The molecular interactions of enteric bacteria with the gut. We primarily use Salmonella enterica as a model enteric pathogen and tissue culture models of intestinal epithelium to define: (i) what bacterial factors drive lysis of bacteria-containing vacuoles and proliferation in the host cell cytosol, and (ii) what host cell mechanisms sense and respond to cytosolic bacteria in intestinal epithelial cells. To decipher these interactions, our research applies a multidisciplinary combination of cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology and microscopy techniques. We also have active collaborations to study these host-microbial interactions in animal models of enteric infection.
