email: Roberto_Balbontin@hms.harvard.edu

Microbes synthesize and secrete a large number of small signaling molecules that affect the physiology of other microorganisms that occupy the same habitat. I am performing high-throughput screens of natural product libraries in search of compounds that influence the biology of two well-studied organisms: Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella enterica. Characterization of these molecules and their modes of action will expand our understanding of the basic biology that regulates microbial development and pathogenesis. In addition, this type of screen may lead to the discovery of new compounds that could be developed into effective therapeutics in the future.