Mentor: Craig Ellermeier, PhD

Research Focus: 

Clostridioides difficile is a leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrheal infections and remains a significant public health threat. My research investigates how this Gram-positive pathogen builds and maintains its cell envelope, a structure that is essential for bacterial survival and environmental interactions. Using bacterial genetics approaches, I study the synthesis of lipoteichoic acid, a key membrane-anchored component of the cell envelope. Understanding this process may reveal new targets for the development of antimicrobial therapies.