Gerardo Cárcamo-Oyarce, Ph.D.
- Title
- Assistant Professor
- Department
- Biomedicine, Faculty of Biological Sciences; Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine
- Institution
- Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
- Address
- Alameda 340
- City, State, ZIP
- Santiago, Región Metropolitana, 8331150
- Country
- Chile
- [email protected]
- Research field
- Microbiology
Research
Our lab is interested in understanding individual and collective bacterial behaviors as microorganisms interact with their immediate surroundings, including surfaces, other microbes, and host cells. We aim to identify the specific signals and stimuli that trigger distinct bacterial responses and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms governing these responses, particularly in the context of beneficial or detrimental interactions with the host. A central focus of our research is deciphering how bacteria transition to a biofilm lifestyle, characterizing the specific bacterial interactions that occur within these communities, and understanding the phenotypic consequences of this spatial organization. We use several bacterial models, with a particular emphasis on Pseudomonas spp., to address these questions at the interface of microbiology, genetics, and host-pathogen biology.
Partnership Award
With the Partnership Award, Gerardo Cárcamo-Oyarce, Ph.D., and Luis F. Larrondo, Ph.D., will team up to establish a new optogenetic (light-based) platform for studying the formation of biofilms by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These biofilms contribute to microbial persistence, virulence, and antibiotic tolerance. The processes by which biofilms form are poorly understood, largely because researchers lack the tools to study them with the necessary spatiotemporal precision. This work unites Larrondo’s expertise in optogenetics with Cárcamo-Oyarce’s experience in bacterial genetics and Pseudomonas physiology. Together, they will engineer optogenetic switches that can be used to precisely control ecological interactions, creating a new optoecology platform for investigating how metabolic cooperation and spatial organization drive biofilm formation. Using this platform, they will define the rules of biofilm formation and decode how biofilms interact with their hosts. This project will lay the foundation for a long-term collaboration with the potential to illuminate key aspects of bacterial dynamics and evolution.
