Current research
Abiotic Small Molecule Probe Development to Modulate Bacterial Communication
The rise of antibiotic resistance highlights the need for alternative strategies to combat infection. One promising approach is targeting bacteria’s ability to communicate with one another via chemical signals in a process known as “quorum sensing”. Quorum sensing allows bacteria to coordinate group-beneficial behaviors—many of which drive infection in humans, animals, and plants. My research focuses on developing novel chemical probes to inhibit quorum sensing in gram-negative bacteria and investigating their mechanisms of action.