Current position
Since July 2000, I started my new post as a Science and Technology Agency (STA) Research Fellow at the National Grassland Research Institute, Japan, working on the molecular identification and physiology of lactic acid bacteria. Currently I'm working on the genetic identification of lactobacilli displaying interesting fermentation and anti-microbial properties.
When I have time I'll update these pages with details of that, but you can get a good overview of our research at our lab pages.
For information about bacteriocins and lactic acid bacteria on the web, check out my links section.

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Previous position

From Fev 1998 to Jan 2000, I was appointed research fellow in Kyushu University, with a funding from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) fellowship program. My project is entitled "Hierarchical control of denitrification". The project has quite a broad range, but can be divided into sub-projects as follows.
Transcriptional regulation of bateriocin genes
Bacteriocin genes in LAB are regulated by the transcriptional activators FnrP and NNR. To date, methods for analysing transcription have not been widely applied in P. denitrificans. We are employing methods such as Northern blotting, 5'-RACE and RT-PCR to analyse the transcription of genes in the nitrite reductase (nir) and nitrous oxide reductase (nos ) gene clusters. The ultimate aim of this work would be identify the full set of required transcription factors, which may include a specific sigma factor.
DNA sequencing has identified over 40 genes for denitrification in a number of organisms (e.g. the nos gene cluster of P. denitrificans), but in many cases nothing more is known about the structure and function of the encoded proteins.
Biochemical characterisation of bacteriocins

We aim to .......analysing them biochemically. This work involves the use of both

My research has led to the purification and sequencing of enterocin A and enterocin B produced by a cheese-isolated Enterococcus faecium believed to be a multi-bacteriocin producer.

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Position in the INRA
In June 1997, I obtained a fellowship for another post-doctoral position at INRA (National Institute for Agronomic Research) in France, where I worked on anti-Listeria activity of Enterococcus strains and class II bacteriocins. One of the outcomes of my research in this laboratory was the establishing of the first evidence that all Listeria strains show the same relative sensitivities to all class IIa bacteriocins: resistant strains to one class IIa bacteriocin could resist to all class IIa bacteriocins.

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Research in ULP

Master Project

food irradiation

Thesis project

My Ph.D. thesis is entitled "Cloning, sequence analysis and studies on the expression of the nirS gene, My research on bacteriocins started early 1992 when, as a first year's Ph.D. student, I was asked to explore this means in trying to reduce Listeria counts in cheese.

my colleagues of the Department of Food Science (L. Pasteur University, Strasbourg, France). Therefore, being amongst the pioneers in France, I had to initiate an independent research, which started by developing experimental protocols for the search of bacteriocin producing lactic acid bacteria, since indeed I did not have the required bacteria. In addition, since the study was aimed at industrial application, I had to establish an active research program and work within a well-defined project management framework. This involvement in an industry project was an opportunity to demonstrate my ability to take my research to the application level, and to understand of the link between the academe, the industry and the consumer.
My research work dealt with the investigation of new antimicrobial means for the elimination of Listeria monocytogenes in dairy products. This consisted in the detection of lactic acid bacteria capable of producing antibacterial peptides (bacteriocins). Also, the biosynthesis of these bacteriocins was studied in bioreactors, some were purified and their structure and genetic determinants described. After conditions for optimal activity were determined for each peptide, trials were successfully conducted on soft cheeses, but also sausages.

Many more details can be found at my thesis pages.

Further research
During my final year as Ph.D. student, I was appointed Teaching and Research Associate at L. Pasteur University, a position I held for another year after completing my Ph.D. From September 1996, I also held a research associate position at the same university for nearly one year. These positions allowed me to demonstrate a potential for teaching undergraduate and graduate students, and to continue my research work on bacteriocins.
My work in L. Pasteur University has led to several outstanding research findings including: development of a highly sensitive bioassay for bacteriocin detection and measurement; isolation of six bacteriocin producing strains from Munster cheese; purification and sequencing of pediocin AcH and nisin A from cheese-isolated lactic acid bacteria; the first evidence of natural heterologous expression of bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria: natural expression of pediocin AcH in Lactobacillus plantarum; and a new strategy for the use of bacteriocin-mediated bacterial antagonism to eliminate Listeria monocytogenes in cheese.
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Outcomes

My work drew in interest
A lot of people have been interested in my research work (names of reprint orderers, Patent, Wiesby)
successful introduction of pediocin-AcH producing L. plantarum WHE92 (DSM 9296) in fighting L. monocytogenes in several cheese manufactures in France and Europe (Commercial designation: ALC01, Wiesby).
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Publications list

Please go to my publications page

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Experience and skills

On the bench
wide experience in general microbiology, molecular biology and protein chemistry, including the areas of anti-microbial assays, DNA isolation and cloning, library construction, clone analysis (restriction, Southern blotting), DNA sequencing, PCR methods, mutagenesis, broad host range vector systems, gene expression systems, protein purification and analysis (HPLC, mass spectrometry, SDS-PAGE, sequencing, Western blotting, enzyme assays), UV-visible spectroscopy, Gas Chromatography, RNA purification and transcript analysis (Northern blotting, primer extension, RT-PCR and 5'-RACE).

Other skills
High level of computer literacy: familiarity with Windows, DOS, Macintosh, UNIX and VMS-based systems, the Microsoft Office package, word processing, data analysis and molecular biology software. Familiarity with all WWW-based molecular biology services. Familiarity with web page design.
Languages:strong written and oral communication ability in English, French and Arabic, good knowledge of Japanese

My view
I had three enriching experiences in various research teams and environments which further developed my scientific and interpersonal skills. During these years, I gained experience, not only in the design and execution of experiments, but also in writing, oral and computer skills, which helped me composing various scientific manuscripts, tabulating and critically analyzing scientific data, as well as preparing well-structured presentations for scientific symposia and meetings. These skills also enabled me to write scientific articles, thereby developing an emerging record of peer-reviewed publications. What I consider to be a major achievement in the publication, in FEMS Microbiol. Rev., of the first comprehensive review