Jenny-Lee Thomassin BSc, MSc, PhD
Assistant Professor Biochemistry, Microbiology & Immunology

Education

• BSc Biology, hons. (2006) Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS
• Dipl. Forensic science (2006) Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS
• MSc, Microbiology and Immunology (2009) Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
• PhD, Microbiology and Immunology (2014) McGill University, Montreal, Qc

Post-doctoral Training

• (2014-2015), McGill University, Montreal, Qc
• (2015-2017), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
• (2017-2018), Collège de France, Paris, France
• (2018-2020), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
 
Research Interests

The lab is broadly focused on how bacteria interact with and shape their local environment. We are more specifically interested in the molecular mechanisms involved in protein secretion, the targets of secreted proteins and the underlying mechanisms that promote bacterial survival within their niche.

Current work in the lab is focused on studying the bacteria type II secretion system (T2SS) in Klebsiella pneumoniae and pathogenic Escherichia coli. These projects use multidisciplinary approaches with the goal of providing insights into T2SS regulation, the molecular mechanisms of protein secretion by the T2SS, in addition to insight into host processes targeted by type II secreted enzymes.

1. Desloges I, Taylor J, Leclerc JM, Brannon JR, Portt A, Spencer JD, Dewar K, Marczynski GT, Manges A, Gruenheid S, Le Moual H, and Thomassin JL. 2019. Identification and characterization of OmpT-like proteases in uropathogenic Escherichia coli clinical isolates. MicrobiologyOpen. 8(11):e915
2. Lòpez-Goñi I, Giner-Lamia J, Alvarez Ordoñez A, Benitez-Paez A, Claessen D, Cortesao M, De Toro M, García-Ruano D, Granato ET, Kovács ÁT, Romalde J, Sana T, Sánchez M, Sangari F, Wiep K, Sturm T, Thomassin JL, Valdehuesa KN, and Zapotoczna M. 2019. #EUROmicroMOOC: using Twitter for the worldwide dissemination of microbiology trends. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 366(11):pii fnz141
3. Collet C*, Thomassin JL*, Francetic O, Genevaux P and Tran Van Nhieu G. 2018. Protein polarization driven by nucleoid exclusion of DnaK(HSP70)-substrates complexes. Nat Commun. 9 doi:10.1038/s41467-018-04414-2 *Indicates equal contribution
4. Lopez-Castilla A*, Thomassin JL*, Bardiaux B*, Zheng W, Nivaskumar M, Yu X, Nilges M, Egelman EH, Izadi-Pruneyre N and Francetic O. 2017. Structure of the calcium-dependent type 2 secretion pseudopilus. Nat Microbiol.2:1686-1695  *Indicates equal contribution
5. Thomassin JL, Santos-Moreno J, Guilvout I, Tran Van Nhieu G, and Francetic O. 2017. The trans-envelope architecture and function of the type 2 secretion system: new insights and more questions. Mol Microbiol. 105(2):211-226
6. Thomassin JL*, Leclerc JM*, Giannokopoulou N*, Zhu L, Salmon K, Portt A, Daigle F, Le Moual H, and Gruenheid S. 2017. Systematic analysis of two-component systems in Citrobacter rodentium reveals positive and negative roles in virulence. Infect Immun. 85(2):e00654-16 *Indicates equal contribution
7. Thomassin JL, Giannokopoulou N, Zhu L, Gross J, Salmon K, Leclerc JM, Daigle F, Le Moual H, and Gruenheid S. 2015. The CpxRA two-component system is essential for Citrobacter rodentium Infect Immun. 83(5):1919-1928
8. Thomassin JL, Lee MJ, Brannon JR, Sheppard DC, Gruenheid S, and Le Moual H. 2013. Both group 4 capsule and lipopolysaccharide O-antigen contribute to enteropathogenic Escherichia coli resistance to human α-defensin 5. PLOS ONE. Dec 4;8(12). Doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0082475
9. Le Moual H, Thomassin JL, and Brannon JR. 2013. Antimicrobial peptides as an alternative approach to treat bacterial infections. J Clin Cell Immunol. Doi:10.4172/2155-9899.S13-004