Our research explores defensive symbioses, or how beneficial bacteria protect their animal hosts. We use the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, as a model to examine these interactions. We use culture-based bioassays, molecular genetics, and bioinformatic techniques to determine what genes are necessary for symbiotic bacteria to compete with host pathogens. By exploring these competitive mechanisms we hope to discover novel antimicrobials and gain a better understanding of the role of symbiosis in animal health. 

Our lab is part of the Department of Biological Sciences at Ohio Wesleyan University, located in Delaware, Ohio.