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Understanding the Hidden World of Bacteria-Virus Interactions

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Why Study Bacteria-Virus Interactions?

Imagine discovering that viruses can actually help bacteria rather than just destroying them! In our lab, we're uncovering fascinating ways that bacteria and their viruses (phages) work together during infection - challenging everything we thought we knew about these relationships. We've discovered that phages integrated into bacterial DNA (prophages) can act like sophisticated genetic switches, helping bacteria survive and thrive during mammalian infection. We uncovered a new way bacteria and phages interact called "active lysogeny". Our findings changed how we perceive bacteria-phage interactions and their impact on bacterial pathogenesis. Every experiment has the potential to reveal something never seen before.

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Our research

Our research investigates a novel mechanism of bacteria-phage cooperation in the context of bacterial infection. We discovered that the Listeria monocytogenes prophage φ10403S functions as a genetic switch during host infection through a process we termed "active lysogeny." During macrophage infection, the prophage undergoes precise excision from the bacterial chromosome, specifically from within the comK gene. Unlike classical prophage behaviour, this excision occurs without triggering viral replication or bacterial lysis. Instead, it serves to restore functionality to the comK gene, enabling the expression of genes that promote bacterial survival and growth in mammalian cells. We identified key molecular players in this process, that control the phage response in the mammalian environment. This discovery has significant evolutionary implications, demonstrating how prophages can evolve beyond traditional lysogenic/lytic responses to enhance bacterial fitness during mammalian infection.

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The clinical relevance of this work extends to potential therapeutic applications, as understanding these bacteria-phage interactions could lead to novel antibacterial strategies. Our ongoing research directions include identifying phage and bacterial factors controlling phage activities, characterizing the complete regulatory network governing prophage behaviour, and investigating similar mechanisms in poly-lysogenic Lm strains (i.e., that have multiple prophages within their genome). This work establishes a new framework for understanding bacterial pathogenesis and phage biology through innovative technical approaches combining transcriptional analysis, genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, microscopy, single-cell studies and cell/mice infections.

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Current Research Projects

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Bacteria-phage interactions

  • Study how prophages control bacterial genes

  • Study bacteria-phage crosstalk

  • Investigate inter-phage regulatory circuits

  • Regulatory mechanisms that coordinate phage responses

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Host-pathogen interactions

  • Study host-pathogen interactions

  • Examine how bacteria behave during mammalian infection

  • Investigate bacterial survival strategies

  • Study the impact of prophages on bacterial survival during infection

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Evolution and Adaptation

  • Research how bacteria and phages co-evolve

  • Study how pathogens manage to carry multiple prophages (poly-lysogeny)

  • Study genetic adaptation mechanisms

  • Investigate bacterial-phage cooperation

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Our studies involve the following:

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Redefining Bacteria-Phage Relationships

  • Challenging the traditional view that phages are purely parasitic or destructive agents.

  • Demonstrating that phage-host relationships can evolve into sophisticated cooperative partnerships.

  • Revealing how phages can become integral regulatory elements in bacterial genomes

  • Showing how bacteria can co-opt viral machinery for their own benefit

  • Revealing complex coordination between multiple viral elements within a single bacterium

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Understanding Bacterial Pathogenesis

  • Revealing new mechanisms controlling bacterial virulence

  • Showing how bacteria adapt to survive in host environments

  • Identifying key regulatory switches in infection processes

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Bacteria-Phage Adaptive Evolution

  • Demonstrating how parasitic elements can evolve into regulatory tools

  • Showing evidence of long-term co-evolution between bacteria and viruses

  • Revealing mechanisms of bacterial adaptation to host environments​

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Complex Interactions

  • Uncovering sophisticated regulatory networks involving multiple phage elements

  • Showing how different phage elements can coordinate their activities

  • Demonstrating the importance of considering bacterial-phage interactions in evolution

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Interested to join our lab?

  1. Review our research papers

  2. Contact us with your interests

  3. Schedule a lab visit

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