Didier Raoult
Encyclopedia
Didier Raoult is a French
biology
researcher. He hold MD and PhD degrees, and specializes in infectious diseases. He "is classified among the first ten French researchers by the journal Nature, for the number of his publications (a credit of more than one thousand) and for his citations number, as it was reported in 2008 by the daily economic newspaper resuming his work." In 1984, he created the Rickettsia Unit at the University of the Mediterranean. He also teaches infectious diseases in the Faculty of Medicine of the University of the Mediterranean
, and had managed since 1982, 74 M.D. theses and since 1989, 38 PhD theses. , he has 1,257 indexed publications, with a sum of the times cited of 25,741 and a H-index of 73 (source: SCI, Web of Science), including 5 papers in Science
and 2 in Nature
, (source: PubMed) the two most representative reviews according to the academic ranking of world universities.
Since 2008, professor Raoult has been the director the “URMITE” i.e. the Research Unit in Infectious and Tropical Emergent Diseases, collaborating with CNRS (National Center for the Scientific Research), IRD (Research for the Development Institute), and the University of the Méditerranée in Marseille. His laboratory employs 140 people, including 45 very active researchers who publish between 150 and 200 papers per year, and had produced 25 patents to date.
and showed their implication in human pathologies. Two bacteria have been named for him: Raoultella planticola
and Rickettsia raoultii.
collaborator center.
For Bartonella, the team was the first to identify their role in endocarditis.
For Q fever, a disease transmitted by the bacterial agent Coxiella burnetii, the whole of the diagnostic protocols as well on serologic as molecular biology aspects were set up at the laboratory.
, was described in 1907 by George Hoyt Whipple, M.D., but was isolated for the first time in Raoult's laboratory. The discovery of this bacteria completely changed the profile of the disease and it is now shown that the bacteria is relatively common in the environment and the stools.
. The possibilities of new discovery in this field are varied and promising.
and since then, 24 bacterial genomes have been sequenced, as well as those of 7 giant viruses (14 of these 31 sequenced genomes having been published)
s added in the industrial dairy products and obesity.
In the journal Nature Reviews Microbiology of September 2009, Raoult indicates: "humans, particularly children, have been taking these same probiotics for many years, especially in fermented dairy products" and they would have their share of responsibility in the human obesity epidemic
…"
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
researcher. He hold MD and PhD degrees, and specializes in infectious diseases. He "is classified among the first ten French researchers by the journal Nature, for the number of his publications (a credit of more than one thousand) and for his citations number, as it was reported in 2008 by the daily economic newspaper resuming his work." In 1984, he created the Rickettsia Unit at the University of the Mediterranean. He also teaches infectious diseases in the Faculty of Medicine of the University of the Mediterranean
University of the Mediterranean
The University of the Mediterranean Aix-Marseille II is a French university in the Academy of Aix and Marseille. Historically, it was part of the University of Aix-Marseille based across the communes of Aix-en-Provence and Marseille in southern France...
, and had managed since 1982, 74 M.D. theses and since 1989, 38 PhD theses. , he has 1,257 indexed publications, with a sum of the times cited of 25,741 and a H-index of 73 (source: SCI, Web of Science), including 5 papers in Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
and 2 in Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
, (source: PubMed) the two most representative reviews according to the academic ranking of world universities.
Since 2008, professor Raoult has been the director the “URMITE” i.e. the Research Unit in Infectious and Tropical Emergent Diseases, collaborating with CNRS (National Center for the Scientific Research), IRD (Research for the Development Institute), and the University of the Méditerranée in Marseille. His laboratory employs 140 people, including 45 very active researchers who publish between 150 and 200 papers per year, and had produced 25 patents to date.
Giant Viruses
Raoult's team carried out the discovery of very large sizes of viruses :- In 1992, the team discovers the largest virus known to date: the MimivirusMimivirusMimivirus is a viral genus containing a single identified species named Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus , or is a group of phylogenetically related large viruses . In colloquial speech, APMV is more commonly referred to as just “mimivirus”...
- Later, they discover the first virophageSputnik virophageSputnik virophage is a subviral agent that reproduces in amoeba cells that are already infected by a certain helper virus; Sputnik uses the helper virus's machinery for reproduction and inhibits replication of the helper virus.Viruses like Sputnik that depend on co-infection of the host cell by...
, a virus able to infect another virus to reproduce. The discovery appears promising: "by exploiting this mechanism, scientists may consider profitably using the strategy of viral infection to attack the most resistant viruses." - In 2009, the team discovers another giant virus, named MarseillevirusMarseillevirusThe Marseillevirus is the prototype of a family of nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses of eukaryotes...
New bacteria
Since the 1990s, Raoult and his team have identified and described approximately 96 new pathogenic bacteriaBacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
and showed their implication in human pathologies. Two bacteria have been named for him: Raoultella planticola
Raoultella planticola
Raoultella planticola is a gram-negative bacteria of the genus Raoultella. A number of strains have been identified. Raoultella planticola has been determined to cause severe pancreatitis in one case.- Taxonomic reclassification :...
and Rickettsia raoultii.
Rickettsia, Bartonella, Q fever
Raoult developed the field of the intracellular bacteria culture, then initiated the field of the emergent rickettsioses and with his team could identify 10 new human pathogenic Rickettsia species. The laboratory quickly became a National Reference Center (partnership with InVS : National Health Institute) and a WHOWorld Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
collaborator center.
For Bartonella, the team was the first to identify their role in endocarditis.
For Q fever, a disease transmitted by the bacterial agent Coxiella burnetii, the whole of the diagnostic protocols as well on serologic as molecular biology aspects were set up at the laboratory.
Whipple’s disease
Tropheryma whipplei, the causal agent of Whipple's diseaseWhipple's disease
Whipple's disease is a rare, systemic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Tropheryma whipplei. First described by George Hoyt Whipple in 1907 and commonly considered a gastrointestinal disorder, Whipple's disease primarily causes malabsorption but may affect any part of the body including...
, was described in 1907 by George Hoyt Whipple, M.D., but was isolated for the first time in Raoult's laboratory. The discovery of this bacteria completely changed the profile of the disease and it is now shown that the bacteria is relatively common in the environment and the stools.
Paleomicrobiology
Mediterranean Habour, Marseilles has been exposed to multiple epidemics. This led Raoult's laboratory to collaborate with anthropologists and odontologists teams, in order to identify the cause of the plague epidemics. They developed an original technique of DNA extraction from dental pulp and showed that Yersina pestis orientalis was at the origin of various plague epidemics (Justinian plague and medieval plague). This also led them to elucidate the cause of death of many of Napoleon’s soldiers during the Russian retreat, following the discovery of a mass grave in VilniusVilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
. The possibilities of new discovery in this field are varied and promising.
Microbiogenomic
In 1999, Raoult decided to start a new program of genomics and to apply this to clinical microbiology. The team started with Rickettsia conoriiRickettsia conorii
Rickettsia conorii is a unicellular, gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium of the genus Rickettsia that causes human disease called Boutonneuse fever, Mediterranean spotted fever, Israeli tick typhus, Astrakhan spotted fever, Kenya tick typhus, Indian tick typhus, or other names that...
and since then, 24 bacterial genomes have been sequenced, as well as those of 7 giant viruses (14 of these 31 sequenced genomes having been published)
Probiotics
The last field of research developed by Raoult represents for him major question of public health. It relates to handling of the intestinal flora and obesity. Raoult is investigating whether there is a link between probioticProbiotic
Probiotics are live microorganisms thought to be beneficial to the host organism. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO, probiotics are: "Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host"...
s added in the industrial dairy products and obesity.
In the journal Nature Reviews Microbiology of September 2009, Raoult indicates: "humans, particularly children, have been taking these same probiotics for many years, especially in fermented dairy products" and they would have their share of responsibility in the human obesity epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
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related Articles
- Hospital of Timone
- MimivirusMimivirusMimivirus is a viral genus containing a single identified species named Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus , or is a group of phylogenetically related large viruses . In colloquial speech, APMV is more commonly referred to as just “mimivirus”...
- Virophage
- Whipple's diseaseWhipple's diseaseWhipple's disease is a rare, systemic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Tropheryma whipplei. First described by George Hoyt Whipple in 1907 and commonly considered a gastrointestinal disorder, Whipple's disease primarily causes malabsorption but may affect any part of the body including...