The latest study from the Moraes lab characterized a novel heme uptake pathway in A. baumannii, which is listed by the WHO and CDC as one of the top priority pathogens for research and development of new therapeutics. In response to being in iron restricted environments such as a human host during infection, A. baumannii produces a heme binding protein (HphA) secreted by an outer membrane protein called Slam. This […]
Professors Palazzo and Moraes co-authored an OpEd, “Dwindling Funding for Canadian Science”, that appeared in The Future Economy.
They point out that Canada now spends less of its GDP on science than any other G7 country except for Italy. As a result, many scientists do not have funding to conduct the work they were hired to do.
They strongly urge that the Canadian government increase its investment in research, especially […]
In the latest issue of Molecular Cell, the Maxwell, Davidson and Moraes labs identify and characterize Aqs1, a multi-purpose DMS3 phage protein. Aqs1 binds and inhibits LasR, which is required for quorum sensing and the release of several anti-phage defenses in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. But that’s not all. Aqs1 also binds PilB, and thereby blocks pilus assembly. Since the bacterial pilus helps phage to infect, Aqs1 prevents further […]
In the latest CSMB Bulletin, Alex Palazzo and Trevor Moraes urge the Canadian Government to increase funding for basic research.
From the article:
Why must governments increase their support for science? Charities do support some science, but this tends to be in very focused areas and less exploratory in nature. As for the private sector, there is no incentive to engage in basic fundamental exploratory research, as it does not provide […]
The local organizing committee (LOC) cordially invites you to the University of Toronto for the 66th Annual Conference of the Canadian Society of Microbiologists, to be held between Sunday June 12th and Wednesday June 15th. The LOC has identified symposia topics that will be of interest to CSM members within the three central themes of the CSM. The conference will start on Sunday with an education and career development workshops. […]
Trevor Moraes and Reinhart Reithmeier discuss SLC26 transporters in a News & Views article published in the October 6, 2015 issue of Nature Structural & Molecular Biology entitled “ Solute Carriers Keep on Rockin’ ”. The 400 members of the human solute carriers (SLC) remain among the most poorly characterized of human gene families, although they are essential for nutrient uptake, waste removal and ion transport. Furthermore, mutations in the genes […]
In this PLoS Pathogens article (Sit et al.), undergraduate student Brandon Sit together with other members of the Moraes Lab used X-ray crystallography and additional biochemical and functional approaches to illustrate that AfuABC binds and transports sugar-phosphates such as glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) across the Gram negative bacterial membrane. In collaboration with the Vallance lab (at UBC) they went on to show that AfuABC is required by enteric pathogens to effectively transmit […]
The conserved outer-membrane zinc transporter ZnuD is utilized by bacteria to overcome nutritional restriction imposed by the host organism during infection. In this Nature Communications paper (Calmettes et al.), Post doctoral fellow Dr. Charles Calmettes and other members of the Moraes Lab, Pomès Lab and Gray-Owen lab demonstrate that ZnuD is required for efficient systemic infections by the causative agent of bacterial meningitis, Neisseria meningitidis. They combined X-ray crystallography […]
We were delighted to learn that Drs. Alex Palazzo and Trevor Moraes have been promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure in recognition of their “outstanding contributions to the Department and the University and of their promise for future scientific leadership.” The Department extends its warmest congratulations on their achievement!
Research in the Moraes Lab examines protein and ion translocation across bacterial membranes. In particular, Dr. Moraes dissects the components of these pathways examining their interactions in molecular detail. Biochemical tools such as X-ray crystallography provide atomic resolution 3D-models of the proteins, while surface plasmon resonance, isothermal calorimetry or bio-layer interferometry are used to determine kinetic parameters and validate models that describe the mechanism of action. These membrane proteins function […]