Vilhena Lab

Biogenesis and physiology of bacterial extracellular vesicles

Our lab investigates the dynamic interactions between Streptococcus pneumoniae and its environment, with a specific focus on the formation and function of bacterial extracellular vesicles (bEVs). We explore how bEVs are formed under various environmental stimuli, such as an infection scenario or varying nutrient availability. Using molecular biology, biochemistry, and super-resolution microscopy, we aim to reveal the molecular machinery driving vesicle production and their role in bacterial survival and adaptation.

Our lab employs advanced single-cell and single-molecule techniques to understand how S. pneumoniae and other lung pathogens allocate resources for EVs formation. We investigate the metabolic cost of this process and its effect on key cellular mechanisms, such as protein allocation to the cell wall. Leveraging confocal microscopy and infection models, we study how bacteria interact with host cells. We look at how bEVs mediate these interactions, facilitating immune evasion, modulating the host response and how does the bacterial surface architecture dynamically rearranges.

Principal Investigator:

Dr. Cláudia Vilhena

Junior Research Group Leader