My research has produced a number of important paradigm shifts in our understanding of several biological phenomena.
Versatility of DNA: We have demonstrated that DNA confers several biological functions that are un-related to its role in coding genetic information. When DNA is situated outside of the confines of the cell it functions as a glue to bind biofilms cells to each other and surfaces, it controls bacterial traffic flow by aligning cells to the overall direction of travel, it provides cohesion between cells to co-ordinate their behaviour and it acts as a sticky substrate for type IV pili binding to enable twitching motility.
The role of stigmergy in how bacteria self-organise multi-cellular activities: Our reserarch provided a greater understanding of how large populations of bacteria self-organise individual behaviours to enable active expansion of biofilm communities.
Bacterial production of shared resources: The process by which eDNA, moonlighting proteins and other cellular components that function as shared resources, or ‘public goods’, in bacterial communities are produced has been unknown for many bacteria. Many of these are important virulence factors. Our research has revealed that explosive cell lysis accounts for the production of these ‘public goods’