Marcia B. Goldberg, M.D.

Research

Our lab focuses on two related scientific ideas; the molecular nature of interactions between microbial pathogens and the host, with an emphasis on the intracellular human pathogen Shigella, and the molecular nature of bacterial cellular organization, and its impact on interactions with host cells. Specifically, we are investigating 1) the molecular mechanisms by which bacteria establish polarity 2) how Shigella spread by inducing the assembly of an actin tail at the bacterial pole 3) how Shigella form protrusions that allow for intercellular spread 4) how the autotransporter family of secreted proteins are translocated across the bacterial membranes and periplasm