CIR Seminar: Professor Matthias Trost

"Phagosome proteomics: from 2D gels to ultra-sensitive mass spectrometry"

Professor Matthias Trost Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University 

Host: Dr Alejandro Brenes

attendance is compulsory at our seminars for CIR MSc and PhD students

Abstract: Microbial infections pose a significant threat to both human and animal health. Innate immune serve as the first line of defence, engulfing invading pathogens into specialized de novo organelles called phagosomes. Phagosomes are highly dynamic and heterogeneous, and many human pathogens have evolved to manipulate phagosome maturation, which is essential for their survival and replication within host cells. Despite the critical importance of this process, the molecular details of these host-pathogen interactions remain poorly understood, mainly due to the challenges of isolating pure pathogen-containing phagosomes. Here, we developed and employed an innovative novel strategy for isolating microbe-containing phagosomes using flow cytometry and applied it as proof-of-concept to the pathogen Salmonella Typhimurium (STM). We comprehensively analysed both phagosomal and intra-phagosomal pathogen proteomes with ultra-sensitive proteomics, providing an unparalleled phagosome proteome analysis in human macrophages. Our approach provides higher throughput, requires lower cell numbers and quantifies more proteins than previous techniques. Our data reveals key host-pathogen interactions, showing induction of PhoP-dependent virulence factors and novel putative proteins that shape STM’s intracellular niche. Moreover, our data indicates that bacteria-containing phagosomes recruit mitochondrial membrane for production of reactive oxygen species. These findings provide new insights into Salmonella’s manipulation of phagosomal maturation and intracellular niche formation.
As this is a lecture supported by the British Society for Proteome Research, Matthias will also highlight the some of the astonishing new developments in proteomics technology.

Bio: Matthias is a proteomics expert with over 30 years of experience in mass spectrometry. He studied Chemistry in Freiburg, Germany, and Manchester, UK, did his PhD in Cellular Microbiology and Proteomics at the Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig, Germany, and his post-doctoral research at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer in Montréal, Canada. In 2010, Matthias became Group Leader and Head of Proteomics at the MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit (MRC PPU) at the University of Dundee. In 2017, Matthias was appointed Professor of Proteomics at Newcastle University and in 2026, Matthias moved to the University of Manchester to take the same role there. 

His main biological interest is in phagosome and macrophage biology and particularly signalling events in innate immunity driven by phosphorylation and ubiquitylation. In recent years, his lab has additionally focused on using mass spectrometry for drug discovery. For this, the lab pioneered the usage of high-throughput MALDI TOF mass spectrometry for drug screening which has attracted significant industry interest and for which he was awarded the Biochemical Society’s Industry and Academic Collaboration Award in 2022. 

Seminar followed by CIR student meet the speaker session in the Niche at 1pm over lunch. If you would like to attend please contact Gabi van Stralen: G.Van-Stralen@sms.ed.ac.uk advising if you have any food allergies/dietary requirements