Research: Methylotrophs are a group of ubiquitous microbes capable of using reduced C1 compounds such as methanol or multicarbon compounds lacking C-C bonds as sole sources of carbon and energy. During C1 oxidation, formaldehyde (FA) is produced as an essential toxic intermediate. Thus, methylotrophs must carefully tread the line between oxidation of FA for further metabolic conversion and potentially lethal FA toxicity. Our lab has identified EfgA, the first FA sensor identified in a bacterial methylotroph, which mediates a significant global transcriptional response to FA stress that leads to growth arrest. My thesis work aims to define the EfgA mechanism and identify other genes involved in the EfgA response network. To achieve this, I will perform RB-TnSeq using comparative analyses of the libraries. This and additional analyses will differentiate genes that are generically important for the FA stress response versus those that are specifically part of the EfgA response network.
