Education: Postdoctoral and Visiting Scientists

Differential Gene Expression in Yersinia pestis

Differential gene expression is critical for many bacterial pathogens to adapt to the changing environments encountered during host infection. We are using proteomic approaches to identify genes that are regulated by Yersinia pestis in conditions associated with host infection. We are also particularly interested in genes that are regulated by Y. pestis but not by the closely related enteric pathogen Y. pseudotuberculosis. Study of these genes may provide clues about the Y. pestis's unique pathogenic mechanisms as well as its evolution and divergence from Y. pseudotuberculosis.