uwicrest.gif (15331 bytes) The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados

Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences
      lavoie.jpg (19117 bytes) Prof Marc C Lavoie

      Professor of Microbiology

       

      Phone : 246 417 4354/4324
      Fax :     246 417 4325
      Envelope mlavoie(at)uwichill.edu.bb
Interests:

Microbial ecology; Natural antibacterial substances; Bacteriocins; Mutacins

 

Research Activities:

Since the discovery of penicillin, Man has struggled against microorganisms using antibiotics. On the other hand, microorganisms continually develop resistance mechanisms towards these different antibiotics.

Many approaches are actually used to develop new effective antimicrobial agents. The research activities of our laboratories concern the study of new natural antimicrobial agents from bacteria, cyanobacteria, yeasts, micro-algae and fungi.

Our objectives are the detection, the purification, the characterisation, and the study of the mode of action of these new natural antibiotics. The results of our researches could eventually lead to the use of these new substances in our perpetual struggle against undesirable microorganisms.

 

Recent Publications:

Guillaume Nicolas, Isabelle Auger, Martine Beaudoin, Francois Hallé, Hélène Morency, Gisèle LaPointe and Marc C. Lavoie. 2004. Improvement of mutacin detection and production Accepted J. Microbiol Methods

Hélène Gaussier, Marc Lavoie and Muriel Subirade. 2003. Conformational changes of pediocin in an aqueous medium monitored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy: as biological implication. Biological Macromolecules. 1632:1-9.

Hélène Morency, Marilaine Mota-Meira, Gisèle LaPointe, Christophe Lacroix, and Marc C. Lavoie. 2001. Comparison of the activity spectra against pathogens of bacterial strains producing a mutacin or a lantibiotic. Canadian Journal  of Microbiology. 47:322-331.

Hélène Gaussier, Marc Lavoie and Muriel Subirade. 2002. Replacement of TFA with HCl in the hydrophobic purification steps of Pediocin PA-1: a structural effect. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 68(10):4803-4808.

Bekal-Si Ali S, Hurtubise Y, Lavoie MC, LaPointe G. 2002. Diversity of Streptococcus mutans bacteriocins as confirmed by DNA analysis using specific molecular probes. Gene. 283(1-2):125-31.

Hélène Morency, Marilaine Mota-Meira, Gisèle LaPointe, Christophe Lacroix, and Marc C. Lavoie. 2001. Comparison of the activity spectra against pathogens of bacterial strains producing a mutacin or a lantibiotic. Canadian Journal of Microbiology. 47:322-331.

Marilaine Mota-Meira, Gisèle La Pointe, Christophe Lacroix, Marc C. Lavoie. 2000. Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations of Mutacin B-Ny266, Nisin A, Vancomycin, and Oxacillin Against Bacterial Pathogens. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 44:24-29.

Patent:

Marc C. Lavoie, Marilaine Mota-Meira, Gisèle LaPointe, Christophe Lacroix.2001. Lantibiotic from Streptococcus mutans, method of production and use there of.  US patent Bureau No. 6218362 B1, 17/04/2001.

 

Last update February 15, 2008