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Dept. of Microbiology and Immunobiology

Harvard Medical School

200 Longwood Ave.

Boston, MA 02115

phone: 617-432-1776

fax: 617-738-7664

email:

Click here to visit the Kolter Lab Website.

Research Summary

The Kolter laboratory is interested in an eclectic mix of research topics that span areas of biofilm physiology, interspecies interactions, and microbial ecology and evolution. Examples of projects currently in progress are:

• Molecular mechanisms underlying biofilm formation by Bacillus subtilis
• Genome diversity of Bacillus subtilis
• Microbial community dynamics in clinical and environmental settings
• Characterization of interspecies cell-cell signaling molecules

Please visit the Kolter Lab webpage.

Training

Ph.D. University of California, San Diego (1979); postdoctoral training at Stanford University (1980-1983).

Selected Publications

Branda, S.S., F. Chu, D.B. Kearns, R. Losick and R. Kolter. 2006. A major protein component of the Bacillus subtilis biofilm matrix. Mol. Microbiol. 59:1229-1238.

Straight, P.D., J.M. Willey and R. Kolter. 2006. Interactions between Streptomyces coelicolor and Bacillus subtilis: role of surfactants in raising aerial structures. J. Bacteriol. 188:4918-4925.

Straight, P.D., M.A. Fischbach, C.T. Walsh, D.Z. Rudner and R. Kolter. 2007. A singular enzymatic megacomplex from Bacillus subtilis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 104:305-310.

Butcher, R.A., F.C. Schroeder, M.A. Fischbach, P.D. Straight, R. Kolter, C.T. Walsh and J. Clardy. 2007. The identification of bacillaene, the product of the PksX megacomplex in Bacillus subtilis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 104:1506-1509.

Earl, A.M., R. Losick and R. Kolter. 2007. Bacillus subtilis genome diversity. J. Bacteriol. 189:1163-1170.