Molecular mechanisms of natural transformation
Natural transformation is a mode of horizontal gene transfer by which naturally competent bacteria take up DNA from their environment and integrate it into their genomes. This process has widespread consequences for bacterial evolution and is a major driver of the rapid spread of antibiotic resistance and other pathogenicity traits in bacterial populations. Our goal is to understand the molecular mechanisms that underpin natural transformation.
Keywords
Horizontal gene transfer / natural transformation / antibiotic resistance / pathogen adaptation / DNA uptake / structure-function analysis / cryo-electron microscopy / X-ray crystallography / NMR spectroscopy