Bacteria are an ancient form of life that occupies almost every conceivable niche, from pathogenesis to commensal existence with an animal host to primary production in oceans and lake. Despite their apparent simplicity, bacteria possess sophisticated biochemical networks that dynamically store information about the size and status of the cell and conditions in the external environment. These biochemical systems allow precise decision making that allow microbes to thrive in challenging conditions. Our lab is interested in the design principles of these reaction networks. We use a multidisciplinary approach: biochemical reconstitution of the underlying interactions, single cell microscopy to study function, and mathematical modeling to rebuild systems in silico. A major focus area is bacterial circadian rhythms, which allow single cells to predict the time of day.
People
Michael J. Rust, PhD
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Professor of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology
Committee on Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology
Committee on Microbiology - Research and Scholarly Interests: Bacteria, Biochemistry, Cell Division, Circadian Rhythms, Mathematical Model, Microscopy, Fluorescence
- Websites: Rust Lab, Research Network Profile
- Contact: mrust@uchicago.edu
- Graduate Programs: Cell & Molecular Biology, Genetics, Genomics & Systems Biology, Microbiology, UChicago Biosciences