Biofilms on Corneal Cells

Description of projects available to graduate students:
Host-pathogen interactions between bacteria that cause eye infections and corneal epithelial cells. Using fluorescent bacteria, biofilms will be established and characterized on corneal cells. Bacteria with mutations in different genes will be used to assess the role of specific bacterial proteins in biofilm formation on living tissue. Stains for various mammalian cell compartments may be used to localize internalized bacteria.

Techniques graduate student will learn:
Confocal microscopy, image processing, genetics, cell biology.