BACTERIAL CELL PHYSIOLOGY AND INFECTION BIOLOGY

We study the biology of bacteria that inhabit environments ranging from freshwater, to soil, to the interior of mammalian cells. Scientists in our group utilize a cross-disciplinary set of experimental tools as they work to understand how bacterial cells adapt their physiology to survive changing physical and chemical landscapes.

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Our studies primarily focus on Alphaproteobacteria including mammalian pathogens of the genus Brucella, the freshwater/soil bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, and the marine photoheterotroph Erythrobacter litoralis. We also collaborate with clinicians and ecologists on studies of Bacteroides fragilis and other bacteria that reside in the human gut. We are working to understand the contribution of these microbes to inflammatory bowel diseases.

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Students and postdocs in the lab develop and drive a diverse set of projects. For additional information on our work, see our                       .