Ronnie Berntsson, Vice chair

Horizontal DNA transfer means that genes are transferred from one bacterium to another. It can be done through a process called bacterial conjugation. The genetic material transferred can contain different types of genes, especially relevant from a medical point of view, DNAs that contain genes for antibiotic resistance and virulence factors. It is through these processes that bacteria get antibiotic resistance and become multi-resistant. One of the most important systems for bacterial conjugation is the so-called Type 4 secretion system (T4SS), which my research group studies. We use X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy to obtain high-resolution information about the structure of T4SS, as well as a lot of biochemical and molecular biology methods to understand the mechanisms of DNA transfer via T4SS. This is very relevant both from a basic research perspective and from a medical perspective. A better understanding of T4SS from gram-positive bacteria can hopefully contribute to the development of new drugs against these bacteria.