DiRita Lab

The DiRita lab studies biology and pathogenicity of bacteria that cause human disease.  Three microbes we study extensively are Vibrio cholerae, the agent of human cholera, Campylobacter jejuni, a commensal of chickens that causes human illness, and Enterobacter spp. from hospital-acquired infections. Research questions are varied depending on the microbe, but in general we are interested in genetic regulatory mechanisms and metabolic requirements for fitness during infection. We also use small molecules to probe biological mechanisms, essentially using chemical biology to answer interesting questions and as a way to develop potential new therapeutic approaches.