I study the molecular mechanisms by which the bacterial pathogen Salmonella enterica (serovar Typhimurium) infects host cells and replicates within them. My research focuses on the Type III Secretion System 2 (T3SS-2), a specialized protein machinery that enables the bacterium to inject effector proteins directly into host cells. These effectors allow Salmonella to evade immune responses and survive intracellularly, particularly within macrophages.

At the center of my work is the protein SsaV, a key structural component of T3SS-2. Functional SsaV is essential for the translocation of effector proteins and thus for successful infection. I investigate SsaV as a potential target for novel anti-virulence strategies.

Using virtual docking approaches, we identified a synthetic small molecule that specifically binds to SsaV. This interaction was experimentally validated, and subsequent analyses showed that the compound significantly reduces effector protein injection and intracellular replication of Salmonella.

To better understand and optimize this interaction, I apply mutagenesis and structure-guided approaches to identify critical binding residues and improve compound efficacy. The overall goal of my work is to develop anti-virulence strategies that inhibit bacterial infection without relying on traditional antibiotics, thereby helping to reduce the emergence of antibiotic resistance.