Molecular Microbiology & Immunology

We study the response of the microbiome and isolated bacteria and fungi to external stress such as antimicrobial agents. This work is particularly pressing because unlike at any other time in human history, we are currently exposed to a wide array of natural and artificial antimicrobial agents in the form of antibiotics, chemical disinfectants, chemotherapeutic agents and others. Understanding how these extracellular stressors affect the microbiome will provide critical biological insight into the development of dysbiosis, disease, and antibiotic resistance and will lead to novel therapeutic methodologies. Relying on recent advances in high-throughput DNA and RNA sequencing we are studying the effects of antimicrobial mechanisms that lead to improved antimicrobial tolerance and the development of resistance.