Virulence mechanisms and regulation
Foodborne bacteria cause illness by expressing specific virulence factors. We investigate the molecular mechanisms by which foodborne pathogens regulate and express these virulence factors.
Etter Lab
Our research aims to uncover regulatory networks and molecular targets that can be used to develop strategies for the control and containment of foodborne diseases to ensure safe production and consumption of food. One of the main focuses of our research group is bacterial enterotoxins. This involves studying the genetic and molecular pathways that allow bacteria to survive, multiply and cause disease in food systems. We work with a combination of genetic engineering, single cell approaches and expression analysis.
If you are interested in one of the research topics, please contact us!
Research projects
We are interested in identifying mechanisms underlying Bacillus cytotoxicus toxin expression. We want to characterize strains in terms of virulence factors, genetic variability, and stress response. For this purpose we mimic conditions of food production environments and identify regulatory pathways involved in toxin expression. The practical work includes expression analyses (RNAseq), and cytotoxicity assays.
This research project aims at understanding how Staphylococcus aureus causes intoxications and infections. For this purpose we investigate the influence of stress conditions that are relevant in the context of foodborne intoxication and host infection on the expression of staphylococcal virulence factors. The practical work includes generation of mutants, killing assays, and expression analyses (RNA and protein).
This research project investigates single-cell heterogeneity in virulence expression among Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cytotoxicus. By using advanced single-cell analysis techniques, the project aims to understand how individual cells within a population differ in their expression of virulence factors, despite being genetically identical. The practical work includes cloning, expression analyses (protein), and microscopy.
