The DK Morales Lab focuses on defining the molecular and metabolic programs governing surface penetration by non-motile pathobionts. Currently, we are studying Enterococcus faecalis, a human commensal of the gastrointestinal tract that can cause life-threatening infections. This bacterium can overgrow and form highly dense populations that penetrate the intestinal barriers of susceptible hosts with disrupted intestinal homeostasis. This process, called translocation, enables E. faecalis to exit the intestine, access the bloodstream, and colonize distal anatomical sites, representing a key virulence trait that could be targeted for therapeutic purposes. We use in vitro and in vivo model systems combined with advanced molecular, biochemical, and genetic approaches to answer which host pathways facilitate bacterial movement across epithelial barriers; what metabolic and genetic processes endow bacteria with the ability to penetrate surfaces or translocate across epithelial barriers; how do bacterial aggregates develop during surface penetration; whether E. faecalis can penetrate other host tissues and other exciting questions.
