Global Gene Expression in Escherichia coli: Exploitation of Genomic Data to Dissect a Model Foodborne Pathogen

Escherichia coli uniquely combines foodborne pathogenicity and well-understood molecular biology and physiology. We will form an E. coli genomics centre, building on JIF infrastructure. DNA arrays of O157 and K-12 strains plus additional sequences representing the E. coli horizontal gene pool, with proteomic methods, comparative sequencing, and developments in bioinformatics, will be used to study control pathways and gene expression, underlying bacterial survival and recovery from sub-lethal injury, as well as the evolution of new strains.
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The work will be directed by a partnership of molecular microbiologists, other academics and end users, leading to transfer of research outcomes and new technologies to industry and the public sector.