Study Looks for Answers on How Bacteria Adapts in Different Environments

In New York, a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) researcher received a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to lead a study on bacteria adaptation. The study, led by Blanca Barquera, will attempt to find out how the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa can adapt and survive in a variety of environments and conditions. The bacteria is linked to infections in people with cystic fibrosis, HIV, cancer, and other diseases. Transport proteins in the bacteria help move things in and out of the cell walls and the study will try to find out how these transport proteins help the bacteria cells adapt to their environment, and what happens if they alter or damage the transport proteins and how it affects the bacteria’s survival.