Friday, August 25 2023, 1pm S175, Coverdell Building Type of Event: Department Seminars Dr. Kate Hummels Department of Microbiology University of Georgia Hummels Lab Keynote Speaker for the MIBO/ILS Welcome Retreat. Abstract: Gram negative bacteria are characterized by a multi-layered cell envelope with an inner membrane made up of phospholipids, a cell wall composed of peptidoglycan, and an asymmetric outer membrane with phospholipids in the inner leaflet and lipopolysaccharide in the outer leaflet. Although the metabolic pathways responsible for building the cell envelope are well characterized, little is known about how these pathways are coordinated to ensure uniform cell envelope expansion. Work in my lab is aimed to understanding how gram-negative bacteria regulate cell envelope biosynthesis to promote balanced growth, with a focus on the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Using a combination of bacterial genetics, biochemistry, and cell biology, we seek to identify and characterize novel factors involved in cell envelope biosynthesis with the hope of discovering new targets for antimicrobial development while answering basic questions in bacterial physiology.
