Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Keywords: microbiology; microtechnology; infectious diseases; time-lapse microscopy; single-cell analysis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC); microtissue infection models; organoid; organ-on-chip; antibiotics; bacterial persistence; recurrent infection
We are looking for a highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow to lead a project using live-cell imaging and state-of-the-art mammalian cell culture and microtissue models of pulmonary and urinary tract infections to study bacterial persistence and recurrence in the antibiotic-treated host. A background in microbiology, bioengineering, or microengineering is preferred but not required.
For more information, please contact Prof. John McKinney ([email protected]).
Background Reading:
Rutschmann O, Toniolo C, McKinney JD (2022) Pre-existing heterogeneity of inducible nitric oxide synthase expression drives differential growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in macrophages. mBio 13(5): e0225122.
Sharma K, Dhar N, Thacker VV, Simonet TM, Signoriono-Gelo F, Knott GW, McKinney JD (2021) Dynamic persistence of UPEC intracellular bacterial communities in a human bladder-chip model of urinary tract infection. eLife 10: e66481 PMID: 34219648.
Sharma K, Thacker VV, Dhar N, Clapés Cabrer M, Dubois A, Signorino-Gelo F, Mullenders J, Knott G, Clevers H, McKinney JD (2021) Early invasion of the bladder wall by solitary bacteria protects UPEC from antibiotics and neutrophil swarms in an organoid model. Cell Reports 36: 109351 PMID: 34289360.
Thacker VV, Dhar N, Sharma K, Barrile R, Karalis K, McKinney JD (2020) A lung-on-chip model of early Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection reveals an essential role for alveolar epithelial cells in controlling bacterial growth. eLife 9: e59961.
Thacker VV, Sharma K, Dhar N, Mancini GF, Sordet-Dessimoz J, McKinney JD (2021) Rapid endotheliitis and vascular damage characterize SARS-CoV-2 infection in a human lung-on-chip model. EMBO Reports 22: e52744.
Toniolo C, Rutschmann O, McKinney JD (2021) Do chance encounters between heterogeneous cells shape the outcome of tuberculosis infections? Current Opinion in Microbiology 59: 72-78.
Toniolo C, Dhar N, McKinney JD (2023) Uptake-independent killing of macrophages by extracellular aggregates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is ESX-1- and PDIM-dependent. EMBO Journal (doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.01.11.523669).
Position: PhD Student
Keywords: microbiology; microtechnology; infectious diseases; time-lapse microscopy; single-cell analysis; uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC); urinary tract infections (UTIs); microtissue infection models; organoid; organ-on-chip; antibiotics; bacterial persistence; recurrent infection
We are looking for a highly motivated PhD Student to lead a project using live-cell imaging and state-of-the-art microtissue models of urinary tract infections (UTIs) to evaluate “metabolic potentiation” as a novel therapeutic strategy, with an emphasis on hard-to-treat bacterial biofilms associated with indwelling medical devices. A background in microbiology, bioengineering, or microengineering is preferred but not required.
The student will be based in the Laboratory of Microbiology & Microtechnology at EPFL but will also work closely with our clinical collaborators at the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV): Dr. Sylvain Meylan (Attending Physician in Infectious Diseases) and Dr. Beat Roth (Head of Urology).
For more information, please contact Prof. John McKinney ([email protected]).
Background Reading:
Sharma K, Dhar N, Thacker VV, Simonet TM, Signoriono-Gelo F, Knott GW, McKinney JD (2021) Dynamic persistence of UPEC intracellular bacterial communities in a human bladder-chip model of urinary tract infection. eLife 10: e66481 PMID: 34219648.
Sharma K, Thacker VV, Dhar N, Clapés Cabrer M, Dubois A, Signorino-Gelo F, Mullenders J, Knott G, Clevers H, McKinney JD (2021) Early invasion of the bladder wall by solitary bacteria protects UPEC from antibiotics and neutrophil swarms in an organoid model. Cell Reports 36: 109351 PMID: 34289360.
Meylan S, Andrews IW, Collins JJ (2018) Targeting antibiotic tolerance, pathogen by pathogen. Cell 172: 1228-1238 PMID: 29522744.