Zemer Gitai

This study identifies the active export of AgrD (1-32) thiolactone by AbcA and PmtCD transporters, enabling AIP production on the cell surface via MroQ protease.

This study shows that curved Vibrio cholerae cells swim more efficiently through mucus-like hydrogels than straight mutants, with curvature enhancing chemotaxis by reducing stalls.

The paper introduces a minimal model to explain how temperate phages make lysis-lysogeny decisions based on multiplicity of infection and host factors, showing how asymmetry can arise from simple coupling to host machinery.

The paper shows that CBASS effector CapV limits phage production without reducing cell viability in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by interfering with phage capsid assembly.

This paper develops a machine learning pipeline to discover novel antibacterial compounds with distinct mechanisms of action, finding that training data bias limits the discovery of mechanistically novel antibiotics.

This paper designs phage-antibiotic cocktails to suppress resistance by exploiting evolutionary tradeoffs, showing that LPS-targeting phages enhance sensitivity to lipophilic antibiotics.

This study shows Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses different antagonistic strategies to outcompete Burkholderia cenocepacia and Staphylococcus aureus, depending on the competitor's growth rate.

This paper develops a biophysical model to explain how MreB filaments localize to curved surfaces in bacteria, showing that their curvature preference is governed by mean and Gaussian curvatures.

The paper identifies a prophage protein that modulates pilus dynamics to prevent phage progeny destruction, enhancing survival through quorum sensing.

The paper shows that bacterial species use distinct microcolony morphologies to colonize surfaces under high fluid flow, with S. aureus relying on signaling molecules and E. faecalis on mechanical forces.

This study tracks ribosome-sized particles in E. coli to show that their 3D diffusion is influenced by macromolecular interactions and geometrical confinement, revealing sub-diffusive motion due to nucleoid and cell boundary constraints.

This study shows free-floating bacteria detect shear flow to alter gene expression, enhancing survival in low oxygen conditions through quorum sensing and oxygen gradient formation.

This study identifies ammonia as a key mediator of trans-kingdom signaling between P. aeruginosa and C. elegans, showing how bacterial nitrogen assimilation affects both attraction and pathogenesis.

The paper shows a bacterial small RNA induces transgenerational learned avoidance in C. elegans, with potential maladaptive effects on beneficial bacteria.

The paper quantifies translational regulation in E. coli across 12 conditions, revealing gene-specific and cross-condition variability in translation efficiency.

The paper quantifies protein turnover in E. coli under 12 conditions, revealing cytoplasmic protein recycling under nitrogen limitation and identifying unknown proteolysis pathways.

The paper shows that C. elegans uses the Cer1 retrotransposon to transmit pathogen avoidance memories across generations through inter-tissue signaling.

This study shows that C. elegans uses bacterial non-coding RNAs to learn and transmit pathogenic avoidance behavior across generations.

This study models microbial metabolic trade-offs in a chemostat to show how dynamic fitness landscapes enable ecological and evolutionary stable coexistence.