Ernst Lab (website under construction)

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The focus of my laboratory is to understand the molecular basis by which bacteria (Gram-negative and positive) modify the lipid component of their membrane and how these alterations affect or circumvent normal host innate immune system responses. These modifications can promote resistance to host innate immune killing mechanisms by antimicrobial compounds and alter recognition by TLR4. 

To the end, I have extensive experience in the discovery and analysis of various structural modification of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the major component of the Gram-negative bacterial envelope, and lipoteichoic acid (LTA), the major component of the Gram-positive bacterial. 

We have been using a variety of infection routes (aerosol, subcutaneous, IP) to determine the role of the host innate and adaptive immune systems in the control of mutant strains with defects in enzymes required for lipid biosynthesis. We are utilizing mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, and bioinformatics to identify genes required for lipid biosynthesis and their interactions with the host innate immune system, specifically components of the TLR4 complex.