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

Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences

      Dr Marilaine Mota-Meira

      Lecturer in Food Microbiology

       

      Phone: 246- 417 4341

      Fax: 246- 417 4325

      Envelopemmeira(at)uwichill.edu.bb

Interests:

Food microbiology; Bacterial biofilms; Antibacterial substances; Bacteriocins; Mutacins.  

 

Research Activities:

The emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogenic strains actually represents a major problem in hospitals. Antimicrobial peptides, particularly bacteriocins and lantibiotics, may be good candidates for replacement of antibiotics to which bacteria became resistant. Their use as food biopreservative has also been intensively studied in recent years. Nisin, produced by Lactococcus lactis, is a good example. Marine microorganisms have become important in the search for novel microbial products.

My research activities actually concern the study of natural antimicrobial substances from diverse micro-organisms, especially from marine bacteria. The objectives are the detection, purification, characterization, and study of the mode of action of new natural antagonistic substances produced by marine microorganisms.

 

Selected Publications:

 

Marilaine Mota-Meira, Hélène Morency and Marc C. Lavoie. 2005. In vivo activity of mutacin B-Ny266. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, September 9 (online).

Robert E, Marquis, Sarah A. Clock, and Marilaine Mota-Meira. 2003. Fluoride and organic weak acids as modulators of bacterial physiology. FEMS Microbiology Reviews. 26:493-510.

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.

Mota-Meira, M., G. Lapointe, C. Lacroix, and M. C. Lavoie. 1997. Purification and structure of mutacin B-Ny266: a new lantibiotic produced by Streptococcus mutans. FEBS Letters w: 275-279.

Mota-Meira, M., J. Arul, J. Thibault, and M. C. Lavoie, 1992. Bactericidal effect of CO2 under pressure. Proc. First European Seminar on High Pressure and Biotechnology. C. Balney et al. (ed), INSERM Montpellier, France, p.100-105.

Patent:

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

Education:

University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, Post-doctoral in Microbiology, 2001. Study of oral bacteria biofilm.

Université Laval, Québec, Qué. – Canada, Ph. D. in Food and Technology Science, 1999. Thesis: Study of mutacin B-Ny266: the new lantibiotic.

Université Laval, Québec, Qué. – Canada, Master in Food and Technology Science, 1992. Thesis: Study of a new antimicrobial proceeding (CO2 under pressure) to preserver foods.

Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR – Brazil, Baccalaureate in Chemical Engineering, 1984

 

Last update February 15, 2008