Investigators and Program Directors

Research Interests

Our laboratory studies how bacteria regulate their gene expression. We are particularly interested in transcription (RNA synthesis) and its regulation in non-pathogenic Escherichia coli and pathogenic strains of Yersinia. Transcription is the major regulatory target of gene expression in bacteria and correct regulation is critical to many cellular processes.

Transcription is a multi-step process consisting of initiation, elongation and termination phases, each of which is the target of regulation by proteins called transcription factors. We use E. coli as a model organism to study the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation. In particular we use genomic approaches to better understand how transcription factors function on a global scale.

The virulence of many pathogenic bacteria is controlled by transcriptional regulation. We are interested in how pathogenic strains of Yersinia regulate their transcription in the context of host cell invasion. We study Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia pestis (causative agent of plague). Our goal is to use genomic approaches to map the transcriptional pathways that control virulence in these bacteria.

Contact Information

E-mail: jwade@wadsworth.org