Petra Levin, Professor, Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, will give a talk titled, "Bacteria vs Environment: How very small organisms survive and thrive in a very big world."

ABSTRACT

It is easy to forget that bacteria exist. Until something spoils. Or we get sick. Bacteria do not have the same luxury. Easily swept from one place to another by a flushing toilet, prevailing winds, or the movement of their hosts, to survive they must adapt to a constantly changing environment. In this talk, I will explain how two organisms—Escherichia coli and the pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae—modulate cell wall synthesis to survive and thrive in acidic conditions and how changes in pH alter their sensitivity to antibiotics.