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Bacteria exploit virtually every environmental niche on Earth. This success depends upon their ability to adapt to a range of stresses imposed by an ever-changing environment. Understanding how bacteria respond to environmental change by exploiting their biochemical versatility is one of the most important challenges in microbial science.

Research in my laboratory is focused on how bacteria respond to stress. We are particularly interested in how bacteria (Escherichia coli; Salmonella enterica; Microbacterium tuberculosis) sense and respond to changes in oxygen availability, and to oxidative and nitrosative stresses.

These studies have led to a particular interest in characterizing signal perception, DNA recognition, and interactions with RNA polymerase for several members of the CRP-FNR family of transcription factors. In addition, we are exploiting systems approaches to learn more about the dynamics of the transcriptome as bacteria transit from one condition to another. On-going programmes are focussed on the molecular mechanisms underpinning:

• The systems biology of E. coli catabolism
• The action of the direct oxygen-sensor FNR
• Understanding microbial stress responses during industrial fermentation processes
• The role of CRP and Wbl proteins in Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogenesis