Research Interests
Evolution and development of Burkholderia biofilm communities
Questions:
What happens in bacterial populations after prolonged selection in a biofilm environment?
Does selection for increased biofilm formation in Burkholderia reflect the same phenotypes of bacterial isolates isolated from chronic bacterial cystic fibrosis lung infections?
Do evolved biofilm populations harbor specific subpopulations that have increased virulence and/or increased antibiotic resistance?
How do biofilm subpopulations interact to survive? What are there contributions to the form and function of the biofilm community? Are the interactions synergistic, antagonistic, or something in between?
- My interests lie not only in the interactions seen between various genotypes seen within a species, but also between those seen between different species. Specifically, how do they work together or against each other in biofilm construction?
The answers to these questions are essential in properly understanding the evolution of microbial communities, but more importantly they may prove vital in the treatment of chronic biofilm infections.
