Visitors to the Institute:
2019
This year Prof. Rudolf Hausmann from the University of Hohenheim paid us a visit in February. Prof. Hausmann has been a collaborator on our biosurfactant discovery effort for several years. The collaboration featured regular student exchange between IMBM and his laboratory to either work on discovery of novel biosurfactant producers, upscale production using existing producers or identifying the genetic pathways responsible for biosurfactant production in these isolates.
2018
2018 was a bumper year for IMBM in terms of international visitors. From October till December seven researchers visited IMBM on different collaborations and sampling trips.
PhD student Filippo Dell’Anno and Chiara Papulino were the first visitors to join us from Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli and the company Epi-C (http://www.epi-c.com/) respectively. Filippo isolated several bacteria from sites contaminated with heavy metals and hydrocarbons back in Italy. The genome sequences of these bacteria were determined during his visit to establish which of these might have interesting ways of dealing with these challenges as well as to set the stage for transcriptomic studies in these organisms. Chiara, in turn, tested these bacteria for potential antimicrobial activity in her short stay with us, with some of them showing promising activities.
Federica Di Costanzo, a masters student also from Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, joined us to try and isolate a particular microorganism associated with the diatom Thalassiosira rotula. In an initial attempt to sequence the diatoms’ genome, much of the resultant sequence information appeared to belong to bacteria associated with the diatom, rather than the diatom itself. We could use the sequence data to reconstruct the genome of this bacterium, which seems to contain some interesting secondary metabolite pathways.
Next, Dr. Teppo Rämä and Marte Jenssen from the Arctic University of Norway (UiT) in Tromsø joined to further investigate secondary metabolite pathways from bacteria which they identified as having interesting antimicrobial and anti-cancer activity. Marte tested an expanded range of microorganisms for sensitivity against extracts from their isolates.
The final pair to join us was Dr. Nicolas Ginet and PhD student Fernando Clavijo from the CNRS in France, here on a sampling trip to isolate novel Xyllela infecting phages.
2017
Dr. Donatella de Pascale
The Ocean Medicines leader Dr. Donatella de Pascale visited IMBM for a week in September 2017 and presented on their work at the Institute of Protein Biochemistry towards the discovery of novel therapeutic agents from extremophilic microorganisms. The presentation titled “From North Sea to Antarctica: discovering a world of new compounds” was delivered at a gathering of the Royal Society of South Africa as well as at the UWC Science Faculty Academic week.
Dr Valeria di Dato
As part of the Ocean Medicines program Dr. Valeria di Dato, from the Institute for Protein Biochemistry in Italy, visited IMBM for 3 months starting early July 2017. Her project entails the sequencing and analysis of the micro algae Thalassiosira rotula genome to look for potential secondary metabolite pathways and characterizing some of the enzymes identified.
Dr. Pietro Tedesco
As part of the Ocean Medicines program Dr. Pietro Tedesco, from the Institute for Protein Biochemistry in Italy, visited IMBM for 6 months starting early July 2016. The main aim of his visit was to pick up techniques for cloning of large secondary metabolite pathways, as well as the heterologous expression of genes involved with production of novel antibacterial rhamnolipids. Sequencing of the genomes of several bacteria isolated and studied by their group by IMBM prior to his arrival enabled the bioinformatic identification of secondary metabolite pathways and rhamnolipid genes responsible. While here he fully immersed himself in IMBM culture, even winning the IMBM birthday bake-off !!
South Africa – Algeria student exchange November 2013
Mr. Ali Zineddine Boumehira visits IMBM on a 6 week exchange
Project Title : Development of analytical and biological methods for screening of bioactive compounds produced by microorganisms isolated from Algerian Sahara Desert.
Who am I :
I am currently a PhD Student at University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene (USTHB, Algiers, Algeria), and Permanent Researcher at the Algerian Centre for Scientific Research in Physical and Chemical Analysis.
My PhD thesis and my work at the center consist in the development of analytical and biological methods for screening of bioactive compounds produced by microorganisms of particular ecosystems, essentially Algerian Sahara Desert.
Also I have a State Engineer in bioengineering from University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene (USTHB, Algiers, Algeria), and Masters Degree in Fundamental and Applied Microbiology from University of Oran. Algeria (2010).
Contact : boumehira.a.z@hotmail.com
Prof Alan Dobson January 2013
Prof Alan Dobson, (Director of the Environmental Research Institute Microbiology Department at University College Cork in Ireland) visited IMBM in January 2013. He delivered a presentation titled “Genomic and metagenomic strategies to identify novel biotechnological relevant bioactivities from marine and terrestrial environments”. In collaboration with Prof. Tuffin, Prof. Dobson is part of the EU funded PharmaSea initiative.