Welcome

The Carlson research group seeks to address the public health emergency of antibiotic resistance. Traditional antibacterial drugs directly kill bacteria, which results in the rapid evolution of resistance. Our innovative approach is to instead block the ability of bacteria to sense and respond to their surroundings. We are working to dramatically expand the community's understanding of how bacteria interact with their environment and how this can be disrupted to weaken a pathogen’s ability to cause disease.

Our research is highly multidisciplinary - members gain expertise in probe and inhibitor design and synthesis, mass spectrometry, biochemistry, proteomics and metabolomics, molecular biology, and microbiology.

Recent News

1/2025: Congratulations to Deborah on passing her oral exam!

1/2025: Congratulations Hannah on acceptance of their paper entitled, "Recent advances in high-throughput screening methods for small molecule modulators in bacteria,” into Chemical Opinion in Chemical Biology!

12/2024: Congratulations to Hannah on defense of her incredible thesis work! She will join the lab of Ben Hackel in CEMS as a postdoctoral associate in January!

11/2024: Congratulations Andrew on acceptance of his paper entitled, "Challenges of Biological Complexity in the Study of Nanotoxicology,” into Chemical Research in Toxicology!

11/2024: Congratulations Josh, Jacob, Kelsie, and Shivani on acceptance of their paper entitled, "kinact/KI Value Determination for Penicillin-Binding Proteins in Live Cells,” into ACS Infectious Diseases!

Recent Publication

kinact/KI Value Determination for Penicillin-Binding Proteins in Live Cells

Shirley, J.D.; Gillingham, J.R.; Nauta, K.M.; Diwakar, S.; Carlson, E. E. ACS Infect. Dis. 2024, 10, 4137-4145.

Co-first authors


https://doi.org/10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00370

Research Directions

Carlson Lab Mission Statement

We believe that collaboration among people of all cultures, experiences, and backgrounds enhances science and contributes to excellence in teaching, learning, and research. We strive to promote a climate that celebrates our differences, dismantle racist and other discriminatory practices, and promote an environment where all have the opportunity to thrive. 

Learn more about the efforts of our department and Professor Carlson in an eNews article and on the departmental website to promote a welcoming and safe environment to learn and perform research. 

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