Research Focus

At the HS-Cellular Stress Physiology Lab, our research focuses on unraveling the intricate mechanisms behind microbial stress responses. We study how microorganisms adapt to diverse environmental and antibiotic stress conditions, with a special emphasis on regulators, cold shock proteins, virulence, and pathogenicity. Our work bridges fundamental microbial physiology with applied biotechnology, aiming to discover novel enzymes and engineer microbial systems for improved resilience and industrial applications. Through our innovative research, we strive to contribute to advancements in industrial, medical, agricultural, and environmental biotechnology by exploring stress adaptation pathways that can lead to new therapeutic strategies and biotechnological innovations. 

Research Approaches and Techniques

We employ a multidisciplinary approach that integrates:  

- Microbiology: For growth and stress studies

- Molecular Biology: Cloning, gene knockout, and overexpression to study stress-response genes.  

- Biochemistry: Enzyme activity assays and protein purification to elucidate the roles of stress-response proteins.  

- Transcriptomics and Genomics: To identify global changes in gene expression under stress conditions.  

- Proteomics: For identifying and quantifying stress-induced proteins.  

Branches of Biology Involved

Our research sits at the intersection of several branches of biology, including:  

- Microbial Stress Biology: Understanding adaptive responses under harsh environmental conditions.  

- Infectious Biology: Investigating stress factors that influence bacterial virulence and pathogenicity.  

- Antibiotic Resistance Mechanisms: Exploring how stress proteins mediate resistance.  

- Enzyme Biotechnology: Engineering bacterial enzymes for enhanced stability and industrial use.

Research Infrastructure

To support our research goals, the HS-CSP Lab is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including:  

- Molecular and microbial biology workstations for cloning, gene editing, and bacterial culture.  

- Real-time PCR systems for gene expression studies.  

- Protein purification systems and spectrophotometers for enzyme characterization.  

- Bioinformatics tools for data analysis and visualization.  

Our lab is committed to advancing the field of bacterial stress biology, with the ultimate goal of contributing to the development of new strategies to combat bacterial infections and improve industrial processes.