Student Scholars & Faculty Mentors
Projects funded by our internal grants program. Search the table to find students or faculty mentors that share in your interests, and could help you achieve your goals in research, creative activity, or service.
Regulation of the Glyoxylate Pathway by ICIR
Name: Coutts,
Advisor: Melissa Mullen Davis
Department: CHEM
Award: Student Research Grant
Abstract: Antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria cause millions of cases of tuberculosis and
whopping cough worldwide and are major health threats. Pathogenic bacteria use
transcription factors to control cellular responses to changing environmental conditions
and to establish infections. A significant bacterial pathway of interest as a therapeutic
target is the glyxoylate shunt which is regulated by the transcription factor IclR. Using
E. coli as a model system, this study will investigate IclR structure and its interactions
with small molecule and DNA binding partners using spectroscopy and gel-based
methods. The function of IclR under different environmental conditions, including
oxidative stress which occurs during virulence, will be evaluated with gel-based
methods and in vivo studies.