BEaR - Small RNA-mediated human-microbial cross-talk

The human gastrointestinal tract is densely colonized by several bacterial species, and imbalances in the microbiota influence human health. Bacteria are known to change the expression of genes to cope with modified environments and bacterial sRNAs play crucial roles in such responses. Furthermore, several studies have postulated that bacterial sRNAs influence bacterial pathogenesis. In the present projects, we are characterizing the functions of sRNAs (primarily exported sRNAs) which we have identified in the gastrointestinal tract and in enteric bacteria to understand whether these molecules may play roles in interspecies communication.