“The rigorous training of students in the first academic year, the attentive administration and nature of research being conducted all strengthen my decision in selecting this program. I chose the Ph.D. program in Microbiology and Immunology at Wake Forest University because this program fosters a solid training of future successful scientists.”

Molecular analysis of twitching motility in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common opportunistic pathogen which affects immune-compromised individuals and Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Type IV fimbriae, an important virulence factor of P. aeruginosa, mediates a flagella-independent movement known as twitching motility. The biosynthesis of type IV fimbriae is regulated by a complex hierarchy of gene expression and an atypical sensor regulator pair, AlgR/FimS. Prior studies indicate that AlgR can be phosphorylated at Asp54 and that mutations in this residue result in the loss of twitching motility. In addition, mutations in FimS also lead to the loss of twitching motility. At present, neither the kinases/phosphatases controlling the AlgR phosphorylation state nor the mechanism by which AlgR controls twitching motility are known. My research involves characterizing the specific role of AlgR and FimS in the control of twitching motility in P. aeruginosa.