Stephanie C. Weber

Bacterial condensates under stress

Stephanie C. Weber PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Biology
Faculty of Science
McGill University

This conference is organized by François Robert. It is part of the 2021-2022 IRCM conference calendar.

Zoom Link : https://zoom.us/j/95269762104
ID : 952 6976 2104
Code : 476372

About the conference:
Living cells are divided into functional compartments called organelles. In eukaryotes, lipid membranes separate organelles from the cytoplasm such that each compartment maintains a distinct biochemical composition that is tailored to its function. In contrast, prokaryotes typically lack internal membranes and instead must use other mechanisms to spatially organize the cell. Using fluorescence imaging and single-molecule tracking, we show that E. coli RNA polymerase (RNAP) organizes into clusters through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). RNAP clusters, or "condensates", increase cell survival during stress, and appear to regulate ribosome biogenesis in response to nutrient availability. Our results demonstrate that bacteria, like eukaryotic cells, use LLPS to generate membraneless organelles that spatially organize biochemical processes to optimize cell fitness in various environments.

About Stephanie C. Weber:
Dr. Stephanie Weber is an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at McGill University, where she studies how biological systems establish and regulate the spatial order of cellular compartments, which in turn influence organism development. Her lab has received prestigious funding, including as a Canada Research Chair, a Team grant from FRQNT, a Project grant from CIHR, a Discovery grant from NSERC, and a grant from the John R. Evans Leaders Fund of Canada Foundation for Innovation. Dr. Weber has been invited to give lectures in numerous countries across the world, such as Spain, India, Japan, Germany and the Netherlands. Her devotion to scientific training goes well beyond the lab: she recently joined the STEMNet program as a mentor for undergraduate students.

To make sure you don't miss any of the IRCM conferences, sign up now for our newsletter!