Voltaire et l’Optimisme. Candide aujourd’hui

Conference given outside the academic context (2009)

NADH pathway and H2 production in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Scientific conference (2009, December 12)

Study of heterogeneities in laboratory scale and prediction of mixing time evolution during the scale- up of an animal cells culture in a stirred bioreactor

Conference (2009, December 12)

Comparative study of Murid gammaherpesvirus 4 infection in mice and in its natural host, the bank voles.

Poster (2009, December 11)

Gammaherpesviruses are the archetypes of persistent viruses that have been identified in a range of animals from mice to man. They are host-range specific and establish persistent, productive infections ... [more ▼]

Gammaherpesviruses are the archetypes of persistent viruses that have been identified in a range of animals from mice to man. They are host-range specific and establish persistent, productive infections of immunocompetent hosts. Thus, infected individuals simultaneously both elicit antiviral protective immune response and secrete infectious virions. The best studied gammaherpesviruses are Human herpesvirus 4 and Human herpesvirus 8. As these viruses have no well-established in vivo infection model, related animal gammaherpesviruses are an important source of information. We are studying Murid herpesvirus 4 (MuHV-4), a virus that has originally been isolated from bank voles (Myodes glareolus). Although MuHV-4 has not been isolated from house mice (Mus musculus), infection of inbred laboratory mouse strains is commonly accepted as a good model for studying gammaherpesviruses in vivo. It has however never been possible to monitor viral reexcretion and virus transmission in this species suggesting that this model could be imperfect. In this study, we therefore characterized MuHV-4 infection in its natural host, the bank voles, through classical virological methods but also through global luciferase imaging for an anatomical complete view of the infection. Results obtained show that, after intra-nasal infection, the natural route of infection is similar in mice and voles. Following nasal productive infection, the virus spreads to the lung where the infection is accompanied by massive cellular infiltrates. By opposition to extensive viral replication observed in mice, the different analyses indicated that the viral replication was ~1000 fold lower in bank voles. This lower replication did however not affect colonization of latency sites in superficial cervical lymph nodes and spleen as measured by real-time PCR quantification of viral genomes in these organs. In conclusion, this study revealed that MuHV-4 can experimentally infect bank voles, the supposed natural host, but with a lower replicative power. As, gammaherpesvirus epidemiology indicates that transmission correlates with the latent load, our results suggest that gammaherpesviruses may have evolved to infect their hosts without extensive lytic spread. In the future, establishment of experimental transmission in a population of Myodes glareolus should help us to better understand mechanisms used by gammaherpesviruses to evade immune response. [less ▲]

The dynamics of a network of practitioners and researchers for supporting the work of teams promoting health in schools

in Archives of Public Health (2009, December 11), 67(Supplement 2), 86

Cyanobacterial 
molecular 
diversity 
and distribution 
in 
microbial 
mats from 
antarctic 
lakes

Poster (2009, December 11)

The coastal deglaciated areas of Antarctica hold lakes and other water bodies with a wide spectrum of limnological conditions. Aquatic habitats offer milder conditions to the microorganisms, which are the ... [more ▼]

The coastal deglaciated areas of Antarctica hold lakes and other water bodies with a wide spectrum of limnological conditions. Aquatic habitats offer milder conditions to the microorganisms, which are the only permanent inhabitants of this glacial desert. Among them, cyanobacteria are the first photosynthetic colonisers, sometimes forming thick, cohesive and pigmented benthic mats. In the frame of the BELSPO AMBIO project (Antarctic Microbial BIOdiversity, influence of geographical and ecological factors, www.ambio.ulg.ac.be), we have obtained benthic mat samples coming from lakes from various coastal regions of the continent (MERLIN 2007 and BELARE 2007 field campaigns and by collaborations). We have investigated cyanobacterial molecular diversity via Polymerase Chain Reaction and Denaturating Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) on a set of 80 samples. We couple the numerical analysis of the obtained band patterns with the phylogenetic analysis of the sequences, and by using multivariate analysis, we will assess the role of the ecological and geographical factors shaping the distribution and the diversity of cyanobacteria. Preliminary results of the analysis of 13 samples seem to indicate that lakes separated by a small distance have different cyanobacterial communities, highlighting the importance of ecological factors. Fifty per cent of the obtained Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) are potentially endemic to Antarctica while others seem to have a global distribution. The completed study will give us a wide scale view on the distribution and the diversity of cyanobacteria in two biogeographical zones: Continental Antarctica and Maritime Antarctica. Finally, our studies will supply new data and arguments for the ongoing “everything is everywhere, but the environment selects” debate concerning microbial biogeography. [less ▲]

Saisies conservatoires et voies d'exécution: principes généraux

in Actualités en droit de l'exécution forcée (2009)

Application of molecular techniques to monitor the evolution of bacterial consortia composed of Clostridium sp. in a hydrogen producing bioreactor

Poster (2009, December 11)

Our current dependence on fossil fuels as the primary energy source contributes to global climate change, environmental degradation and health problems. Hydrogen offers a tremendous potential as a clean ... [more ▼]

Our current dependence on fossil fuels as the primary energy source contributes to global climate change, environmental degradation and health problems. Hydrogen offers a tremendous potential as a clean, renewable energy currency and it is compatible with electrochemical and combustion processes for energy conversion without producing carbon – based emissions. Many microorganisms, especially photosynthetic as well as facultative and anaerobic bacteria have been reported to produce large amounts of hydrogen from soluble and insoluble biomass. Clostridia, being obligate anaerobes, are capable of biogas production during ‘dark fermentation’ of a wide range of carbohydrates. In this ARC project, entitled Micro – H2 we have focused on a new direction in bio – hydrogen production systems which is the use of mixed cultures of microorganisms (consortia). We expect that the combination of complementary metabolisms could significantly increase the efficiencies of mixed systems compared to monocultures. However, a few fundamental studies need to be carried out in order to investigate and improve the stability of microbial populations involved in the processes. It is now recognised that molecular microbial ecology tools provide the scientific basis to monitor the processes used in environmental biotechnology. To characterize the diversity of bacterial communities, quantitative techniques such as Real – Time Quantitative PCR and FISH (Fluorescence in situ hybridization) and semi – quantitative DGGE (Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis) have been optimized and applied on different bioreactor samples. This approach enabled for the temporal monitoring of the evolution of bacterial consortia, both in terms of species dominance and their metabolic activity. Molecular analysis of bacterial consortia allowed for careful examination of interactions between different bacterial species within a consortium, which is crucial in the stabilization of the hydrogen production process. [less ▲]

Tien jaar Suggnomè. Forum voor Herstelrecht en Bemiddeling.

Speech (2009)

Etude du l'assemblage du divisome de Escherichia coli

Speech (2009)