Research Bio
Kathleen Ryan is an associate professor in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology. The Ryan lab studies mechanisms such as phosphorylation, localization, and proteolysis that regulate protein activity in bacteria. Our model system is the Gram-negative freshwater bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, in which post-translational regulation plays an important role in cell cycle transitions, stress responses, antibiotic persistence, and the differentiation of one cell type into another. Ongoing projects in the lab include 1) the promotion of stress tolerance and antibiotic persistence by HipBA toxin-antitoxin systems, 2) the mechanisms which allow Caulobacter to survive without the essential outer membrane molecule lipid A, and 3) engineering Caulobacter strains for use in environmentally responsive living materials.
Research Expertise and Interest
bacterial envelope properties, biogenesis, stress responses
Teaching
Internship [HUM 197]
Special Topics in Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI 190]
Directed Group Studies in Plant Biology [PLANTBI 198]
Directed Group Studies in Plant Biology [PLANTBI 198]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [PLANTBI 199]
Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) [PLANTBI 199S]
Research Review in Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI 292]
Graduate Supervised Independent Study [PLANTBI 296]
Graduate Research [PLANTBI 299]
Individual Study for Graduate Students [PLANTBI 602]
Honors Research - Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI H196]
General Microbiology [MCELLBI C112]
Directed Group Studies in Plant Biology [PLANTBI 198]
Directed Group Studies in Plant Biology [PLANTBI 198]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [PLANTBI 199]
Research Review in Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI 292]
Graduate Supervised Independent Study [PLANTBI 296]
Graduate Research [PLANTBI 299]
Individual Study for Graduate Students [PLANTBI 602]
General Microbiology [PLANTBI C112]
Honors Research - Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI H196]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [PLANTBI 199]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [PLANTBI 199]
Honors Research - Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI H196]
Special Topics in Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI 190]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [PLANTBI 199]
Research Review in Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI 292]
Graduate Supervised Independent Study [PLANTBI 296]
Graduate Research [PLANTBI 299]
Individual Study for Graduate Students [PLANTBI 602]
Honors Research - Plant and Microbial Biology [PLANTBI H196]