ECU Faculty Support and Reassignment Awards for Research and Creative Activity

Many bacterial pathogens regulate virulence traits through a method of cell-to-cell communication called quorum sensing. Quorum sensing allows bacteria to coordinate the expression of specific genes as a group and act in unison. By synchronizing gene expression, quorum sensing controls processes adverse to human health (biofilm formation, antibiotic production, and virulence factor secretion). The proteins involved in the quorum sensing signaling relay are key targets for the development of new therapies.

Scholars @ ECU