How pathogenic cytosol-dwelling bacteria escape from autophagy

Dr Randow is interested in how individual cells defend themselves against infection. Bacteria that colonise the host cytosol encounter specific anti-microbial defences, and therefore have developed specific adaptations to antagonise these cell defences. Over the last few years autophagy has emerged as a major defence system for the host cytosol. To improve our understanding of anti-bacterial autophagy and to develop novel strategies against professional cytosol-dwelling bacterial pathogens, Dr Randow will investigate how cytosol-dwelling bacteria escape from autophagy, whether we can artificially enforce anti-bacterial autophagy against professional cytosol-dwellers, and which additional cell-autonomous defences are deployed in activated cells to detect and destroy professional cytosol-dwelling bacteria. This research will be crucial for future attempts to manipulate pathogen recognition and vaccine-mediated immunity.