Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne

The LCB, created in 1962, is a mixed research unit (UMR7283) between CNRS and Aix Marseille University located on the Joseph Aiguier campus within the Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée. The laboratory hosts twelve teams all studying the functioning of bacteria at the molecular, cellular, multicellular and ecological levels. The bacterial species under study are  chosen  to explore  core mechanisms of adaptation, enabling bacteria to sense their environment and form complex multicellular consortia. In particular, the laboratory’s teams are interested in the interactions between bacteria and their hosts, animals and plants, as well as their ability to colonize extreme environments. A long term goal of this research is to elucidate the evolutionary mechanisms that promote the amazing  capacity of bacteria to adapt and constitute a formidable  reservoir of biodiversity.