CURRICULUM VITAE

• Doctor in Pharmacy, Université Clermont I, France, 1988
• MSc, Université Clermont Blaise Pascal, France, 1988
• PhD, Université Nice-Sophia Antipolis, France, 1993
  
  
• Research Associate, Station Zoologique de Villefranche sur mer, France, 1993-1994
• Research Associate, CSIRO Plant Industry, Canberra, Australia, 1994-1996
• Research Associate, Institute of Genetics, University of Nottingham, U.K., 1996-1998
• Research Scientist, CNRS, France, 1998-today

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Evolutionary biology
• Molecular evolution and genomics

My research employs computer analyses of nucleotide and protein sequence data to address a range of evolutionary questions. I have thus studied the evolutionary history of a variety of organisms, ranging from sponges and echinoderms to protists, bacteria and viruses.

In recent years, most of my work has focused on the evolution of bacteria. Analyses of bacterial genomes provide insights into the mutational and selective forces shaping them; a particular interest is the evolution of multipartite genome in bacteria and its impact on bacterial diversification.

PUBLICATIONS

Liégeois, F., B. Lafay , P. Formenty, S. Locatelli, V. Courgnaud, E. Delaporte and M. Peeters. (2009) Full length genome characterization of a novel simian immunodeficiency virus lineage (SIVolc) from olive colobus (Procolobus verus) and new SIVwrcPbb strains from western red colobus (Piliocolobus badius badius) from the Taï forest in Ivory Coast. Journal of Virology, 83:428-439.

Locatelli S., B. Lafay, F. Liegeois, N. Ting, E. Delaporte and M. Peeters. (2008) Molecular characterization of a simian immunodeficiency virus lineage (SIVwrc) from western red colobus (Piliocolobus badius temincki). Virology, 376:90-100.

Mathieu-Daudé, F., B Lafay, O. Touzet, J. Lelièvre, F. Parrado, M.-F. Bosseno, S. Fatha, S.F. Brenière (2008) Exploring the FL-160-CRP gene family expressed by trypomastigote stages of Trypanosoma cruzi. Infection, Genetics and Evolution, 8:258-266.

Mercier, J.-F., Kingsburry C., Slater, G.W. and B.. Lafay. (2008) Quantitative predictions for DNA two-dimensional display according to size and nucleotide sequence composition.Electrophoresis, 29:1264-1272.

Liégeois, F., B. Lafay, W.M. Switzer, S. Locatelli, E. Mpoudi-Ngolé, S. Loul, W. Heneine, E. Delaporte and M. Peeters. (2008) Identification and molecular characterization of new STLV-1 and STLV-3 strains in wild-caught nonhuman primates in Cameroon. Virology, 371:405-417.

Locatelli S., F. Liegeois, B. Lafay, A.D. Roeder, M.W. Bruford, P. Formenty, R. Noë, E. Delaporte, and M. Peeters. (2008) Prevalence and genetic diversity of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus infection in wildliving red colobus monkeys (Piliocolobus badius badius) from the Taï Forest, Côte d’Ivoire. Infection, Genetics and Evolution, 8:1-14.

F. Van Heuverswyn, Y. Li, E. Bailes, C. Neel, B. Lafay, B. Keele, K.S. Shaw, J. Takehisa, M.H. Krauss, S. Loul, C. Butel, F. Liegeois, B. Yangda, P.M Sharp, E. Mpoudi-Ngolle, E. Delaporte, B.H. Hahn and M. Peeters. (2007) Genetic diversity and phylogeographic clustering of SIVcpzPtt in wild chimpanzees in Cameroon. Virology,368:155-171.

Lafay, B., and J.J. Burdon (2007) Molecular diversity of legume root-nodule bacteria in Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia. PloS One, 2(3):e277. Doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000277.

J. Telleria, B. Lafay, M. Virreira, C. Barnabé, M. Tibayrenc, and M. Svoboda (2006) Trypanosoma cruzi: sequence analysis of the hypervariable region of kinetoplast minicircles. Experimental Parasitology, 114:279-288.

Lafay, B., E. Bullier and J.J. Burdon (2006) Bradyrhizobia isolated from root nodules of Parasponia (Ulmaceae) do not constitute a separate coherent lineage. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 56:1013-1018.

Lafay, B., and J.J. Burdon (2006) Molecular diversity of rhizobia nodulating the invasive legume Cytisus scoparius in Australia. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 100:1228-1238.

Blanc-Potard, A.-B. and B. Lafay (2003) MgtC as an horizontally-acquired virulence factor of intracellular bacterial pathogens: evidence from molecular phylogeny and comparative genomics. Journal of Molecular Evolution. 57:479-486.

Parker, M.A., B. Lafay, J.J. Burdon and P. van Berkum (2002) Conflicting phylogeographic patterns in rRNA and nifD indicate regionally-restricted gene transfer in Bradyrhizobium. Microbiology, 148:2557-2565.

Lafay, B., and J.J. Burdon (2001) Small-subunit rRNA genotyping of rhizobia nodulating Australian Acacia spp. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 67:396-402.

Lafay, B., J.C. Atherton, and P.M. Sharp (2000) Absence of translationally selected synonymous codon usage bias in Helicobacter pylori. Microbiology, 146:851-860.

Borchiellini, C., C. Chombard, B. Lafay, and N. Boury-Esnault) (2000) Molecular systematics of sponges (Porifera). Hydrobiologia, 420:15-27.

Lafay, B., and P.M. Sharp (1999) Synonymous codon usage variation among Giardia lamblia genes and isolates. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 16:1484-1495.

Lafay, B., A.T. Lloyd, M.J. McLean, K.M. Devine, P.M. Sharp, and K.H. Wolfe (1999) Proteome composition and codon usage in spirochaetes: species-specific and DNA strand-specific mutational biases. Nucleic Acids Research, 27:1642-1649.

Lafay, B., and J.J. Burdon (1998) Molecular diversity of rhizobia occurring on native shrubby legumes in South-Eastern Australia. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 64:3989-3997.

Cilia, V., B. Lafay, and R. Christen (1996) Sequence heterogeneities exist among the 16S ribosomal RNA sequences of the seven operons in Escherichia coli strain PK3 that can affect phylogenetic analyses at the species level. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 13:451-461.

Lafay, B., A.B. Smith, and R. Christen (1995) A combined morphological and molecular approach to the phylogeny of Asteroids (Asteroidea: Echinodermata). Systematic Biology, 44:190-208.

Smith, A. B., G. J. L. Paterson, and B. Lafay (1995) Ophiuroid phylogeny and higher taxonomy: morphological, molecular and palaeontological perspectives. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 114:213-243.

Lafay, B., R. Ruimy, C. Rausch de Traubenberg, V. Breittmayer, M. Gauthier, and R. Christen (1995) Roseobacter algocolus, sp. nov., a new toxin-producing marine bacterium isolated from the phycosphere of the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum lima. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology, 45:290-296.

Gauthier, G., B. Lafay, R. Ruimy, V. Breittmayer, J.-L. Nicolas, M. Gauthier, and R. Christen (1995) Small-subunit ribosomal RNA sequences and whole DNA relatedness concur for the reassignement of Pasteurella piscicida (Sniezko et coll.) Janssen and Surgalla to the genus Photobacterium as Photobacterium damsela subspecies piscicida comb. Nov. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology, 45:139-144.

Ruimy, R., V. Breittnayer, P. Elbaze, B. Lafay, O. Boussemart, M. Gauthier, and R. Christen (1994) Phylogenetic analysis and assessment of the genera Vibrio, Photobacterium, Aeromonas, and Plesiomonas deduced from small-subunit rRNA sequences. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology, 44:416-426.

Lafay, B., N. Boury-Esnault, J. Vacelet, and R. Christen (1992) An analysis of partial 28S ribosomal RNA sequences suggests early radiations of sponges. BioSystems, 28:139-151.

Smith, A. B., B. Lafay, and R. Christen (1992) Comparative variation of morphological and molecular evolution through geologic time: 28S ribosomal RNA versus morphology in echinoids. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, London B, 338:365-382.

Gauthier, M., B. Lafay, R. Christen, L. Fernandez, M. Acquaviva, P. Bonin, and J. C. Bertrand (1992) Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus gen. nov. sp. nov., a new extreme halotolerant hydrocarbon degrading marine bacterium. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology, 42:568-576.

Canard, B., T. Garnier, B. Lafay, R. Christen, and S. T. Cole (1992) Phylogenetic analysis of the pathogenic anaerobe Clostridium perfringens using the 16S rRNA nucleotide sequence. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology, 42:312-314.