Research in Dr. Mauricio Pontes' lab revolves around understanding how bacteria sense and transduce environmental information to elicit distinct adaptive behaviors. Specifically, the lab's aim is to understand the basic molecular mechanisms by which bacterial cells sense their environment and maintain cellular homeostasis when faced with physiological disturbances that are either artificially imposed under defined growth conditions or encountered during natural interactions with eukaryotic host cells. The research goal is to elucidate novel aspects of cellular physiology, which will advance knowledge regarding the basic functioning of bacterial cells and their pathogenic properties.