Research Theme

Bacteria with its microscopic size can conquer humans, animals, and plants. We exist due to these bacteria, and we can also perish due to these bacteria. The friendly and foe bacteria are the “Ying Yang” of our life. The pathogenic bacteria can harm the host and can live multiple lifestyles. They can be invasive or choose to remain extracellular. Once inside the cell, they have the choice to either live in an enclosed compartment or come out and live free in the cytosol of the host. Though it is very lucrative for the bacteria to come out and enjoy the rich cytosolic environment of the host, it does come with a lot of challenges. So is the case with the vacuolar bacteria, which decides to stay in nutrient-poor enclosed compartments and exerts its pathogenesis. The critical question which interests our lab is to understand how the life of bacteria in a vacuole remains maintained and how it manages to survive and lead to a successful infection.