Melissa Kendall, PhD Awarded $2.4 Million Grant to Study How Bacterial Pathogens Rely on RNA Binding Proteins to Establish Infection and Cause Disease

Melissa Kendall PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, was awarded a 5 year, $2.4 million grant to examine how bacterial pathogens rely on RNA binding proteins to reprogram gene expression, leading to niche adaptation and colonization, which is essential for infection. RNA binding proteins play important roles in bacterial gene expression by modulating transcription termination, RNA stability, and translation; however, the targets and molecular mechanisms of most RNA binding proteins and the corresponding impact on bacterial virulence and host interactions are poorly resolved. The proposed work will elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of RNA binding proteins and importance to fitness within the intestine, as well as examine how these RNA binding proteins are activated within transcriptional networks and in response to host cues. These studies may lead to the develop of novel therapeutics to treat infections.