New tools for TB
Mycobacterium tuberculosis grows slowly and is difficult to manipulate because it is biohazardous. We have long been interested in both creating genetic tools to understand TB biology and pathogenesis, and using genetics and complementary methods to probe bacteria during infection.
Antibiotics
Current TB drugs are both cheap and effective, yet the death rate due to TB continues to be extraordinarily high. Two factors limit the usefulness of existing drugs – the long courses of therapy needed for cure, which in turn require substantial supporting infrastructure to deliver care, and the rising rate of drug resistance. Our lab is interested in both understanding how older antibiotics work in an effort to combat…
Fundamental Cell Biology
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a unique bacterium, with many basic biological processes that differ from other organisms. Our lab studies several areas of cell biology of the organism, including central processes such as cell wall metabolism, cell growth and translation.