A part of the lab is now separated from the rest by a somewhat weird-looking red tape... That is because we now have a level 2 perimeter in the lab! We are brigning in new bacterial friends so Bacillus subtilis doesn't feel too lonely.
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Did you know that Bacillus subtilis is attracted towards Arabidopsis thaliana roots via chemotaxis? Indeed, A. thaliana root exudates contains molecules activating the McpB, McpC and TlpC chemoreceptors. However, it appears that many other chemoreceptors are involved in mediating root colonization. Want to know more? Check out our firt Beauregard Lab paper that was recently pubkished in mBio:
Bacillus subtilis Early Colonization of Arabidopsis thaliana Roots Involves Multiple Chemotaxis Receptors Rosalie Allard-Massicotte, Laurence Tessier, Frédéric Lécuyer, Venkatachalam Lakshmanan, Jean-François Lucier, Daniel Garneau, Larissa Caudwell, Hera Vlamakis, Harsh P. Bais et Pascale B. Beauregard Congratulation to Rosalie, Laurence and Frédéric for their excellent work on that project! Biofilm formation by Bacillus subtilis is one of the main research topic of the laboratory. Indeed, while we are starting to understand these multicellular communities, they still hide many surprises! If you are curious to learn more about this subject, you will surely appreciate this video, a TED Ed created by Scott Chimileski and Roberto Kolter. Summer has not arrive yet in Sherbrooke, but we are expecting it very soon (hopefully!). We had a little bit of turnover in the last few weeks, since a new session started. Some undergraduate students are going back to classes or to another internship, while others are starting full-time in the lab, and we also have an intern who crossed the Atlantic to get here. We are also welcoming our second Msc student Maude, who was with us as an undergraduate since last summer. Among other good news, the lab got the New university researchers start up program grant from the FRQNT, which is a 2 year functionning grant, and will also allow us to acquire a much needed dissection microscope. Yeah! Thanks a lot,
The arrival of winter also brought to the lab many students. Among them are veterans coming back for part-time internship in the lab, others are brand new microbiology students of Université de Sherbrooke, coming for an intership this winter. The lab is also hosting its first graduate students; Adrien Rizzi is working on a project under a triple co-supervision (including myself), and Jessica Carrier started her master degree under my supervision this winter. The lab is almost full, the only bench remaining is the boss' one. Let see how much she will use it... If you want to see all these amazing students creating awesome research, visit our newly updated Team page.
In 2015, we said good bye and good luck to Rosalie and Laurence, who decided to continue their graduate studies in Shawinigan and in Montreal, respectively. Also, in december was published the book Advances in Botanical Research volume 75, for which I contributed a chapter entitle Not Just Sweet Talkers: How Roots Stimulate Their Colonization by Beneficial Bacteria. Reseach is gaining momentum in the lab, many new projects are being explored and exciting results are produced. I will keep you updated on the latest discoveries! The lab recently acquired a fully automated inverse fluorescence microscope. With its 6 fluorescence filter cubes, 6 objectives and a temperature-controlled chamber, this piece of equipement will be an essential tool in the lab. It already started producing awesome images! Thanks to the CFI and MESRS for the subvention that allowed the purchase of this microscope..
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