Research summary
Tuberculosis is the world’s deadliest infectious disease. Its persistence is partly due to the bacterium’s unusually complex cell wall, which protects it and influences how someone’s immune system will detect and respond to infection. As Canada Research Chair in Mechanistic Bacteriology, Dr. Patrick Moynihan is investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying this protective barrier.
Using advanced biochemical and genetic tools, he and his research team are studying the molecules and systems that give the cell surface its unique properties. They are also examining how the bacterium releases signals that affect the human immune system and investigating the processes it uses to secrete certain proteins. These insights will shed light on how the bacterium evades people’s immune defenses. Moynihan’s work could inform the development of more effective vaccines, diagnostic tools and treatments, contributing to global efforts to control and ultimately eliminate tuberculosis.