Structural basis of use of ion flow across the bacterial inner membrane to power secretion and motility

Bacteria are separated from their environment by a relatively impermeable barrier. Survival requires control of import/export across this barrier. Many pathogenic bacteria also contain embedded nano-machines that enable motility to drive infection. Import/export and motility use energy harvested by protein complexes embedded in the barrier from the chemical gradient across it. We have demonstrated that systems previously thought to achieve this function via very different molecular mechanisms actually share a common structural architecture. 

I will test the hypothesis that there is a single molecular mechanism by which bacteria harvest chemical energy for these roles and determine how each system is specialised for its specific task. This will add to our basic knowledge of how bacteria achieve these critical functions and the evolutionary relationships between the systems. The importance of these processes for bacterial survival and pathogenicity mean this knowledge can be used to inform future therapeutic approaches.