Research topics
The Whitley Lab is currently very new and growing, so expect the research topics to be updated as projects get moving!
Overall, we’re interested in how biomolecules inside bacteria work together as natural ‘nano-machines’ to perform the impressive engineering tasks of expanding and dividing cells.
For some past work, check the archive.
Biosynthesis of the bacterial cell wall
Most bacterial cells are surrounded by a mesh-like wall that protects them from their environments and prevents them from exploding due to high internal pressure. For a bacterial cell to grow, it needs to expand this wall. This involves many biomolecules working together to build and remodel the wall carefully without the cell bursting. In some ways this is like expanding the hull of a submarine while it’s under pressure deep underwater.
Mechanism of bacterial cell division
Cell division is a fundamental requirement for bacteria and a key antibiotic target. It is also a remarkable feat of engineering by the cell: a collection of nano-scale proteins must coordinate their activities over a micrometer scale to build a cross-wall through the cell against heavy outward pressure.