Katherine Hummels, Ph.D.

Research

My lab is characterizing the molecular mechanisms that govern the assembly of the bacterial cell envelope. For some bacteria, critical components in the outer leaflet of the cell envelope, including a molecule called lipid A, render the cells impermeable to many antibiotics. Although this property promotes their survival, making too much lipid A generates toxic byproducts that can impede their growth. Bacteria must therefore carefully balance how much lipid A they produce. Now, using advanced techniques in genetics, biochemistry, and bacterial physiology, we will examine how two closely related bacterial species—microbial culprits behind gonorrhea and meningitis—regulate the synthesis of lipid A. We will also determine why this molecule is essential for one of the species, but dispensable for the other. These findings could point toward molecular vulnerabilities that may present promising targets for the development of novel therapeutics, a growing necessity as resistance to current antibiotics continues to rise.