Professor Yinduo Ji

This lab is interested in the functional genomics and molecular pathogenesis of a serious human and animal pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, antibiotic resistance, and novel antibacterial drug discovery. Specifically, they focus on developing alternative antibacterial agents and several functional unknown proteins essential for viability or biofilm formation. Current efforts include determination of function of critical unknown genes and regulons for bacterial growth and pathogenesis, determination of mechanisms of multidrug resistance and mechanisms of novel antibacterial agents, and identification of host cell signaling pathways associated with pathogenicity during host-pathogen interaction. These efforts will provide new insight into the molecular and cellular mechanisms of pathogenicity, biofilm formation, and may deliver unexploited targets for developing potent preventive and/or therapeutic agents against this life-threatening pathogen, including MSSA and MRSA, and benefit public health. In addition, the group is actively involved in the identification and validation of novel antibacterial agents by screening chemical compound libraries.