Salomon Lab

How do bacteria fight each other? How do they manipulate host cells to their advantage? How can we use bacterial toxins to develop novel antibacterial treatments? These are the questions we answer in the Salomon Lab.
 

We use a multi-disciplinary approach to study bacterial protein secretion systems and their toxins, focusing mainly on the recently discovered Type VI Secretion System (T6SS). The T6SS is a unique machine that shoots a "poisoned arrow" at neighboring cells. It can deliver toxic effectors directly into eukaryotic host cells as well as into competing bacterial cells, therefore mediating both virulence and antibacterial activities to shape their environment.

We employ molecular microbiology, genetics, proteomics, microscopy, bioinformatics, and biochemical tools to identify activities and targets of T6SSs in pathogenic bacteria. We also work to discover new toxic effectors and determine their mechanism of action and dissemination, and we aim to develop novel T6SS-based platforms for antibacterial treatments.