Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a bacterium that, in nature, causes crown gall disease (a tumor) in plants, which it accomplishes by transferring DNA into plant cells. The bacterial DNA (along with accessory proteins) is transported into plant cells by the Type 4 Secretion System (T4SS) of the bacterium. The ability to transfer bacterial DNA into plant cells has led to the modification of Agrobacterium and its use as the quintessential vector for transforming plants with DNA of interest. However, exactly how DNA and proteins are transported out of the bacterial cell and into the plant cell by the T4SS remains unknown, as does the manner in which the T4SS interacts with the peptidoglycan layer of the cell wall during growth and division of the bacterial cell. This project will use techniques of microscopy, genetics, bioinformatics and biochemistry to investigate peptidoglycan synthesis and define how the T4SS in Agrobacterium interacts with peptidoglycan as it assembles.
Broader Impacts. This project has the potential to stimulate the development of new antibacterial agents that target peptidoglycan synthesis. The PI will present a course to undergraduates on the biology of Agrobacterium and its use as a tool for basic and applied research, emphasizing how scientific discoveries are made. Social and policy implications of plant genetic engineering will be discussed and special attention will be paid to attracting to the course students representing a wide spectrum of ethnicities and underrepresented groups. The PI will give scientific presentations to the community at large (at public venues such as museums) and attended by parents and children in order to engage the public and especially children with exciting science.
