Bacterial cell elongation

How do cells grow? In rod shaped bacteria, bacteria grow by elongation, mostly using a protein complex call the elongasome. This protein complex is a target for established antibiotics such as the beta-lactams, and is a major target for next generation antimicrobials

We focus in particular on how the elongasome works as a nanoscale machine, and how cell size, shape and integrity is regulated by elongasome activity.

We primarily use Bacillus subtilis as a model organism for this project, with a little bit of work in Escherichia coli.

People

• Andrew McMahon, single molecule biophysicist

Collaborators

• Henrik Strahl lab
• Waldemar Vollmer lab