• The development of attenuated, live vaccines is important for combating bacterial pathogens.
  • Attenuating virulent bacteria by inducing the expression of fimbriae or capsules represents a unique approach.
  • The goal of this project is to determine if expression of the Y. pestis capsule (Caf1) in Salmonella can be used to develop a live, attenuated vaccine and to characterize the mechanisms involved.

 

Salmonella

Atomic force microscopy images of Salmonella expressing CFA/I fimbriae (left) compared to wild-type bacteria (right).