Group name: Molecular Biology
& Microbial Food Safety SILS (co-sponsored
University Chair 50% UvA, 50% Unilever Research & Deveelopment):
Other staff members involved: Hans van der Spek (UD), Gertien Smits (UD), Marian de Jong (technician UvA),Femke Mensonides (PhD -end 2003)/ Pepijn Boeree PhD (2007), Alex
ter Beek PhD (2006), Martha Arthal Sanz PhD (2004), Esther Willems
technician (2004), Andrea O'Brien Post-doc (STW 2006), Bart Keijser (EET
2005), Sharon Mithoe (technician EET 2005), Catarina Resende
(Marie-Curie EU 2004)
Location: Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, BCA,
University of Amsterdam
Web page: http://www.science.uva.nl/research/sils
E-Mail: brul@science.uva.nl
Phone: 31-20-5257079; mobile:31-0651378726; fax: 31-20-5256971
Relevant research
interests:
The interaction between microorganisms and
their environment studied at the cellular level using in particular novel
genomics tools. Together with the Microbial Physiology Chair at SILS the focus
is on studying in an integral way the transcriptome, proteome and metabolome of
microbial cells in the context of their (natural) environment. Main model
systems are bacillus subtilis and bakers'yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
In the former we study the behaviour of the general and more specific stress
response systems such as the sigmaB regulated system and the sporulation
pathway respectively. In S. cerevisiae our focus is on an assessment of
the response of cells to heat stress and treatment with weak organic acid food
preservatives in articular sorbic and benzoic acid. In particular we focus our
work together with the microbiology group on the interaction between the
antimicrobial compound, its effect on cellular growth, its effect on cellular
metabolism and its effect on the signalling status of main cellular stress
response pathways. Finally we study genome-wide the events that take place
during the lag-phase of growth when microbial cells adapt to new environmental
constraints and thus the dynamics of this adaptation may be
unveiled. A prime new area is the study of host-pathogen
interaction. For the latter we are in the proces of developing Caenorhabditis
elegans as a model host in infection studies with Salmonella typhimurium
and in particular Campylobacter jejuni. Our studies focus on using both
genomics approaches towards the identification of host-factors in interacting
with the pathogens and at the level of the bacterial pathogens themselves. The
views we have on applying systems biology principles in this area are
extensively discussed in various recent reviews.
Relevant collaborations (e.g.):
Current collaborations in the Netherlands with respect to applied research focus on application of genomics tools in the understanding of stress resistance of microbial cells in food preservation together with TNO-Food Research, Wageningen University and the Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences, Unilever Research & Development. In addition there are major links with EU groups active in the field of novel preservation techniques and (food) molecular (micro)biology in University College London and Vienna. Recently a framework V project was started as a sub-contractor of Unilever Research & Development, on the mode-of-action and application at low temperatures of high pressure processing was the focal point of study.
Representative
publications (possibly links to pdf files):
Klis, FM, Mol P, Hellingwerf KJ and Brul S (2002) Dynamics in cell wall
structure in S. cerevisiae FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 738,1-18
Brul, S, Coote, P, Oomes, SJC,Mensonides FIC and Klis FM (2002)
Physiological action of preservative agent: prospective of use of modern
microbiological techniques in assessing microbial behaviour in food
preservation Int. J. Food Microbiol. 79, 55-64
Brul, S, Klis, FM, Oomes, SJCM, Montijn RC,Schuren
FHJ, Coote P, Hellingwerf (200) Detailed process design based on genomics of
survivors of food preservation processes Trends Food Sci. Technol. 13, 325-333.