email: liraz_chai@hms.harvard.edu

Biofilms are communities of cells embedded in an extracellular matrix (ECM) that is composed of polysaccharides, proteins and nucleic acids. My work focuses on Bacillus subtilis biofilms. I study the assembly of TasA, the major protein component in the matrix, and the disassembly of the Exopolysaccharide (EPS) when they interact with self-produced small molecules.