Prof. Eric Cascales, a researcher at the Mediterranean Institute of Microbiology (CNRS) and Aix-Marseille University, visited IHB on Nov. 4, 2024. (Credit: IHB)

On November 4, 2024, Prof. Eric Cascales, a researcher at the Mediterranean Institute of Microbiology (CNRS) and Aix-Marseille University, visited the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to deliver a lecture titled “Architecture, Assembly, and Mechanism of Action of an Antibacterial Weapon: the Type VI Secretion System (T6SS)”. This lecture was part of the IHB Innovation Lecture Series (2024, No. 24). 

Prof. Cascales' research focuses on bacterial cell-to-cell communication and the mechanisms of macromolecular transport across membranes. His lab employs a combination of molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, and fluorescence microscopy to study two bacterial secretion systems: the Type VI Secretion System (T6SS) and the Type IX Secretion System (T9SS). 

T6SS: A potent antibacterial weapon, T6SS uses a contraction mechanism to deliver effector molecules directly into target cells.

T9SS: A multi-protein complex that transports proteins and anchors them to the bacterial cell surface.

In his lecture, Dr. Cascales provided an in-depth analysis of T6SS, covering its 3D structure, biogenesis, mode of action, and toxin delivery mechanisms. 

Dr. Cascales is a prominent figure in bacterial nanomachine research and has received several prestigious awards, including the Coup d'Élan Prize from the Bettencourt-Schueller Foundation, the French Academy of Sciences Prize, and bronze and silver medals from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). 

This visit enriched academic exchange at IHB, providing insights into advanced bacterial research and its potential applications in microbiology and biotechnology.