Research Overview

Bacterial obligate intracellular parasites (BOIPs) encompass several genera (e.g., Anaplasma, Rickettsia, Coxiella, and Chlamydia) of clinically significant pathogens of animals, including humans. Unlike most bacteria, BOIPs rely on invasion of a eukaryotic host cell to reproduce and cause disease. Because BOIPs have evolved to

parasitize their host cells, their genomes have undergone reductive evolution (aka. streamlining) at the expense of metabolic capacity. Focusing on Coxiella burnetii and Chlamydia trachomtis, we study how pathogen metabolic capacity, nutrient requirements and general physiology shape the host -pathogen interaction.

Motivation and Mission

As a discipline, basic biomedical research serves to explain fundamental mechanisms of disease. By understanding the molecular mechanisms used by bacterial obligate intracellular

parasites to cause disease, we unravel the fundamentals of their life and make possible the discovery of novel strategies for intervention. Never stop searching - knowledge is king.