Research Description
We are a new lab interested in studying pathways that are important for survival of bacterial pathogens under the stressful conditions that they encounter inside and outside of the host.  We are currently focusing on two main areas: (1) the synthesis and degradation of carbohydrate-based polymers on bacterial surfaces, and (2) resistance mechanisms that allow bacteria to evade lytic cell death.  Using tools from biochemistry/chemical biology, chemistry, and microbiology (including sequencing-based approaches), we seek to discover the molecular players that modulate these pathways, and design molecules that can mimic or inhibit their functions.  With expertise in clinically-relevant bacteria, like Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we can answer fundamental questions that pertain to human infectious disease.