معرفی
David Bikard is the Head of the Synthetic Biology group at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, where he conducts cutting-edge research on bacterial immunity and CRISPR-based technologies. His work bridges fundamental microbiology with biotechnological applications, focusing on the interactions between bacteria and bacteriophages, and the development of novel tools for genome editing and antimicrobial therapies.
Research Interests: His research spans synthetic biology, CRISPR-Cas systems, bacterial immunity, microbiome engineering, and antibiotic resistance. He investigates how bacteria defend themselves against phages and how these defense mechanisms—like CRISPR—can be repurposed for precise genetic manipulation. His lab has pioneered CRISPRi (CRISPR interference) tools for gene regulation in bacteria, enabling fine-tuned control of gene expression and high-throughput functional genomics.
Recent Publication Trends: His recent work emphasizes in vivo applications of CRISPR for gut microbiome editing, the ecological role of CRISPR systems in plasmid competition, and the development of CRISPR-based antimicrobials targeting multidrug-resistant pathogens like Klebsiella pneumoniae. His publications appear in top journals such as Nature, Science, and Cell Host & Microbe, reflecting a strong focus on translational microbiology and genome engineering.
- ERC Starting Grant – CRISPAIR project on CRISPR interference and DNA repair
- ERC Consolidator Grant – In situ genetic perturbation of gut bacteria with engineered phage vectors and CRISPR
Advising and Grants: David Bikard mentors a diverse team of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. His lab is supported by major competitive grants, including two European Research Council (ERC) awards, underscoring the innovation and impact of his research. He actively collaborates across disciplines and institutions, contributing to the broader synthetic biology and microbiology communities.
Labs and Platforms: His laboratory is part of the Department of Microbiology at the Institut Pasteur. The team develops and shares molecular tools through platforms like Addgene. They also maintain web resources such as crispr.pasteur.fr for guide RNA design and CRISPR screen analysis, promoting open science and reproducibility in bacterial genome engineering.
