Investigating the transition between monoderm and diderm cell envelopes across the Tree of Bacteria – In person only.

Speaker: Simonetta Gribaldo, Institut Pasteur

The cell envelope is one of the oldest and most fundamental biological structures, and a major target of antimicrobials. Bacteria can have radically different envelopes, containing either one (monoderm) or two (diderm) membranes, generally known as Gram-positives and Gram-negatives. How and why such dramatic transition occurred has remained a major open question in evolutionary biology. In my talk, I will present recent data where we addressed this issue by merging large-scale computational analyses with experimental evolution using a new bacterial model at the interface between diderms and monoderms. Our results challenge established paradigms and propose a hypothesis on how the monoderm/diderm transition might have occurred.

Max Perutz Lecture Theatre, LMB and Webinar.