Expertise

Topics:  Microbiology, Microscopy, Signal Transduction, High Throughput, Image Analysis‎

Drew Bridges studies how bacteria make developmental decisions based on extracellular sensory information. His lab focuses on is the formation and disassembly of multicellular bacterial communities called biofilms. Previously, the Bridges Lab pioneered the use of new imaging approaches to investigate the full biofilm lifecycle in the global pathogen, Vibrio cholerae, from initial cell attachment to biofilm growth, to biofilm disassembly. They combine imaging approaches with techniques including genetics, biochemistry, and biophysics theory to discover and characterize the molecular mechanisms controlling biofilm dispersal.

In the long term, the research program will expand to other microorganisms and their unique lifestyles to learn what principles are general and which are species-specific. These discoveries will be relevant to infection and could inform the development of approaches to manipulate bacterial behavior, potentially leading to new strategies for controlling disease.

Media Experience

CMU Study Uncovers How Dangerous Bacteria Build and Break Down Biofilms  — Mellon College of Science News
“Our platform can be used to inform researchers of the genes that underlie the biofilm regulation of diverse species and could be used to identify new biofilm-disrupting drugs,” Bridges said. “Simultaneously, this paper really lays out the fundamental genetics underlying the specific pathogen S. pneumoniae.”

Researchers Identify New Target To Fight Antibiotic Resistance  — Mellon College of Science News
Drew Bridges, an assistant professor in Carnegie Mellon University’s Mellon College of Science, said the research could be an important tool in fighting a growing threat. “Traditional antibiotics work in a simple way — they kill bacteria,” Bridges said. “It's the same problem as with chemotherapy — the survivors cause problems. When you apply a bunch of antibiotics, a subpopulation of cells survives, they repopulate the population, and they're all resistant.”

We’re Outta Here | Novel imaging technique tracks individual bacterial cells as they leave their biofilm community  — Mellon College of Science News
“Being able to transition in and out of the biofilms is critical for bacteria to be able to spread between niches. It could be between some environmental locations or, more relevantly, it could be between hosts or infection sites,” said Drew Bridges, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences.

Biologists determine bacteria sense damage to relatives  — Phys.org
"If you saw an injured person, you'd probably try to protect yourself or you'd be on edge, and that's what we see with the bacteria," Bridges said. "They have the ability to sense internal components of their kin, and if they sense it, they respond by preparing themselves for an encounter with a threat."