Guest lecture: Dr. Alicia Nevers

Guest lecture - Microbiology Seminar Series, Institute of Microbiology:
“Role of megaplasmids in pathogen emergence: Transcriptional impact of pCER270 megaplasmid transfer on various Bacillus cereus group hosts.”

Dr. Alicia Nevers
Microbial Genetics and Environment Unit, MICALIS Insitute, INRAE - French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment, Jouy-en-Josas, France.

In her talk, Dr. Alicia Nevers will present first insights into the transcriptional interaction between the essential chromosome genome and an accessory plasmid genome after the horizontal transfer of a megaplasmid within the B. cereus group. The Bacillus cereus group comprises genetically closely related bacteria with a broad variety of ecological niches, life cycles, and hosts. Despite high genome conservation, extr-chromosomal genetic material drastically diverges between the members of this group and even defines species, as e.g. the causative agent of anthrax B. anthracis and the biopesticide B. thuringiensis. Thus, the B. cereus group is an ideal model for studying the impact of megaplasmids on the emergence of new pathogens through horizontal gene transfers.