Eric Cascales
After graduating in the laboratory of Roland Lloubès in 2002, I moved to Houston (Texas) for a wonderful stay in Pete Christie’s lab where I discovered the world of bacterial secretion systems. Back to Marseille, I launched the team on Type VI secretion. Although I love these nano-machines, I spend most of my time playing violin, listening opera, barocco violin and Glass’s Einstein on the beach, hiking to find wild orchids or kayaking or rowing in the calanques ! Who said I am monomaniac?
Eric’s CV
Laure Journet
I performed my graduate studies in Aix-Marseille University in the group of Roland Lloubès (LISM, CNRS). My PhD thesis focused on the Tol/Pal proteins and colicin import. In 2001, I joined the laboratory of Guy Cornelis for a post-doc (in Brussels, then Basel) to study Type III secretion in Yersinia, focusing on the Type III needle length control. After six years in Strasbourg in Isabelle Schalk’s group, studying iron uptake in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, I came back to Marseille and bacterial secretion at the end of 2010 to join Eric’s group to study Type VI secretion. Besides the lab (in the “real life”) I like music, performing theater and not talking too much about myself !
Thierry Doan
Most of my scientific work has been dedicated to Bacillus subtilis. I used this model bacterium to study carbon metabolism during my PhD with Stéphane Aymerich and bacterial cell biology during my post-doc in David Rudner’s lab before I moved to Marseille in 2009 to work with Anne Galinier. That’s until 2017 when the god of secretion told me it was heresy and that 6 and 9 were the numbers at the origins of life. It will be tremendously hard to leave B. subtilis behind, but I am very motivated by this new challenge and the scientific and technical exchanges with my new colleagues. From sheep embryogenesis during my undergraduate training to bacterial cell biology and secretion machineries, the common trait of my scientific work is my love for picturing small things. This is also true when I am out of the lab. When traveling, hiking, or simply playing with the kids, my camera is always nearby. More keywords about me can be found in this picture (gift from Jen, a friend in the Rudner lab).
Thierry’s Twitter: @doan_thierry
Julie Viala
I like to think of my career as a stroll that led me to visit different places, meet different people and work with a variety of microorganisms. I did my PhD at Pasteur Institute in Paris, where I worked on the soil bacterium Streptomyces in Philippe Mazodier’s group. In 2002, I went to Berkeley (USA) in Dan Portnoy‘s lab, where I studied the mechanisms regulating the toxicity of a pore-forming toxin of the facultative intracellular pathogen Listeria. I moved to Marseille in 2007. I first joined Frédéric Barras’ lab to work on stress adaptation of the facultative intracellular pathogen Salmonella, before being recruited as an assistant professor by Aix-Marseille University in Emmanuelle Bouveret‘s group. There, I investigated the links between lipid metabolism and the type 3 secretion system SPI 1 of Salmonella. Given our affinity for secretion systems, I recently joined the group of Eric.
Regarding my hobbies, I like to walk and enjoy the magnificent landscapes that offer the Calanques for example, and I love to dance!
Maïalène Chabalier
After a superior technician diploma in Biochemistry in Marseille, I was hired at the CNRS in the group of Pierre Capy at Paris Sud / Saclay. There, I studied the mariner transposon in the fruit fly Drosophila. I then decided to return back to the sun and to change both the theme and model of my research. I joined the group of Sam Dukan at the Mediterranean Institute of Microbiology to study the impact of CO2 on the oxidative stress in Escherichia coli. I then moved for a short period in the group of Amel Latifi to develop a new biosensor. Finally, I joined the group of Eric to study the Type VI and IX secretion systems. I am afraid of not having much to say, but I always enjoy the life !
Julia Bartoli
I first studied Chemistry in Montpellier for 5 years till 2007, and unfortunatelly after this time I think that I became allergic to organic chemistry and its complex chemical reactions, and I happened to be more and more interested by Biology and the Research field. I started to work during 3 years in Grenoble (IBS), developping carbohydrate microarrays to look for antiviral natural saccharides. This biochemistry experience was a good transition between my initial formation and the Biology road I wanted to follow. Then I worked for 2 years in the very interesting field of Giant Viruses in IGS laboratory in Marseille : a lot of cell culture and electron microscopy. After that, I finally got a permanent position as “Ingénieure d’Etude” at the CNRS, by joining in 2014 the LISM in the team of Emmanuelle Bouveret, where I discovered a whole new world : Microbiology. The team worked on bacterial stress response mediated by “the magic spot” ppGpp and I currently pursue the undestanding of this alarmone role but in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. I joined Eric’s team at the beginning of 2020, altogether with Dr Julie Viala with whom I closely work, and I can’t wait to learn more about bacterial secretion systems! Oh, I forgot : I come from Marseille and I am a half Corsican (which makes me very nice), I love travelling and I am a cat person!
Sophie Gibault
After a baccalaureate in Accounting and Management, I worked as administrator at the CINAM for 20 years ! Caught up by my youthful passions for science, I made a 180° turn in february 2021 to reorient myself in biology, and I arrived in Eric’s lab. Accomplished athlete, notably in judo, I have a sports instructor diploma. I share my leisure time walking in the calanques with my dogs, mountain biking, gardening and traveling.
Dukas Jurénas
I come from an exotic north-eastern country – Lithuania. I got masters degree in molecular biology in Vilnius University where I started working on bacterial toxin-antitoxin systems. For my Phd thesis I moved to Belgium, to the best toxin-antitoxin lab headed by Laurence Van Melderen and Abel Garcia-Pino. Just like my previous supervisors, I met Eric in the conference. I was impressed by his work and he promised me lots of new toxins, and also a sea, a good sun tan, and the Alps that are not far… So I couldn’t resist and I came to work in the best secretion systems lab. Apart from science, I like talking and listening to people, I like hiking, running, snowboarding, trying new things. Oh, and it seems I always end up on the dancefloor.
My post-doctoral work is funded by the “Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale“. You can help the foundation here.
Dukas’s Twitter: @DukasJu
Gauthier Dangla-Pélissier
Since 2014, I joust with the lovely Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pyo for its close friends). My first contribution to science was to study a so called “useless” periplasmic domain. We found that it is indeed involved in the detection of complex signals that control the pathogenicity of bacteria. Then I studied an “inexistent” Type IV Secretion System (T4SS), and we show that it exists, it is important in Pyo pathogenicity and allows spreading of resistance and virulence factors. After playing with DNA and RNA, I wanted to learn more about protein characterization; and what is better to start with than multi-protein membrane complexes? My current project aims to identify proteins secreted by the Pyo T4SS. It lacked this one in this T6SS-T9SS wonderful team so here I am! Aside from lab life and being a happy slave-husband, I like to get lost in nature, on top of hill or bellow sea level. My project is funded by the association “Espoir contre la Mucoviscidose” . You can help this association here.
Solène Beauvois
After a Master 2 in Eric’s lab, working with Laure, I obtained a PhD fellowship to pursue the mission of my predecessor, now called Dr Nicolas Flaugnatti. But I also suspect that I have been selected to increase the women percentage in this lab ! Although I am supposed to talk about me, my passion, and my outlab activities in this short description, I have to admit that there is no time for others activities when you are an internship in this lab ! So I will finish by say: “Vive microbiology and type VI secretion systems !”.
Boris Taillefer
I’m the product of the Universe – and the University of Montpellier where I learnt microbiology with an environmental perspective, from Licence to Master. During my two Master internships, I worked on epigenetic mechansims in exotic but exciting bacteria Ralstonia and Photorhabdus. The reason why I joined the Éric team is that he said to me “Epigenetic is good, but T6SS is better !”. No, for real, he transfered me a plasmid containing the love for T6SS. So I will try to express his encoding knowledge to decipher further secrets of its machinery. Behind my antipathic face and my bad wittiness, I’m very sweet with bacteria since I can talk to them for hours. During my days off, I write poetry and read things for and about bacteria, respectively. When they are bad with me, yoga is a good thing to forget them. I love carpfishing and hiking, sometimes sleeping. Oh, and last thing : I’m not single, I got some plants, and I already have an affair with Coli in a three years contract, so… Sorry boys ans girls.
Boris’s Twitter: @bTaillefer_
Romain Debiton
After Éric tried by all means to recruit me, I finally accepted to join his lab for my master 2 internship… Or maybe it was me who asked for this internship, who knows? After trying by all means to fail, I unfortunately got a PhD fellowship… Mum, Dad, see you in 3 years. If you want to find me, I’m probably in the lab, trying to understand why I was born with alpha helices instead of hairs, or why bacteria fight each other using a harpoon named T6SS. More seriously, my thesis project aims to understand and characterize fdsgfdhs ! Ooooops my keyboard went wrong… Anyway, it was not really important. When I am not in the lab (please don’t tell Eric that I sometimes leave the lab), I like playing sports, reading comics, watching movies, drinking tea and sleeping. I also love to travel in order to discover new beautiful landscapes, animals and incredible foods!
Romain’s Twitter: @Romain_Dbt
Maëlle Paillat
After a Bachelor degree of Biology in Angers, I left the “North” (as Marseille people say) for a Master in Microbiology at Aix-Marseille University. I discovered the T9SS during my first year of Master and immediately fell in love with this secretion machinery. So when Thierry offered me to join the team for my Master 2 internship, I couldn’t refuse. And then, I got a Ph. feelowship to continue working on the Type IX secretion system ! When I’m not at the lab I like cooking, sewing, playing guitar and soccer.
Marie Boyer
My first meeting with Type VI Secretion System? It was during a sunny day in Marseille (as usually). I heard about it… with Pseudomonas aeruginosa during my internship in the group of Christophe Bordi. It was love at first sight! Since I graduated from a Master in Bioinformatics I just wanted to know more about the T6SS. When I saw the job offer, I known that it was opened for me! And here I am now, in the Eric’s lab, working with Laure. Out of the lab, I love plants, (a toxic one is sitting on my desk, so be careful) and I love traveling, especially in Eastern Europe. If you crossed by the corridor, maybe you will heard some Croatian words, at first it sounds strange but don’t be afraid. And please feel free to talk to me if you know Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian (or Slovenian). I will conclude by simply saying this: Beware, promaja/propuh kills! (It’s a real scientific fact for Balkan people, especially for baba, but I heard that it can be combated with some rakija). Pozdrav, vidimo se!
Caterina Comas
I did both my undergraduate and graduate studies at the ETH in Zürich. During my masters in molecular life sciences, I left for an internship in Montpellier within the domain of bacterial parasitology. Back at ETH, I did another internship joining the Hardt’s Lab, where I was studying inflammasome activation upon Salmonella infection.
The research in the T9SS has everything one can look for: fast gliding bacteria (nice under the microscope) and challenging cloning projects in a most unknown field.
Apart from when playing music, I am often not at home: from hiking to bike riding, I try to discover the beautiful surroundings of Marseille.
Jonas Desjardins
I left Normandy to study microbiology in Marseille in 2016.
During my iGEM internship in 2019, I spent most of my time in Éric’s lab to ask questions and in exchange, I brought some cakes. After that, I asked Éric for an internship in his team, and there started my journey studying type VI secretion system. I guess he said yes because of my (delicious) cakes. Then Eric suggested me to come back for the Master 2 internship, and it sounded like Mrs. Madrigal saying : “You are one of us now”. I immediately felt at home with this “logical family”. Otherwise, I love board games and reading when I am in the subway or in the gardens of The Longchamp Palace, my favorite author is Armistead Maupin.
Julius Martinkus
I got a master’s degree in molecular biology in 2021 at Vilnius University (yes, I came from Lithuania, a small European country by the Baltic Sea). During my graduate studies, I worked with the Type VI secretion systems, which fascinated me, so I decided to continue their research in the group of Eric. I can spend a lot of time in the lab because I lose my sense of time in it, so don’t be surprised if I say good morning in the evening. Apart from the lab, I like inline skating, fishing, reading books, snowboarding, wakeskating, and spending time with my friends.
Alumni
Post-doc and Permanent Researcher.
Eric Durand
(2010-2019)
(Ph.D Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France; Post-doctoral fellow G. Waksman’s laboratory, Birbeck College, London, UK; Post-doctoral fellow R. Voulhous’s laboratory, IMM, Marseille; Post-doctoral fellow C. Cambillau’s laboratory, AFMB, Marseille). Now INSERM Researcher and Group leader at the LISM.
Eric’s Twitter: @EDurandINSERM
Post-doctoral fellows.
Erwan Gueguen
(2010-2012)
(Ph.D Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France; Post-doctoral fellow A. Darwin’s laboratory, NYC, USA). Now an Associate professor at the Université Claude Bernard (Lyon, France).
Erwan’s Twitter: @macerwan
Erwan’s personal website
Amaury Payelleville
(2019)
(Ph.D Université Montpellier, France).
Now a Post-doctoral fellow in Laurence Van Melderen’s group (ULB, Brussels, Belgium).
Amaury’s Twitter : @a_payelleville
Victoria Schmidt
(2018-2019)
(Ph.D Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France).
Now a CNRS permanent Research Engineer in Latifa Elantak’s lab (LISM).
Ph.D students.
Marie-Stéphanie Aschtgen
Ph.D 2011. Thesis entitled “Etude du système de sécrétion de type VI chez Escherichia coli enter-agrégatif. Caractérisation d’un sous-complexe d’ancrage membranaire”.
Post-doctoral fellow, Ned Ruby laboratory (Madison, USA).
Post-doctoral fellow, Birgitta Henriques-Normark laboratory (Stockholm, Sweden).
Assistant professor in the ‘Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Environnement Marin‘ (LEMAR) at the University of Brest (France).
Now, Assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Marie-Steph’s twitter: @Aschtgen_MS
Yannick R. Brunet.
Ph.D 2013. Thesis entitled “Structure and function of the type VI secretion system tail”.
Post-doctoral fellow in David Rudner’s laboratory (Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA).
Now a Senior Researcher at ManusBio (Boston, USA).
Abdelrahim Zoued
Ph.D 2015. Thesis entitled “Biogenesis and membrane anchoring of the type VI secretion contractile tail”.
Now a post-doctoral fellow in Matthew Waldor‘s laboratory (Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA).
Abdelrahim’s Twitter: @zoued_a
Laureen Logger
Ph.D 2017. Thesis entitled “The type VI secretion membrane complex: the central role of TssM for assembly and for baseplate recruitment”.
Now a high-school teacher.
Laureen’s Twitter: @LaureenLogger
Nicolas Flaugnatti
Ph.D 2018. Thesis entitled “Le système de sécrétion de type VI: caractérisation et mécanisme de transport de Tle1, un effecteur antibactérien de type phospholipase”.
Now a post-doctoral fellow in Melanie Blokesch‘s laboratory (EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland).
Maxence Vincent
Ph.D 2019. Thesis entitled “From cell surface anchoring to gliding motility: Structural and functional characterization of the type IX secretion system GldKLMN core complex”.
Now a post-doctoral fellow in Stefan Uphoff‘s laboratory (Department of Biochemistry, Oxford, UK).
Maxence’s Twitter: @Maxence_Vincent
Yassine Cherrak
Ph.D 2020. entitled “Caractérisation structurale et inhibition d’une nano-machine impliquée dans la compétition bactérienne : le T6SS”.
Now a post-doctoral fellow in Wolf-Dietrich Hardt‘s laboratory (ETH Zürich, Switzerland).
Yassine’s Twitter: @Y_Cherrak
Yoann Santin
Ph.D 2021. Thesis entitled “Molecular characterization of the type VI secretion system size-control mechanism”.
Now a post-doctoral fellow in Géraldine Laloux‘s laboratory (De Duve Institute, Brusssels, Belgium).
Yoann’s Twitter: @santin_yoann
Ignacio Lunar Silva
Ph.D 2021. Thesis entitled “Type IX secretion: characterization of effector transport pathway”.
Ignacio’s Twitter: @ignlunsil
Engineer.
Xiang Y. Zhang.
(2011-2013). Ph.D. Now a Research Lecturer at the University of Xi’an (China).
Etienne Vanlioglu
(2018-2021). Now a Research Technician at ImCheck therapeutics.
B.Sc. and M. Sc undergraduates.
Yannick Brunet (AMU, B.Sc., 2008)
Marie Guérin (AMU, M1, 2010)
Abir Benzegoutta (AMU, M1, 2010)
Abdelrahim Zoued (AMU, M1, 2010; M2 2011)
Quentin d’Amalric (AMU, M1, 2011)
Delphine Prévost (AMU, ESIL-PolyTech, 2011)
Valentin Tutagata (BTS, 2012)
Laureen Logger (AMU, M1, 2012; M2, 2012)
Seddik Harchouni (AMU, B.Sc., 2012)
Valentine Lensi (AMU, L2, 2012)
Charlotte Gaviard (AMU, B.Sc., 2012)
Lia Freier (B.Sc. Erasmus, Tuebingen Univ., Germany, 2013)
Jean-Charles Cancel (AMU, L2, 2013)
Emma Long (AMU, ESIL-PolyTech, 2013)
Guillaume Urbain (AMU, M1, 2013)
Aurélie Fosses (AMU, M1, 2013)
Yann Dauchy (AMU, B.Sc., 2013)
Jordi Zamarreno-Beas (AMU, B.Sc., 2013)
Anant Kumar Singh (Indian Research Scholar fellow, 2013)
Mickaël Canestrari (AMU, B.Sc., 2013)
Elodie Pagès (AMU, ESIL-PolyTech, 2014)
Maxence Vincent (AMU, M1, 2014)
Yoann Santin (AMU, L2, 2014)
Doriane Delafosse (AMU, B.Sc., 2014)
Alexandre Espana (AMU, B.Sc., 2014)
Nicolas Flaugnatti (AMU, M.Sc., 2014)
Marcus Höring (M.Sc. Erasmus, Regensburg Univ., Germany, 2014)
Corentin Baussier (AMU, L1 Bio, 2015)
Sam Cascales (3ème, 2015)
Kevin Arnould (AMU, ESIL-PolyTech, 2015)
Sarah Tjaden (Visiting PhD, Münster, Germany, 2015 & 2016)
Vincent Palomo (AMU, L2, 2015)
Tristan Pommier (AMU, B.Sc., 2015)
Maxence Durand (3ème, 2015)
Hugo Perez (3ème, 2016)
Chakib Khenafra (AMU, L1, 2016)
Alexis Dogliani (AMU, M1, 2016)
Viet Anh Nguyen (M.Sc., USTH, Vietnam, 2016)
Chloé Cassaro (University of Glascow, Scotland, 2016)
Mathias Gallique (Visiting Ph.D, Evreux, 2016)
Wanassa Béroual (AMU, B.Sc., 2016)
Théo Dubois (2de, 2017)
Stéphane Alibar (AMU, M1, 2017; M2, 2018)
Melvin Renault (AMU, B.Sc., 2017)
Claire Camy (AMU, B.Sc., 2017)
Camille Garcia (AMU, M2, 2018)
Romain Debiton (B.Sc., 2018; M1, 2019)
Ryan Ellison (Exeter College, Oxford University, Laidlaw scholar, 2018)
Mehdi Zouanbi (AMU, B. Sc., 2018)
Victoria Sgoluppi (AMU, B.Sc., 2018 and 2019)
Zoé Cascales (3ème, 2019)
Benjamin Bagnis (AMU, M1, 2019)
Thibault Bongiovanni (AMU, M1, 2019)
Baptiste Piguet-Ruinet (AMU, L2, 2019)
Ashleigh Morgan (Exeter College, Oxford University, 2019)
Samuel Carien (AMU, L2, 2019)
Tiffany Lihoreau (AMU, ESIL-PolyTech, 2019)
Camille Herrou (AMU, L3, 2020)
Jonas Desjardins (AMU, L3, 2020)
Yousra Onrifani (BTS, 2020)
Fabio Meraihi (AMU, L3, 2020-2021)
Jonathan Julien (AMU, DFGSM3, 2020-2021)
Margot Grimonpont (AMU, M1, 2021)
Morgane Brigitte (AMU, M1, 2021)
Jérémy Mom (AMU, M1, 2021)
Yvann Bournigault (Visiting Ph.D, Evreux, 2021)
Sophie Du Crest (BTS, 2021)
Floriane Vernay (AMU, L2, 2021)
Pierre Liénart (AMU, L2, 2021)
Noa Guzzi (AMU, L3, 2021)
Julien Giraud (AMU, L3, 2021)
