2021 07; 12(1): 4433. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-24689-2.
Tejada-Arranz A, Matos RG, Quentin Y, Bouilloux-Lafont M, Galtier E, Briolat V, Kornobis E, Douché T, Matondo M, Arraiano CM, Raynal B, De Reuse H (2021) RNase R is associated in a functional complex with the RhpA DEAD-box RNA helicase in Helicobacter pylori. Nucleic Acids Res Apr 24; (). doi: gkab28310.1093/nar/gkab28
Virus-induced cell gigantism and asymmetric cell division in archaea, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021 Apr; 118(15):e2022578118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2022578118
Genome-Mining-Based Discovery of the Cyclic Peptide Tolypamide and TolF, a Ser/Thr Forward O-Prenyltransferase., Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021 04; 60(15): 8460-8465. doi: 10.1002/anie.202015975
Brintha P. Girinathan, Nicholas DiBenedetto, Jay N. Worley, Johann Peltier, Mario L. Arrieta-Ortiz, Selva Rupa Christinal Immanuel, Richard Lavin, Mary L. Delaney, Christopher K. Cummins, Maria Hoffman, Yan Luo, Narjol Gonzalez-Escalona, Marc Allard, Andrew B. Onderdonk, Georg K. Gerber, Abraham L. Sonenshein, Nitin S. Baliga, Bruno Dupuy, and Lynn Bry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2021.09.007
The impact of genetic diversity on gene essentiality within the Escherichia coli species., Nat Microbiol 2021 03; 6(3): 301-312. doi: 10.1038/s41564-020-00839-y
Redox controls RecA protein activity via reversible oxidation of its methionine residues., Elife 2021 Feb; 10(): doi: 10.7554/eLife.63747
Pathogenomic analyses of Mycobacterium microti, an ESX-1-deleted member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex causing disease in various hosts., Microb Genom 2021 02; 7(2): doi: 10.1099/mgen.0.000505
