Regulation of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence factor by host lipids

The bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes many severe infections including, but not limited to, pneumonia, keratitis, and bacteremia. Many of those infected are in healthcare facilities and are susceptible due to underlying disease conditions, and it is also common in chronic lung diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF). P. aeruginosa has many virulence factors, including CerN, whose transcript is induced by the presence of various lipids. My research focuses on determining the specific lipids that induce CerN in order to better understand this virulence factor.