Gregory B. Whitfield

This study uses cryo-ET and subtomogram averaging to determine the in situ architecture of the Tad pilus machine in Caulobacter crescentus, revealing its assembly intermediates and structural framework.

The paper shows how the Tad motor ATPase CpaF achieves reversible pilus motion through physical inversion of its orientation, using a single unidirectional catalytic cycle.

This study identifies CpaL as a mechanosensory protein involved in pilus-mediated surface sensing in Caulobacter crescentus, showing that its deletion increases surface adhesion through enhanced holdfast production.

This study identifies the Pel polysaccharide as a driver of autoaggregation in S. intermedius, linking it to biofilm formation and increased pathogenicity.

The paper determines cryo-EM structures of CpaF in different conformations and proposes a rotary mechanism of catalysis for Tad pilus assembly and disassembly.

This paper identifies a specialized operon in Vibrio cholerae that senses antimicrobial peptides and activates multiple resistance systems, including efflux pumps and outer membrane modifications.

This study examines broad-host-range Vibrio phages, identifying genetic features and ecological trade-offs that influence their host range and environmental distribution.

This paper presents a systematic pipeline to classify bacterial operons and reveals the evolutionary landscape of biofilm machineries through phylogenetic clustering and genomic-proximity network analysis.