Abstract: Interbacterial antagonism is one of the most ancient and prolific biological processes on earth. Discovering the myriad mechanisms underlying this process and defining their physiological significance are primary focuses of my laboratory, and in this seminar I will highlight examples of our contributions in the area. This will include our discovery that the type VI secretion system mediates interbacterial antagonism via the delivery of a cocktail of mechanistically distinct toxins and our recent identification of a structurally novel antibacterial particle produced by Streptomyces and related Actinobacteria.

Dr. Mougous is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Focusing on bacterial secretion systems and their effectors, the Mougous lab has pioneered leveraging the power of interbacterial communication to decipher novel chemistries and develop new antimicrobial therapeutics (https://mougouslab.org/).  Here's an article in Discover Magazine spotlighting some of Dr. Mougous' recent work: https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/diving-deep-into-the-mouths-microbial-dark-matter