Bonazzi Lab

Research focus

ERC Starting Grant · 2023

Control of Host Mechanics by a Bacterial Pathogen and Functional Impact

Mammalian cells sense and exert forces on their environment, and their responses to mechanical signals regulate their growth, motility, and behavior within tissues. However, little is known about the forces at play during microbial infections, and their impact on tissue homeostasis and disease progression. I recently found that binding of the extracellular bacterium Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) on the endothelium leads to the generation of large traction forces on the extracellular matrix. This is due to the formation of a new structure, that I called ancreopodia, linking the bacterial colony on the apical side of the host cell to the basal side and underlying substrate. I hence hypothesize…

From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.