We analyze which bacteria, when, and by what mechanism exchange genetic material in their native environments. Increasing levels of antibiotic resistance in human bacterial pathogens represent one of the most pressing medical challenges of our time. Horizintal gene transfer (HGT) plays a critical role in spreading of antibiotic resistance genes in bacteria. Currently no solution exists to reverse the antibiotic resistance or prevent it from further spreading via HGT apart from the conservative approach of antibiotics stewardship, that has so far showed limited success in eliminating the resistant strains. Therefore, we study mechanism and regulation of HGT in human pathogenic and commensal bacteria with a far-reaching goal of countering antibiotic resistance spread by modulating DNA exchange.

It has recently become evident that human urinary tract contains a diverse set of microorganisms - a urinary microbiome (urobiome). This microbiome appears to correlate with several urological conditions. We analyze urinary microbiome and have collected a library of urinary commensal bacteria to analyze their genotype and phenotype. We are in particular interested in understanding how urinary commensals interact with uropathogens and whether these microbial interaction can be used in diagnostics or treatment of recurrent and multidrug-resistant urinary tract infections.

Microbes are traveling wherever we, humans, go, including crewed extraterrestrial missions such as long-term habitats: current like International Space Station or planned like Lunar Habitat. Upon our space travel we bring mobile genetic systems to space, including those carrying drug-resistance genes. We work in close collaboration with other groups to investigate bacterial plasmids in life-support systems at ISS and their ability to move amongst bacterial communities. We hope that studies of plasmid transfer in space will allow us to better control and monitor spread of drug-resistance and to use this gene exchange for applications such as prevention of biofouling.  

Mitigation of microbial growth and contamination is an important objective for many aspects of human life: from biomedical devices to space hardware. While many robust sterilization protocols exist, most of them have limitations and can be applied only to certain materials and/or geometry. We work in close collaboration with Dr. Gabe Xu at UAH Propulsion Research Center to investigate mechanisms of cold atmospheric plasma microbicidal action.

The overarching goal of planetary protection is two-fold: to prevent contamination of extraterrestrial bodies with Earth microbes and to avoid bringing 'alien life' upon return to Earth. To prevent 'forward contamination' all space hardware is being assembled aseptically and/or sterilized to eliminate all Earth microbial life using robust, well established and tested sterilization methods, for example, bake-out and UV irradiation. Unfortunately, not all materials and hardware pieces can be 'cleaned' this way.  We study alternative approaches to support the forward and reverse planetary protection goals, that include analyses of sterilizing effects of the deep space radiation and resistance properties of microbes found in space hardware assembly environments.