My group at the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research explores how certain bacteria have evolved to survive and grow in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. I investigate how they evade cell-autonomous immunity, the implications for key bacterial structures like the cell wall and outer surface and how this informs our understanding of endosymbiosis and the evolution of eukaryotic cells.
I collaborate closely with Buzz Baum’s group to study how intracellular bacteria coordinate their growth and division with their host cells, alongside broader evolutionary questions. I work with Andrew Carter on dynein-mediated trafficking of cytoplasmic bacteria and interact regularly with Felix Randow on questions of cell-autonomous immunity. I also collaborate with Jan Löwe and Tanmay Bharat on fundamental bacterial cell biology.