CV Science

Muriel Masi PhD Infectious Diseases

Course and current status

EDUCATION:

B. S. 1999 Cell Biology and Physiology, Aix-Marseille University, France

M. S. 2001 Infectious Diseases, Aix-Marseille University, France

Ph. D. 2005 Infectious Diseases, Aix-Marseille University, France

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Research Associate 11/2005-11/2007 School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, USA

Postdoctoral Fellow 01/2008-09/2009 Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur Paris, France

Assistant Professor 09/2009-08/2013 Institut de Biochimie et Biophysique Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Factulté des Sciences d'Orsay, Université Paris Sud 11

Research Associate 09/2013-present UMR_MD1 Inserm U1261, Aix-Marseille Université

Scientific summary

Muriel Masi is a microbial geneticist who studies membrane proteins and molecular transport across bacterial envelopes. Her research focuses on antibiotic transport across the envelope of Gram-negative bacteria, namely antibiotic upatke (inlfux) via a particular class of outer membrane proteins called porins that form beta-barrels ; and efflux via transmembrane multidrug efflux pumps. These two central mechanisms dictate the intracellular drug concentration, thus the antibacterial drug activity. Her research in this field employs a toolbox of in vivo approaches to determine the physico-chemical rules of antibiotic influx and efflux.

A second project examines mechanisms of drug resistance, with an emphasis on the regulatory pahtways that impact on drug influx and efflux in bacterial species of clinical relevance. Her research in this field employs comparative genomics, classical genetics, molecular biology and protein biochemistry approaches to investigate the function of such new chemotherapeutic target on membrane biology and drug resistance.

Importantly, these two projects are interconnected by the use of chemical librairies and medicinal chemistry for identifying and designing compounds that restore antibiotic accumulation and activity.