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Second “ERC Advanced Investigator Grant” Awarded to a Scientist from the Biozentrum

The infection biologist Prof. Guy Cornelis from the Biozentrum, University of Basel, has been awarded the coveted “ERC Advanced Investigator Grant” by the European Research Council for his outstanding scientific work. Cornelis has received this prize of close to 1.5 million euros in recognition of his achievements in investigating bacterial infectious diseases. The “ERC Advanced Investigator Grant” - a module of the 7th EU Framework Program - is awarded to exceptional leading scientists in Europe and provides them with intensive support over a five year period.

The infection biologist Prof. Guy Cornelis has been working as a Professor of Molecular Microbiology at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel since 2001. His main research focus is the investigation of the complex mechanisms of action of bacterial infectious diseases, such as the pathogen responsible for the bubonic plague or “Black Death”, Yersinia pestis. Cornelis has worked with this pathogen as well as Yersinia enterocolitica for over 25 years. The bacterium Yersinia enterocolitica is closely related to the plague pathogen but is significantly less harmful in that it merely causes a mild gastrointestinal infection in humans.

Already in the 80’s, Cornelis contributed to the discovery of the mechanism of action of Yersinia enterocolitica at the University of Louvain, in Belgium. Just as with Y. pestis, this pathogen uses a special apparatus to infect the host with the disease bearing effector protein, called the Type III secretion system. Yersinia enterocolitica, in which it is possible to closely investigate this special injection mechanism, has become an exceptionally important organism in research.  Cornelis’ work provides an important basis for the development of new approaches to prevent such fatal infections in the future, as well as many others that also involve type-III secretion.

The European Research Council honored Cornelis, when he was chosen, giving him recognition as “a World expert on Type III secretion systems” as well as “an outstanding mentor and key opinion leader in the field of molecular microbiology”. Within the framework the ERC Advanced Investigator Grant, worth 1.5 million euros, Cornelis intends to investigate new aspects of the microbe-host interactions as well as the virulence of pathogens more closely, in order to develop concepts for possible immunosuppressive factors. After reaching emeritus status next year, Cornelis plans to join his family in Namur, Belgium. He will use the research grant therefore at the Facultés Unversitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix (University of Namur), Belgium.

Second ERC Advanced Investigator Grant for the Biozentrum

With the ERC Advanced Investigator Grant, the European Research Council targets exceptional leaders in science throughout Europe, providing them with support for promising research projects for a period of five years. With this grant for Prof. Guy Cornelis, a total of seven scientists from the University of Basel have now received an ERC award. For the Biozentrum, it is the second ERC Advanced Investigator Grant.  This research prize was awarded to Prof. Silvia Arber in 2009.

 

Contact: Communications, Heike Sacher