Stavroula Hatzios, PhD

My laboratory studies host–microbe interactions in the gastrointestinal tract by using chemical tools to discover proteins, post-translational modifications, and metabolites that shape cell signaling at the molecular level. Our primary goal is to understand how infection-associated oxidative stress influences host cell signaling and microbial adaptation to the host environment. We use a combination of chemical proteomics, metabolomics, genetics, biochemical methods, and infection models to identify redox-active proteins and small molecules that regulate host–microbe interactions. In addition, we aim to develop new probes and antimicrobials for the precise detection and inhibition of disease-causing bacteria in the gut. By bridging the fields of chemistry and microbiology, we strive to develop new approaches that will increase basic understanding of host–microbe interactions and generate new leads for therapeutic targets, activity-based diagnostics, and drug-delivery systems.