SCAN:A sweet twist in Streptococcaceae: ways that sugar metabolism shape virulence and metabolic traits

ITQB- Scan Seminar

Title: A sweet twist in Streptococcaceae: ways that sugar metabolism shape virulence and metabolic traits

Speaker: Ana Rute Neves

Affiliation: Head of Lactic Acid Bacteria & In Vivo NMR LaboratoryLactic Acid Bacteria & In Vivo NMR

Abstract:

Streptococcaceae is a family of low-GC Gram-positive bacteria with habitats ranging from milk to specific niches in the human body. While some members have been exploited by man for thousands of years in food fermentations, others are well-known for their ability to cause disease. The main lines of research in our laboratory aim at understanding carbon metabolism and its regulation primarily in pathogenic and dairy Streptococcaceae, namely Streptococcus pneumoniae and Lactococcus lactis. Carbon metabolism is central to the physiology of these heterotroph organisms, as they rely on the efficient acquisition of sugars for energy generation and production of catabolic intermediates for biosynthesis. A true understanding of the intricate mechanisms involved in the control of sugar metabolism requires a comprehensive analysis of metabolic as well as regulatory networks. To this end we use quantitative techniques for metabolite profiling (metabolomics), including non-invasive in vivo NMR, quantitative biochemistry, molecular biology tools, transcriptomics, etc. With the obtained data, we tailor microbial metabolism for the production of biotechnological relevant compounds (L. lactis), and expect to elucidate links between metabolism and virulence (S. pneumoniae), ultimately generating fundamental as well as applied knowledge.