Dr. Julia Willett

The overarching goal of this research is to understand how bacteria interact with their environment. The researchers use genetic, biochemical, and computational tools to understand the molecular underpinnings of bacterial biofilms and interbacterial competition using Gram-positive bacteria such as Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus spp and Staphylococcus aureus. This work has important implications for the ecology of commensal microbiomes, treatment of biofilm-associated and polymicrobial infections, and biofilm-associated antibiotic resistance.