Sophie Kernéis-Golsteyn is a scientist specializing in microbiology and cell biology. She obtained her doctorate degree in microbial ecology at the University of Paris XI, France. Following her PhD she joined the laboratory of professor Jean-Pierre Kraehenbuhl at ISREC (Swiss Institute of Cancer Research), Switzerland.
Prior to moving to Lethbridge, she was a tenured research scientist at the Pasteur Institute in Paris where she developed a unique experimental model of a cell in the intestinal tract, known as M-cells of Peyer’s patch. This work is published in the journal Science and is still used around the world (596 citations).
In Lethbridge, Sophie’s research focused on cancer and natural products at the University of Lethbridge, where she was studying cancer cell survival after treatment with anti-cancer drugs.
At Lethbridge College, Sophie has established the Microbial Research Group, which is investigating the veterinary and medical properties of native plants of Alberta. Her group is discovering new antimicrobial properties of prairie plants, and new anti-cancer compounds in collaboration with the Natural Product Laboratory at the University of Lethbridge.
Areas of expertise
- microbiology
- cell biology
- microscopy
- immunofluorescence microscopy
- animal experimentation
Current research project
The Antibiotics Alberta Plant Project (AAPP) developed at Lethbridge College is identifying new antimicrobial molecules in plants native to Alberta. Made possible by a two-year CARIF grant from the Centre for Applied Research and Innovation, this project is meeting the World Health Organization’s request to find new antibiotics to treat infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Find out more about this project.
Publications and presentations
- Natural product extracts of the Canadian prairie plant, Thermopsis rhombifolia, have anti-cancer activity in phenotypic cell based assays (2014)
- Human cells enter mitosis with damaged DNA after treatment with pharmacological concentrations of genotoxic agents (2012)
- Human BAHD1 promotes heterochromatic gene silencing. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (2009)
- An ex-vivo human intestinal model to study Entamoeba histolytica pathogenesis. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (2009)
- Retention of Plasmodium falciparum ring-infected erythrocytes in the slow, open microcirculation of the human spleen (2008)
- Biofilm formation by saprophytic and pathogenic leptospires (2008)
- Expression and distribution of beta1 integrins in in vitro-induced M cells: implications for Yersinia adhesion to Peyer's patch epithelium (2004)
- Interaction of pathogenic bacteria with rabbit appendix M cells: bacterial motility is a key feature in vivo (2004)
- Lymphoepithelial interactions trigger specific regulation of gene expression in the M cell-containing follicle-associated epithelium of Peyer's patches (2002)
- Translocation of Yersinia enterocolitica across reconstituted intestinal epithelial monolayers is triggered by Yersinia invasin binding to β1 integrins apically expressed on M-like cells (2000)
- Molecular studies of the intestinal mucosal barrier physiopathology using cocultures of epithelial and immune cells: a technical update (2000)
- Translocation of ribosomal immunostimulant through an in vitro-reconstituted digestive barrier containing M-like cells (2000)