Bacteria have been around for a long time. Microbes and animals alike have evolved in their presence, resulting in numerous and complex interactions ranging from beneficial to antagonistic. We study the mechanistic forces that drive these relationships.

CELL–CELL recognition and signaling

When bacteria interface with other organisms, their cell surface provides both critical information about their identity and structural support for survival. These molecular functions underlie the specificity and consequences of interactions. The cell wall is a major structural component of bacterial surfaces that is itself chemically unique to bacteria, making it an important part of this recognition and signaling hub. We are interested in understanding how the highly dynamic and mesh-like nature of cell wall networks impact these different functions with a focus on cell wall-targeting toxins exchanged between competing bacteria. We are interested in developing new biochemical, molecular, and genetic strategies for probing the cell wall that enable us to think about the this structure in three-dimensional space at atomic, molecular, and cellular scales.

TICK–microbe interactions

Identification of novel cell wall-targeting antibacterial factors in animals led us to think about how microbial recognition also impacts the specificity of host–microbe relationships. We are particularly fascinated by how ticks stably partner with certain human pathogens, making them notoriously effective disease vectors. Ticks (which are arachnids, not insects!) control which microbes they associate with through the sole action of innate immunity, making conserved bacterial surface features, such as the cell wall, a critical component of recognition. We are investigating the molecular basis of tick–microbe symbioses and comparing these to mechanisms underlying interactions between ticks and their own natural pathogens. Our goal is to uncover fundamental principles underlying the different types of host–microbe interactions to provide insight into how these evolved and how they are maintained.