Welcome to the Cheng Micro Lab at Virginia Tech!

Our team seeks to identify specific adaptations that make bacterial pathogens more (or less) likely to cause disease to inform targeted intervention strategies with the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality associated with foodborne disease. 

This is accomplished through hypothesis-driven research to understand how: 

• specific virulence factors (such as toxins) benefit a pathogen's infection strategy

• host-pathogen interactions drive diversification of pathogen subtypes

• genetic signatures can inform host range and likelihood of disease

Lab Vision – A safer food supply for all

Lab Mission – Contribute informative research and impactful mentoring experiences to aid in the collective efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality attributed to foodborne illness

Lab Diversity Statement – We value the perspectives and contributions of a diverse representation of scientists and are committed to actively cultivating a climate in which all faculty, students, and staff are given an equitable opportunity to pursue scientific discovery in an inclusive environment.