Microorganisms mainly live as highly organized surface-associated biofilm communities encased within extracellular matrices in nature. In the biofilm mode of life microbial cells communicate and interact with each other to coordinate functional group activities including defense against hazardous environment stress, and exchange of genetic material. Biofilms are extremely resistant to antimicrobial agents and physical stress and cause a wide range of problems to industrial and hospital settings. The National Institute of Health (NIH) in the US estimates that 65-80% of microbial infections occurring in the human body are biofilm-mediated. My research is dedicated to understanding intercellular signaling, interspecies interactions, and microbial evolution in the context of the biofilm lifestyle.
Biofilm associated infections
We aim to identify the molecular mechanisms that regulate biofilm formation dynamics in relation to antibiotic resistance and stress reponse.
We aim to identify the interkingdom communications and host-pathogen interactions between pathogen biofilms and the host immune systems.
We aim to discover the next-generation antimicrobial compounds that can target biofilm formation and eradicate the antibiotic resistance.