Flores Kim Lab
Research
We focus on defining the regulatory networks that control cell envelope biogenesis in bacteria and use biochemical and cell biological strategies toward the discovery and characterization of novel antibacterials.
Regulation of cell surface polymer biogenesis
in bacteria
We use interdisciplinary approaches to genetically,
biochemically, and structurally characterize the
regulatory networks that control cell envelope
biogenesis in bacterial pathogens. We aim to
determine how these pathways are corrupted to
cause cell death or evolve to cause antibiotic
resistance.
Molecular dissection of signal transduction pathways
in Streptococcus pneumoniae
We are currently molecularly and biochemically characterizing various signaling networks that control cell envelope biogenesis to understand how antibiotics disrupt these pathways, with the goal of revealing novel targets for antibiotic development.
Left: Blood plate depicting the importance for growth of a signal transduction system
Right: Cells containing a fluorescent reporter for an essential pneumococcal signal transduction system
Regulation of protein degradation and its effects on bacterial physiology
Our initial characterization of the mode-of-action of some cell envelope targeting drugs revealed a quality-control function for some proteases. We are using a wide variety of approaches to understand the physiological function of these enzymes, and to discern
how antibiotics short-circuit their regulation to kill cells.
Western blot of a pneumococcal protein degraded over time
Discovery of novel antibiotics and antibacterial targets
Our discovery of novel, essential enzymes that tailor the bacterial cell envelope provides our lab the framework to not only study basic mechanisms of cell envelope assembly but to also discover and design novel ways of inhibiting these biochemical pathways to treat bacterial infections.
Host pathogen and interbacterial interactions
We aim to understand at the molecular level the factors used by S. pneumoniae to colonize and cause a productive infection in the host, and the factors that govern interspecies interaction between it and other bacteria that reside in the respiratory tract.
