mSphere Legacy: A career built on suppressors

ABSTRACT My career in research began in the early 1970s and is now ending. In the early years, I learned much from three wonderful mentors. My research has focused on Escherichia coli , and my studies were motivated by two basic questions: how does this bacterium build its complex cell envelope, and how does it regulate gene expression in response to external stimuli? Much of my success stemmed from searches for suppressors. None of what I write would have been possible without the graduate students and postdocs I have had the pleasure of supervising, and I apologize in advance for not highlighting the contributions of each of you. I have also profited enormously from the contributions of wonderful colleagues and of several valued collaborators, each brought new insights and indispensable expertise.