Prof. dr. Eric Déziel

• Professor-investigator
• INRS-Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie

Prof. Eric Déziel obtained his B.Sc in microbiology/immunology and biotechnology from McGill University (Montréal, Québec, Canada), his M.Sc. in applied microbiology from the Institut Armand-Frappier, and his Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the École Polytechnique de Montréal (2001). Following postdoctoral training in bacterial pathogenesis at the Harvard Medical School (Boston, USA), he joined the INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier in January 2005 in a faculty position. Now full professor, Dr. Déziel holds the Canada Research Chair in sociomicrobiology. His main research interests, mostly focused on the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia, are aimed at a better understanding of multicellularity phenomena, such as cell-to-cell communication (quorum sensing) and swarming motility. For almost 25 years, he has been investigating the functions of surface-active rhamnolipids and the factors modulating their production. Notably, he has contributed in the development of analytical methods, in the elucidation of the biosynthetic pathway and regulatory mechanisms of these biosurfactants, and in revealing their importance in bacterial social phenomena.