Christophe Beloin

Alterations of the gut microbiota are associated with numerous diseases, of which many involve impaired immune tolerance, such as allergies. However, the role of specific microorganisms and underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly characterised. Archaeal […]

The outer membrane (OM) is an essential element in Gram-negative (diderm) bacteria. Its integrity is maintained by the control of lipids asymmetry via LPS and phospholipids transport by the Lpt and Mla systems, respectively. […]

Although  many clinically and ecologically relevant processes are known to be  performed by biofilm communities composed of strict or facultative anaerobic bacteria, biofilms were often studied in  aerobic conditions.  We use in vitro anaerobic culture systems […]

The bacterial envelope is one of the oldest and most essential cellular components, being involved in key housekeeping functions, such as physical integrity, cell division, motility, substrate uptake and secretion, and cell-cell communication. It […]

The Negativicutes are a poorly studied lineage of bacteria that include common inhabitants of the human oral and gut microbiome such as the anaerobe Veillonella, and which can also develop into opportunistic pathogens. Despite […]

Commensal and pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli produce various surface structures promoting their interaction with living or inert surfaces. We study the structure and regulation of E. coli adhesins and extracellular matrix polysaccharides contributing to biofilm […]

  Specific metabolic changes occurring during biofilm formation were hypothesized to lead to the production of biofilm-associated molecules and biofilm-specific functions. The  identification of biofilm-specific metabolites could reveal new aspects of biofilm biology, and lead to novel strategies […]

 One of the  of the hallmarks of biofilm physiology is its tolerance to a high level of antimicrobials. We are currently investigating the molecular mechanisms that lead to this transient ability to withstand antimicrobial treatments. […]

 Biofilm formation on medical devices is associated with hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections. Due to biofilms’ high tolerance to antibiotics, classical treatments lack efficacy, and removal of the biofilm-contaminated device is often the only therapeutic option. […]

Biofilm formation relies as much on bacterial adhesion properties than on surface chemistry, and many questions remain regarding biophysics of surface adhesion. In collaboration with physico-chemists and biophysicists, we used multidisciplinary approaches to investigate bacterial […]

We originally developed genetic tools to study adhesion and biofilm formation in commensal and pathogenic E. coli species. These tools are made freely available to the scientific community upon request. • pKOBEG Lambda Red […]

We developed a clinically relevant in vivo model of catheter-associated biofilm infections to design new and efficient biofilm-eradication approaches applicable to contaminated totally implantable venous access port (TIVAP) catheters.      Key publications •  Chauhan, A., J.M. […]

We designed a continuous-flow culture system in which biofilm formation can be reproducibly monitored and controlled in microfermentors handled at flow-rates avoiding accumulation of planktonic bacteria. This model is suited for biofilm macroscopic analysis, […]