Deployment, consequences and utility of bacterial effectors

Sarah is a molecular microbiologist based at the College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee. Her research aims to understand how pathogenic bacteria utilise protein secretion systems and other virulence factors to interact with eukaryotic host organisms or competitor bacteria. Current work is focused on the widespread ‘Type VI secretion system’ and the nature and importance of the effector proteins that it secretes. Considering the system from the molecular to the population level aims to provide new insights, which can ultimately be translated towards new antimicrobial therapies.