Description:

Title: Managing Metals in Microbes

John Helmann, PhD

Professor and Dept. Chair, Department of Microbiology, Cornell University

Host: Bacteriology Graduate Students and Postdocs, Coordinator Linda Hu, PhD

Topic:

Competition for metal ions can determine the outcome of bacterial infections, and bacteria have sophisticated regulatory systems to overcome both metal limitation and excess. We have developed Bacillus subtilis as a model system for understanding metal ion homeostasis, with a recent focus on the role of metal ion efflux systems. I will focus on emerging insights into metal trafficking and transport with reference to the importance during bacterial pathogenesis.