Research Interests
Like animals, bacteria grow in many different shapes, but almost everything that we know about bacterial shape is based on straight rod-shaped cells like E. coli and B. subtilis. We combine genetics, biochemistry, biophysics, and cell biology to discover the unique ways that important bacterial pathogens grow into different shapes like spheres and spirals. Bacterial cell shape is determined by a rigid cell envelope, a 3D structure that surrounds the cell like an exoskeleton, separating and protecting the cell from its environment. Thus, figuring out how bacteria grow into different shapes means understanding how they pattern the growth of their cell envelopes. Our research into cell shape and cell envelop biogenesis identifies hidden vulnerabilities in bacterial growth plans and helps us understand how cell shape contributes to infection and antibiotic resistance. We focus on two pathogens with very different shapes, round Staphylococcus aureus and corkscrew-shaped Vibrio cholerae. See the Research Projects page for more information.
Join us!
Our lab is new and is recruiting people at all levels. We have multiple ongoing projects that are ready to push forward, and we are also interested in hearing your exciting project ideas. Whether you are starting out your career in science as a technician, looking for training as an undergraduate/grad student/postdoc, or want a forever home as a staff (Staph?) scientist, please reach out to discuss opportunities.