Research Overview
Our research is focused on understanding how microbial cells interact with their environment both as a community and as individual cells with an emphasis of membrane transporter regulation. Besides standard techniques such as CFU assays, flow cytometry, mass spectrometry, real-time quantitative PCR and RNA sequencing, we develop bespoke microfluidic devices that enable to accurately control the microenvironment surrounding the cells and perform a series of functional assays on the very same individual cell. This allows us to shed light on the physiology of rare subpopulations of cells that are generally hidden in ensemble measurements on clonal populations. Furthermore, we apply the technology we develop for collaborative studies on microbes, mammalian, plant, algal cells and synthetic systems such as giant unilammellar vesicles and colloidal particles.
Recent publications
- A. Smith, A. Kaczmar, R. Bamford,
C. Smith, S. Frustaci, A. Kovacs-Simon, P. O'Neill, K. Moore, K. Paszkiewicz, R. W. Titball, S. Pagliara
The culture environment influences both gene regulation and phenotypic heterogeneity in Escherichia coli
Frontiers in Microbiology, 9, 1739 (2018) [Link][PDF]
- T. Lutz, A. H. Clowsley, R. Lin, S. Pagliara, L. Di Michele, C. Soeller
Versatile multiplexed super-resolution imaging of nanostructures by Quencher-Exchange-PAINT
Nano Research, doi.org/10.1007/s12274-018-1971-6 (2018) [Link][PDF]
- R. Bamford, A. Smith, J. Metz, G. Glover, R. W. Titball, S. Pagliara
Investigating the physiology of viable but non-culturable bacteria by microfluidics and time-lapse microscopy
BMC Biology, 15, 121, (2017) [Link][PDF]
Press Release: UoE
Coverage: Daily Mail, The Australian, Oxford Times, SBS, Medindia - Y. Tan, J. Gladrow, U. F. Keyser, L. Dagdug, S Pagliara
Particle transport across a channel via an oscillating potential
Physical Review E, 96, 052401, (2017) [Link][PDF] - A. C. Hodgson, C. M. Verstreken, C. L. Fisher,
U. F. Keyser,S. Pagliara, K. J. Chalut
A microfluidic device for characterizing nuclear deformations
Lab on a Chip, 17, 805, (2017) [Link][PDF]
