Research

We study bacterial growth and shape, using the tools of modern microscopy, computation, molecular biology and mathematics to tackle fundamental questions in bacterial biology with relevance for human health.

The bacterial cell wall is an essential polymeric exoskeleton that both prevents bacterial lysis and is targeted by our best frontline antibiotics. Our recent work revealed the fundamental role of wall teichoic acids, an understudied cell wall constituent of Gram-positive bacteria, in regulating both the synthesis and degradation of the primary load-bearing cell wall component: peptidoglycan. We are now levering these discoveries to explore the mechanistic basis of cell wall homeostasis, both with and without wall teichoic acids.

We are currently hiring at all levels, so come and join us!

Recent Publications

• Wall teichoic acids regulate peptidoglycan synthesis by paving cell wall nanostructure

• Non-linear stress-softening of the bacterial cell wall confers cell shape homeostasis

• Cell-size regulation in budding yeast does not depend on linear accumulation of Whi5

• Modeling the impact of single-cell stochasticity and size control on the population growth rate in asymmetrically dividing cells

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