The Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne (LCB), founded in 1962, is a joint research unit overseen by the CNRS and Aix-Marseille University, in partnership with Inserm (Equipe de Recherche Labellisée, ERL U1362). The LCB is located on the Joseph Aiguier campus within the Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée (IMM). The LCB hosts 13 teams studying the functioning of bacteria at the molecular, cellular, multicellular and ecological levels. The bacterial species investigated are selected to explore core mechanisms of adaptation, enabling bacteria to sense their environment and form complex multicellular consortia. In particular, the LCB teams are interested in the interactions between bacteria and their hosts (animals and plants), as well as in their ability to colonize extreme environments. A long-term goal of this research is to elucidate the evolutionary mechanisms underlying bacterial remarkable adaptative capacity, which constitutes a major reservoir of biodiversity.
