David Hershey

The Hershey laboratory seeks to uncover fundamental principles of colonization. Bacteria can grow in association with solid substrates that range in complexity from simple abiotic materials to specific human tissues. We use the freshwater bacterium Caulobacter crescentus as a model to understand how bacteria interact with surfaces. We apply genetic, biochemical, cell biological and structural approaches to investigate:

(i) how cells sense mechanical, chemical and social cues in their environments
(ii) how diverse environmental stimuli are integrated to control surface-behaviors
(iii) how the cell surface is modified to promote favorable interactions with target substrates

Transitioning to a surface-associated lifestyle requires precise developmental programs that fundamentally restructure the cell and its physiology. Numerous internal and external cues influence the colonization sequence, and elaborate signaling networks process these diverse stimuli to orchestrate surface adaptation. We aim to illuminate how complex sets of environmental stimuli are integrated to coordinate surface-behaviors and how surface adaptation is actuated across a range of spatial and temporal scales.