Research focus

Bacteria cause many of the most devastating infectious diseases posing a major societal and economic burden. The spread of antibiotic resistance  amongst bacterial pathogens is causing widespread alarm. A multitude of societal and scientific strategies are needed in order to tackle the threat caused by pathogenic bacteria. One vital strategy is to develop new pharmaceuticals that specifically neutralize the effects of bacterial pathogens and thereby prevent or treat the infectious disease.

Turku Cellular Microbiology Laboratory (TCML) aims to understand the interaction of bacterial pathogens with the cells of their mammalian hosts at molecular level. Our research is focused on proteins, in particular on enzymes, of the bacterial pathogens and cells of their mammalian hosts that are key molecular players shaping the development and severity of an infectious disease.

We study proteins that act as NAD+ consuming  enzymes inside the bacterium and the host cell, frequently catalyzing covalent and function-altering post-translational modifications of proteins via ADP-ribosylation.

We use animal experimentation, cell culture models and a range of biochemical and biophysical methods of protein chemistry.

We utilize the obtained molecular level research knowledge to develop new antibacterial pharmaceuticals.