Dandekar Lab
Principal Investigator: Ajai Dandekar
Institution: University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
Primary Subfield: Molecular & Cell Bio
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
Project Summary I am interested in the molecular biology and genetics of microbial social interactions. We use the saprophyte and opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a model to study social behaviors. P. aeruginosa uses a cell-cell signaling system called quorum sensing (QS) to coordinate gene expression. Because gene expression is coordinated at the population level, QS in P. aeruginosa, and other bacteria, is a means by which these single-celled organisms can cooperate and engage in specific group activities. In our prior NIGMS funded work, we established an experimental evolution system in which we demonstrated that P. aeruginosa QS can circuits diversify in response to changing environments. We also developed microbial co-culture systems, which allow us to ask about interspecies competition and how QS might impact interspecies interactions. The thrusts in this application ask 1) in cooperating populations of bacteria, what is the genetic basis for the diversification of the QS circuity, and does this diversification result in a division of labor where different individuals contribute separate functions to the group? and 2) how do the interactions between P. a…
Active NIH Awards
- 5R35GM152107-03: Pseudomonas aeruginosa sociomicrobiology (2026)
- 5R01AI177575-04: Quinolone and acyl-homoserine lactone quorum sensing in chronic P. aeruginosa infections (2026)
- 5R35GM152107-02: Pseudomonas aeruginosa sociomicrobiology (2025)
- 5R01AI177575-03: Quinolone and acyl-homoserine lactone quorum sensing in chronic P. aeruginosa infections (2025)
- 1R35GM152107-01: Pseudomonas aeruginosa sociomicrobiology (2024)
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