Just like us, bacteria often have to deal with stress. However, stress for bacteria is a bit different from the stress we are used to – it is something that causes damage to the cellular macromolecules: membranes, proteins, and nucleic acids. It can be chemical stress, caused by harmful compounds, or physical stress, such as heat. A limited supply of nutrients can also be regarded as stress. Bacteria have developed stress responses, which aim to temporarily increase tolerance limits. These stress responses are often specific; each specialized in a particular kind of stress. Some stress responses facilitate bacterial transition from a free-living organism to a host-invading pathogen.
The aim of this project is to investigate, at the molecular level, how the soil-living bacterium Bacillus subtilis deals with various types of stress. This bacterium can form structured multicellular communities called biofilms. Biofilms contain genetically identical cells that give rise to phenotypically distinct cell types, such as, for example, motile cells, surfactin producers, sporulating cells and matrix-producing cells. Biofilms provide a protective environment that enhances resistance to antibiotics and play an important role in the pathogenesis of many medically important bacterial pathogens. By studying how biofilms are affected by stress, we could develop strategies to disperse them.
30-60 cr MSc thesis project, flexible start date.
Qualifications needed: Good knowledge of molecular biology and microbiology.
If you are interested to get more information on current projects, please contact Claes von Wachenfeldt (claes.von_wachenfeldt@biol.lu.se)