Our Unit investigates new pathways and mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of low GC % Gram-positive bacteria focusing on the major human pathogens Streptococcus agalactiae and Staphylococcus aureus as model organisms.
Over the past years, we have started to study Streptoccus gallolyticus, an emerging cause of septicemia and infective endocarditis in the elderly, which has been consistently linked to colorectal cancer (CRC).
Our current research topics include the study of i) relationships between metabolic adaptation and virulence, ii) bacterial surface components involved in interaction with the host, iii) gene regulation in relation to host environment and adaptation to stress responses, and iv) the genomic biodiversity and the evolution of opportunistic pathogens.
The “Biology of Gram-positive Pathogens” Unit created in January 2004 is associated with the CNRS « ERL6002 » and is member of the Labex “Integrative Biology of Emerging Infectious Diseases” since 2012.
