About Us
The goal of the MMP Lab is to understand how bacterial pathogens survive hostile environments, evade host immune responses, and cause infection, with a particular focus on Salmonella and other pathogens. We investigate the virulence factors, stress responses, and regulatory networks that enable Salmonella to adapt to foods and host environments. Based on this understanding, we seek practical strategies to reduce bacterial contamination and control virulence during infection.
Our current research also focuses on developing bacteriophage-derived endolysins as targeted antimicrobial agents against major bacterial pathogens, including Clostridioides difficile and Gram-negative bacteria.
We study multidrug-resistant bacteria by investigating their resistance mechanisms and developing rapid diagnostic methods and alternative treatments that may complement conventional antibiotics.
In addition, we evaluate microbial heme proteins as functional ingredients for alternative meat and examine their effects on food quality, safety, and the gut microbiome. By integrating fundamental microbiology with multi-omics, protein engineering, microbiome research, and diagnostic technology, we aim to translate scientific discoveries into solutions for infectious-disease control.
Latest Research
Salmonella Virulence and Adaptation
Salmonella survives dynamic environments in foods and hosts by coordinating stress responses, metabolism, and virulence. We use genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and infection models to identify new virulence factors and regulatory networks, and to understand how these systems support persistence, invasion, and intracellular survival. These findings provide molecular targets for controlling food contamination and infection.
Engineering Endolysins as Targeted Antimicrobials
Endolysins are bacteriophage-derived lytic enzymes that kill bacteria by degrading the peptidoglycan layer of the bacterial cell wall. They are being developed as targeted antibacterial agents against Clostridioides difficile and multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. To overcome the protective outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, endolysins can be fused with membrane-penetrative peptides such as cecropin A. In the engineered endolysin LNT113, cecropin A enhances interaction with lipopolysaccharides, promotes penetration of the outer membrane, and accelerates inner membrane destabilization, thereby improving access to and degradation of peptidoglycan. Optimization of catalytic and cell-binding domains can further improve host range, lytic activity, and stability. Their effects on pathogen load, antimicrobial resistance, virulence, and the gut microbiome are also evaluated using host-mimicking systems.
Microbial Heme Proteins for Future Alternative Meat
Heme-SCP is a heme-rich single-cell protein derived from Corynebacterium glutamicum and developed as a sustainable source of protein and heme iron. Microbial heme proteins are investigated as functional ingredients for alternative meat products. Their effects on food quality, safety, intestinal microbial communities, and host–microbiome metabolism are evaluated using gut microbiome models and multi-omics approaches. These studies contribute to the assessment and development of safe and functional next-generation food materials.
Rapid Diagnostics for Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria
Antibiotic resistant pathogens become a serious and urgent concern in public health due to an increased incidence of failure with existing antibiotics and the abuse of antibiotics facilitates the occurrence of a variety of Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) pathogens. As a countermeasure to prevent the dissemination of MDR, a diagnostic method for rapid MDR determination is being devised based on Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA).
Available Lab Positions
Positions for postdoctoral researchers and graduate students are available in the MMP Lab to work on pathogenic bacteria in terms of their virulence regulation and their interaction with environments including hosts. Students who join the MMP Lab have the opportunity to learn a wide range of techniques associated with molecular biology. Most research projects will include some or all of the contents mentioned bellow:
Molecular Biology
A variety of molecular tools are used to construct bacterial mutants and to define the regulation mechanisms between virulence factors.
Biochemistry
In order to characterize the functions of proteins of our interest, we perform protein purification and use chromatography, mass spectroscopy and activity assay.
Microscopy
We also utilize microscopy (TEM, SEM, and confocal microscopy) to define the niche established by pathogens and their virulence factors inside host cells.
Immunobiology and Cell biology
We routinely assess bacterial virulence during host infection. Bacterial ability to adhere onto or invade into host cells and their survival ability inside phagocytes are evaluated. Interaction between pathogens and hosts is further studied by understanding how immune responses are modulated by pathogens and their virulence factors.
Multi-omic analyses
We use a wide range of bioinformatic approaches such as genomics and transcriptomics to identify virulence factors and to understand their regulation process
Contact Us
MMP Lab
Office: Hyegang Hall 518
Phone: 031-219-2456
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