Symbiotic Relationships with Bacteria and Bugs

Many insects are known to harbor mutualistic bacterial symbionts that play important roles in host nutrition and defense.

Not all E. coli Make You Poop! Investigating Recurrent ExPEC Infection

Our group studies Extraintestinal Pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) bacteria, a leading cause of urinary tract and bloodstream infections. We are interested in understanding ExPEC virulence mechanisms as well as how these bacteria survive being killed by antibiotics and cause recurrent disease.

A Knead for Genetics: Using Yeast to Understand Organelle Biology

Organelles are the defining characteristic of eukaryotic cells. The membranes that enclose organelles are tightly regulated in response to stimuli and stress.

Discovering Novel Pathogens: The Fungus Among Us

When outbreaks of emerging diseases impact wildlife species or humanity, we are often caught completely unawares by never-before-discovered pathogens.

Fitness of Bacterial Plant Pathogens across Environmental Stresses

Plants are constantly exposed to a wide range of microbial pathogens, many of which can cause disease when environmental conditions favor infection.

Investigating the Role of “Fluke” in the Bacterial Flagellar System

Many bacteria move using long helical structures called flagella, tiny molecular nanomachines that rotate like propellers and enable cells to swim toward nutrients. Building and controlling such a complex structure requires dozens of specialized proteins working together in coordination.

Genetic Approaches to Understand Assembly of Type III Organelles: Flagella & Injectisomes

Our research is focused on understanding mechanisms for the construction of bacterial flagella organelles, which are propeller-like nanomachines used for swimming in liquid or crawling on surfaces.

Genetic Dissection of the Dalekin Signaling Pathway in Arabidopsis

Genetic dissection of the dalekin signaling pathway in Arabidopsis Plants use signaling between the shoot and the root to understand their environment and respond to stress. A root to shoot signaling that communicates the perception of rhizosphere stress to the shoot was discovered when analyzing a mutant with growth defects.

Exploring Living Dinosaurs

Our research aims at understanding the immense diversity of modern birds, while using this knowledge in applied and interdisciplinary contexts.

Fungal Symbiosis & Diversity