Bacillus research - Kolstø group
Post doc. Nicolas Tourasse
Our research focuses on the close genetic relationship between Bacillus cereus,
an usually non-lethal, opportunistic pathogen commonly involved in food poisoning
syndromes, Bacillus thuringiensis, an insect pathogen used commerciallyas a
biological pesticide, and Bacillus anthracis, the acute lethal pathogen causing
anthrax in mammals, including man, which was implicated in the biological attacks in the
US during September and October 2001. In collaboration with The Institute for Genomic
Research (TIGR), USA, we have carried out comparative genome studies (Whole Genome
Sequencing, Comparative Genome Hybridization using microarrays) of the three bacteria to:
1) Discern principal genetic differences determining their widely different pathogenicity
profiles, 2) Elucidate the contribution of horizontal DNA transfer to genome plasticity,
and 3) Critically investigate the basis for the classification of these bacteria into
separate species.
For more information, please visit our web site: http://www.biotek.uio.no/research/abk/index.html
- Read TD, Peterson SN, Tourasse N, Baillie LW, Paulsen IT, Nelson KE, Tettelin H, Fouts DE, Eisen JA, Gill SR, Holtzapple EK, Økstad OA, Helgason E, Rilstone J, Wu M, Kolonay JF, Beanan MJ, Dodson RJ, Brinkac LM, Gwinn M, DeBoy RT, Madpu R, Daugherty SC, Durkin AS, Haft DH, Nelson WC, Peterson JD, Pop M, Khouri HM, Radune D, Benton JL, Mahamoud Y, Jiang L, Hance IR, Weidman JF, Berry KJ, Plaut RD, Wolf AM, Watkins KL, Nierman WC, Hazen A, Cline R, Redmond C, Thwaite JE, White O, Salzberg SL, Thomason B, Friedlander AM, Koehler TM, Hanna PC, Kolstø AB, Fraser CM. (2003). The genome sequence of Bacillus anthracis Ames and comparison to closely related bacteria. Nature 423, 81-86.
