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From comparative genomics to systems biology - unravelling novel principle virulence mechanisms in pathogenic spore-forming bacteria

About the project

Entering the 21st century, the world is faced with the threat of avian flu, HIV, tuberculosis and other emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, and is simultaneously being challenged with increasingly virulent and drug-resistant pathogens. The WHO reports infectious disease as the second leading cause of death worldwide, making infectious disease an ever more important field of research. This project aims to characterize novel putative virulence and resistance mechanisms in Bacillus cereus group bacteria, including multidrug resistance transporter proteins and biofilm formation. Participants are members of the Laboratory for Microbial Dynamics, School of Pharmacy. The project ran on a three year grant (2008-2011, NFR) - and continues through funds from the School of Pharmacy, the Jahre Foundation and the Nansen Foundation.

Sub-projects

• Biofilm formation in Bacillus cereus group bacteria
• Comparative genomics in Bacillus cereus group bacteria
• Multidrug resistance proteins (MDR) in the Bacillus cereus group

Funding

The project was funded through a three year (running) channel 3 grant in the FUGEII program from the Norwegian Research Council - and is continued through funding from the School of Pharmacy, the Jahre Foundation, and the Nansen Foundation.

 

Collaborators

Dr. Didier Lereclus and Dr. Michel Gohar - Unite Génétique Microbienne et Environnement, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), France

Prof. Peter J. F. Henderson - Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Antimicrobial Research Centre, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, UK

Prof. Ian T. Paulsen - Macquarie University, Australia

Dr. Silke Klee, Robert Koch-Institut, Berlin, Germany

Dr. Geraldine van der Auwera - Harvard Medical School, USA