Investigating protein synthesis during dormancy in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Much of our understanding of bacteria, and the biological processes which sustain them, comes from the study of rapidly growing populations in nutrient-rich conditions. However, in natural environments and during infections, bacteria are often stressed and starved of key nutrients.

Upon starvation, many bacteria dramatically reduce biological processes and effectively enter a hibernating state where they become highly tolerant of antibiotics.

I’m interested in how bacteria regulate this state of dormancy, both at the single-cell level and across populations of cells.

Specifically, since data suggest that rates may fluctuate between cells, I’m interested in how protein synthesis is coordinated in time and space during starvation and how these dynamics relate to antibiotic susceptibility.

Using the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, I will label and analyse protein synthesised during starvation via fluorescence microscopy and FACS.

By employing a FACS-based Tn-Seq screen and mass-spectrometry to find proteomic changes, I will identify, validate and characterise regulators of protein synthesis during starvation.

This study will provide both a descriptive and a mechanistic understanding of protein synthesis during bacterial starvation, giving insights into how this activity coordinates with cellular physiology and contributes to antibiotic tolerance.