Luís Teixeira on insect-microbe interactions

We are delighted to announce that Luís Teixeira, who heads the Host-microorganism interactions group at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência in Portugal, will be our next external guest in the NCCR Seminar Series.

The Teixeira Lab is studying the interaction of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster with different microorganisms, in particular intracellular ones. The group investigates insect immunity to many pathogens, and what role the insect microbiome can play in this function. Notably, Luís Teixeira demonstrated how Wolbachia – a widespread intracellular bacterium in arthropods – could confer resistance to viral infections to fruit flies and mosquitoes. This work paved the way for other studies looking to spread Wolbachia in mosquitoes as a mean to thwart vector-borne diseases such as dengue and yellow fever.

In 2020, Luís Teixeira was elected as a Member of EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization), in recognition of his contributions to the field.

Luís Teixeira will give an NCCR talk entitled: ‘Drosophila melanogaster interaction with gut-colonizing bacteria in wild populations’. The seminar will take place on 30 November 2021, from 12h00 to 13h00 CET. You can access this public seminar through this Zoom link.