Antimicrobial resistance is a growing crisis that imperils our ability to protect patients immunocompromised by cancer treatment. Despite this, the few new antibiotics currently in clinical trials primarily use established mechanisms of action. Identification of new targets for antimicrobial drugs is thus an urgent clinical need. Recent work has shown that bacteria can tolerate substantial inhibition of many proteins thought to be essential for growth, rendering them poor drug targets. The mechanisms that cause this robustness are poorly understood. By combining cutting-edge microfluidic technologies with methods for controlled gene repression, Dr. Taggart will systematically identify mechanisms that allow bacterial cells to tolerate inhibition of genes critical for cellular growth. This work will guide the selection of targets for future antibiotic development and may reveal mechanisms by which to sensitize bacterial cells to existing drugs. Dr. Taggart received his PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge and his BS from Haverford College, Haverford.
Damon Runyon Researchers
Meet Our ScientistsJames C. Taggart, PhD
Project title: "Mechanistic interrogation of robustness and vulnerability in a bacterial essential gene network"
Institution: Harvard Medical School
Award Program: Fellow
Sponsor(s) / Mentor(s): Allon M. Klein, PhD, and Johan Paulsson, PhD
Cancer Type: All Cancers
Research Area: Systems Biology