Dr. Stavroula Hatzios, PhD

The rapid diagnosis and treatment of bacterial infections is critical for controlling the spread of disease. However, selectively targeting disease-causing bacteria in complex microbial communities, like those found in the human gut, remains a significant challenge. Our proposal will draw on fundamental principles of protease biochemistry, chemical biology, and infection models to develop new probes and antimicrobials for the precise detection and inhibition of pathogenic microbes in the gut. Such technologies could help target difficult-to-treat pathogens, minimize collateral damage to beneficial gut microbes, and form the basis of new point-of-care diagnostics to improve infection outcomes in resource-limited settings.