Targeting Pathogen Pathways that Promote Evolution and Antibiotic Resistance

In bacteria, adaptation and evolution are closely linked to the stress response of SOS pathway. The SOS pathway can be triggered by numerous stressors, including antibiotics, and the net result is survival in response to genotoxic stress and accelerated acquisition of drug resistance. We aim to characterize the key regulatory and effector enzymes from the SOS pathway, LexA and RecA, and to target the pathway as a means to combat antibiotic resistance. 

Current areas of focus include revealing the molecular interactions between LexA and RecA, devising strategies for therapeutically targeting the SOS response, the development of small molecule inhibitors for the LexA/RecA axis.