Plasmid and chromosome dynamics in bacteria

Research in the Funnell lab studies the molecular mechanisms of plasmid segregation in bacteria. Plasmid segregation, typically called "partition", is a dynamic positioning reaction; plasmids move and separate during the cell cycle. Our goal is to understand how it occurs, how it is regulated, and how this knowledge might help treatment of bacterial disease.

All bacterial species contain small chromosomes called plasmids, which carry genes that benefit the bacterial host but are often harmful to human and animal health.

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