Jean-michel Bolla
SATT, Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France
Who is
Jean-michel Bolla
?
Jean-Michel Bolla is a French biomedical researcher specialising in microbiology, biochemistry, and antibiotic resistance. He earned his PhD in Cell Biology and Microbiology from Aix-Marseille University in 1990 and later obtained his Habilitation to Direct Research (HDR) in Microbiology and Biochemistry in 2006.
Dr. Bolla serves as a Senior Researcher (Directeur de Recherche) at Inserm (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research) and leads the Membranes and Therapeutic Targets (MCT) laboratory at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Aix-Marseille University. His research focuses on bacterial membrane transport mechanisms, particularly porins and efflux pumps, and their roles in antibiotic resistance. He has contributed to the development of novel strategies to combat multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.
Dr. Bolla’s deep understanding of bacterial membranes and transport mechanisms has not only advanced academic research but also sparked unexpected innovations like ColorFlux.
ColorFlux: when curiosity meets serendipity
Sometimes, breakthroughs don’t come from planned experiments, but from what happens when things don’t go as expected.
That’s exactly how ColorFlux was born.
Chemists Olivier Siri and Michel Camplo were developing phenazine molecules intended to serve as antibacterial agents or adjuvants. Alongside them, Mrunal Patil and Jean-Michel Bolla, an expert in bacterial transport, began screening the compounds.
But the initial results? Disappointing. No strong antibacterial effect. No obvious results.
But then, something unexpected happened.
The team noticed that certain bacteria were changing color depending on their efflux activity, a subtle visual clue tied to how cells pump out foreign substances. What started as an incidental observation soon turned into a full-fledged research question:
Could these compounds be used to detect efflux behavior in bacteria?
The answer was yes, and the result is ColorFlux, a simple yet powerful colorimetric test that visually reveals bacterial efflux activity in minutes. No PCR. No fancy machines. Just color change.
Michel Camplo Olivier Siri, Mrunal Patil and Jean-michel BollaA sibling technology: GlowMito
What makes the ColorFlux story even more striking is how quickly it followed the release of another successful tool: GlowMito.
Just four months earlier, GlowMito, a live-cell mitochondrial probe, had been released by Olivier Siri’s and Guy Lenaers.
Originally derived from the same phenazine family, GlowMito was developed to help researchers image mitochondria without altering cell physiology , with high specificity, minimal background, and easy-to-handle protocols.
GlowMito is designed for:
- Live-cell mitochondrial tracking
- Co-labeling with other fluorophores (compatible with GFP)
- High signal retention for up to 3 days without washing
This incredible pace speaks volumes about Dr. Siri’s vision, and his desire to transfer accessible, useful technologies to researchers everywhere.
Fluorescence to color change: A shared vision
ColorFlux isn’t just a colorimetric test. It’s a window into bacterial behavior, designed for any lab, no matter how high-tech. It's ideal for:
-
Quickly identifying efflux mutants and antibioresistant strains
- Evaluating potential inhibitors
- Teaching mechanisms of antibiotic resistance visually
And GlowMito continues to bring mitochondria to life under the microscope, where red fluorescence meets scientific clarity.
Two products. One molecule family. A whole lot of possibility.
Jean-Michel Bolla's ColorFlux publication
Mrunal Patil, Tatiana Munteanu, Gaël Brasseur, Carolina Ferreira, Sofia Santos Costa, Isabel Couto, Mohd Athar, Elisa Asunis, Attilio Vittorio Vargiu, Miguel Viveiros, Carole DiGiorgio, Frédéric Brunel, Jean-Manuel Raimundo, Michel Camplo, Olivier Siri, Jean-Michel Bolla —Unlocking the Gates: A Novel Diagnostic Molecule for Quantifying Efflux Levels in Gram-Positive Bacteria. doi: 10.1002/adhm.2024041451.