Our laboratory is focused on characterizing biochemical and biophysical markers of bacterial cell death, with the goal of identifying novel means for treating infectious disease and combatting resistance formation based on elucidation of the intrinsic responses of pathogens to lethal stress.\n\nOne core line of research involves developing synthetic biology platforms for exploring cell death physiology and triggering unique associated behaviors, using biomimicry of natural systems as a design blueprint. Most notably, we are interested in engineering RNA-based devices for detecting stress-altered biochemistry, as well as tools for surveilling emergent ultrastructural properties induced by lethal perturbations. \n\nOur other core line of work seeks to apply systems biology analysis methods towards advancing our understanding of how cytotoxic stress-induced physiological alterations impact the cell death process. In particular, we are interested in quantitatively determining how bioenergetic flux informs death phenotype appearance, and ultimately the kill kinetics of lethal perturbations.
