Straight, Paul Associate Professor

Our goal is to understand how microorganisms interact in complex communities. Specifically, we study how small molecules produced in a microbial community affect the growth, development and metabolic output of the organisms. We use a combination of microbiology, genetic, genomic, and biochemical approaches to dissect complex interspecies interactions. Currently, our research focuses on the interactions of the soil bacteria Bacillus subtilis and members of the genus Streptomyces, known for their prolific production of bioactive small molecules and development of aerial structures and spores.