Mycobacterium tuberculosis is responsible for the largest number of deaths worldwide due to a single bacterial infection. The increasing number of multi-drug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) M. tuberculosis strains and the lack of an effective vaccine exacerbate the problem. The research in our laboratory focuses on the interaction of M. tuberculosis with macrophages, aims to elucidate the bacterial and host molecular mechanisms required to establish and maintain latent tuberculosis infection and seeks to facilitate the development of new therapies for the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis.