As bacteria grow, a single bacterial cell reproduces itself to create two daughter cells. In this process, the parent cell copies all of its cell parts and then distributes them to both daughter cells. Often, the daughter cells are identical copies of the parent cell, but interestingly, some bacteria create two daughter cells that are different. This project aims to develop a detailed understanding of how bacteria reproduce themselves in a manner that is both highly organized and accurate. In addition, this project aims to understand how the process of bacterial reproduction can lead to different types of daughter cells, as well as how the process responds to changes in the environment. For this reason, the investigator studies model bacteria that create different types of daughter cells depending on whether the bacteria are living in the soil or have infected the roots of a plant host. The investigator will use molecular and genetic approaches to create a variety of tools that are required to study bacterial reproduction. These tools will be analyzed through a combination of biochemistry and microscopy. Importantly, this project has a rich component of undergraduate involvement and significant participation by underrepresented minorities. Although the model bacteria used for this project is beneficial to the plant it infects, the new insights into bacterial reproduction that will be gained in this project can be applied towards understanding how other types of harmful bacteria infect plants and animals. One important application will therefore be the development of novel cell targets for antibacterial therapeutics at a time when bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a serious global health issue.
