Aimee Shen

This study defines the hierarchical order of divisome assembly in C. difficile using CRISPRi and fluorescent fusions, revealing a unique division mechanism distinct from model bacteria.

The paper identifies a single DNA methylation site that regulates sporulation in C. difficile by enhancing spoIIE transcription and sigmaF activation, revealing its role in pathogen persistence and potential as an antimicrobial target.

This study identifies the CspC:CspA heterodimer as the signaling complex that transduces germinant and co-germinant signals during C. difficile spore germination.

The paper shows that SpoVD's catalytic activity is dispensable for asymmetric division in C. difficile due to PBP3's compensatory role, suggesting functional redundancy among bPBPs.

This study identifies novel features of the non-canonical divisome complex in C. difficile, revealing an essential regulatory domain in PBP1 and an unexpected role for PBP3 in cell division.

This study identifies distinct growth and chaining properties in Clade 5 Clostridioides difficile strains using time-lapse microscopy, linked to the cmr switch sequence orientation.

This study develops a method to visualize single-cell phenotypic heterogeneity in gut microbial communities using spectrally compatible reporters, revealing subpopulation behavior in Clostridioides difficile during infection.

This study investigates how strand-swapping in GerS, a LolA-like protein in C. difficile, affects its dimerization and ability to activate the amidase CwlD.

This paper shows that an avirulent C. difficile strain, ST1-75, protects mice from virulent strain-induced colitis by outcompeting it through rapid amino acid depletion, suggesting potential as a biotherapeutic for CDI prevention.

This study characterizes the epigenome of C. difficile and identifies a conserved DNA methyltransferase that impacts sporulation and other biological processes.