June 29, 2018

We posted a new manuscript on BioRxiv by my student Jarrod Smith describing our ability to engineer the Lap adhesin system for a couple of different functions.  Some variants of the LapA protein we built are shown in the figure.  In all cases, these variants are presented on the cell surface, and their localization id dependent of c-di-GMP levels.

June 27, 2018

In the current issue of the Journal of Bacteriology check out the special meeting section for the 6th ASM Conference on Cell-Cell Communication in Bacteria.  The section includes a Meeting Review, Minireview and several articles.   The link is here.  The cover image for the issue is shown on the left.

June 18, 2018

We just returned from the 18th Annual O'Toole Lab retreat.  This year, and for the past few years, we've held the retreat in York, Maine.  The weather was nice enough for some meetings on the deck.  We have 11 sessions, from 1-2 hrs each, over 3 days.  It was busy but productive!

June 09, 2018

Our team at Dartmouth has revealed dysbiosis in the intestines of infants with CF as early as 4 months of age, and we provide laboratory data to support a possible mechanism underlying a gut-lung connection. The research was led by Kathy Antosca, a PhD student.  Check it out on BioRiv.

June 06, 2018

A review article by my student Jarrod Smith, and co-authored with Holger Sondermann, was just posted online - the article talks about a new sub-family of Type 1 Secretion Systems that anchor biofilm adhesins to the cell surface.  Panel C in the figure on the left lays out the new model in comparison to the canonical functions of T1SS in Panels A and B.

June 04, 2018

Chris Geiger just joined the lab as a PhD student.  Chris did his undergraduate research at USC with Steve Finkel.  We are excited to have him as part of the group! Welcome!

June 01, 2018

I attended Day 2 of the 24th annual Boston Bacterial Meeting today, and participated in a breakout session on biofilms.  What a fabulous meeting!  I co-organized meetings 2-5 with Steve Finkel, and our last year we had ~100 people attend.  This year there were ~500 registrants!