Biology of intracellular microbes

Bacteria often avoid interaction with hostile immune systems by retreating into the interior of cells either as a temporary or a permanent lifestyle choice; these bacteria are known as facultative or obligate intracellular bacteria. Obligate intracellular bacteria, such as Chlamydia, require a host cell for replication, but are often recalcitrant to axenic culture and genetic manipulation, which makes them difficult to study despite the substantial burden of disease globally. That’s why we develop and apply genome-scale approaches to decipher intracellular microbial biology using huge sequence datasets instead.

Theme leader Professor Myers’ research in the area began with his early work in whole genome shotgun sequencing (WGSS) and phylogenomic/comparative genome analyses at The Institute for Genomic Research (now the J. Craig Venter Institute), where WGSS was pioneered.

Our research into intracellular microbes spans environmental, commensal, and pathogenic (agricultural, veterinary and human) bacteria. We incorporate WGSS, transcriptomics, the development and use of dual RNA-Seq, and super-resolution microscopy to investigate:

1. the epigenomic impacts of intracellular bacteria on their host cells
2. the application of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to bacteria-infected cells and tissues.