We use our in-depth understanding of cell envelope biology to decipher the dialogue between fundamental Gram-negative bacterial pathways and adaptation traits such as antibiotic resistance, virulence and interbacterial competition. The cell envelope provides a contact interface between bacteria and their surroundings, and has in place unique mechanisms to withstand stress, thus enabling bacteria to adapt to their ever-changing environment. Understanding the wiring of this compartment will open new avenues towards the development of antibacterial strategies, and will offer novel ways to manipulate bacterial communities for biotechnological or biomedical applications.

 

On a day-to-day basis we combine classical biochemistry and microbiology techniques with bioinformatics, proteomics, experimental evolution and fluorescence microscopy, and we validate our findings from model laboratory systems in clinically and environmentally relevant experimental settings.