Host-microbe interfaces
We use cutting-edge in situ structural biology, biophysical and genetic tools to investigate the architectures that establish the host-microbe interfaces at multiple length scales.
Microbial adhesion
A better understanding of what makes microbe move and stick at the molecular level is of importance for human health and the environment we live in.
Health impact
In the context of health, pathogens causing infections need to contact and adhere to host tissues. Controlling these harmful adhesion can prevent and treat infection with low risks of raising anti-microbial resistance.
Goal: modulate bacterial adhesion to treat infections
Video courtesy: TU/e Animation Studio)
Environmental impact
Interactions between diverse microbes shape the environments around us. For instance, bacteria interact with photosynthetic micro-algae help sink up to 50% of the global CO2 annually, thus having substantial implications for climate change.
Adhesin mediated bacterium-microalga interactions with ice for survival in extreme environments
Video courtesy: TU/e Animation Studio)
Funding sources
We are grateful for funding support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research and McGill Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
The Guo Lab is a member of the Centre de Recherche en Biologie Structurale (CRBS) and the Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) Centre at McGill University. Our research is supported by the state-of-the-art cryo-EM instrumentation at the Facility for Electron Microscopy Research (FEMR).
