Enzymes Evolution and Environmental and Applied Microbiology
Topics
Deciphering the role of enzyme-based disruption mechanisms in microbial interactions and their effect on plant sensitivity to pathogens
Deciphering the role of enzyme-based disruption mechanisms in microbial interactions and their effect on plant sensitivity to pathogens
Chemical signaling is a standard mode of cell-to-cell communication in the microbial world. Bacterial-fungal interactions (BFIs) are known to operate via such chemical signals. Quorum sensing (QS) is a population density-dependent regulatory mechanism that enables microbial cells to integrate intercellular signals and coordinate gene expression. Both bacteria and fungi evolved enzymes that efficiently degrade lactone-based secondary metabolites involved in gene expression and virulence. We are interested in understanding the biological role of these enzymes in microbial interactions and inter-kingdom interaction between bacteria-fungi-plant.
Design better enzymes for xenobiotics bioremediation
Design better enzymes for xenobiotics bioremediation
Investigating how we can harness the catalytic efficiency of enzymes for the bioremediation of xenobiotics such as pesticides and PET plastic. As microbial and enzyme applications for such environmental purposes are hampered by enzymes' shortcomings, such as low activity and stability and low stability of many native enzymes under changing environments, we employ rational design and directed enzyme evolution to overcome these shortcomings.
Identifying and Engineering Quorum Quenching enzymes as anti microbial strategy
Identifying and Engineering Quorum Quenching enzymes as anti microbial strategy
As many Gram-negative bacteria use Quorum Sensing to regulate virulence, enzyme secretion, and biofilm, we use data mining to identify putative enzymes and directed enzyme engineering to harness the potential catalytic activity of enzymes as an anti-microbial strategy.
