Erin D. Goley, Ph.D.

Dr. Goley investigates cytoskeletal processes in bacteria, with current effort concentrated on understanding cytokinesis in the model bacterium, Caulobacter crescentus.

To tackle the question of how bacterial cells divide, Dr. Goley’s team focuses primarily on the function and regulation of the highly conserved tubulin-like protein, FtsZ. FtsZ is thought to act as a scaffold for assembly of the cytokinetic machinery, to generate constrictive forces that drive division, and, ultimately, to direct remodeling of the cell wall. However, the molecular details of FtsZ function are largely unknown.

To gain insight into the mechanisms and regulation of bacterial growth and division, Dr. Goley’s team is using a multi-faceted approach, combining bacterial genetics, microscopy, biochemistry, and in vitro reconstitution to obtain a comprehensive view of the mechanisms of FtsZ action.

These studies will inform models for how proteins at the division site direct cell growth and division and how these processes are integrated with other cell-cycle events in time and space. In light of the high degree of conservation of cell division proteins among bacteria, results will be relevant to the vast majority of bacterial species, including human and animal pathogens.

The Goley Lab is focused on understanding cellular organization and dynamic reorganization in bacteria, with particular focus on the roles of the cytoskeleton in these phenomena. Researchers in the lab use cell biological, biochemical, genetic and structural approaches to dissect cell biological processes with the aim of understanding how they work in molecular detail. Current research is focused on the mechanisms and regulation of cytokinesis and morphogenesis in bacteria.