During the course of infection or in the wild, bacteria experience changes in both chemical and physical conditions to which they must adapt. Still, we know little about how bacteria respond to physical stimuli such as mechanical ones. For example during infection, pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonize tissues of different stiffness and viscosity, but whether they sense and respond to these environments is unresolved.
Our lab investigates how bacteria respond to mechanical forces. We aim at identifying how they sense and adapt to different mechanical environments, in particular during the process of infections. We hope to ultimately translate our understanding of bacterial mechanobiology into alternative therapeutic strategies to combat antibiotic-resistant infections.
website: p-lab.science