Extracellular Matrix

Biofilm formation is a developmental process in which bacteria undergo a regulated lifestyle switch from a nomadic unicellular state to a sedentary multicellular state where subsequent growth results in structured communities and cellular diferentiation. Recent work from our lab suggest that for the correct assembly of a biofilm, B. subtilis requires the epsA-O and the yqxM-sipW-tasA operons. These operons are believed to be necessary for the formation of the extracellular matrix.

I am interested in the molecular characterization of the different extracellular matrix components (YqxM, TasA and EPS) in order to get insights about the role of each component in the structure of the matrix and subsequently in the biofilm formation.