The Complete Vibrio harveyi Genome Sequence

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The widespread view of bacteria as primitive asocial organisms has been drastically altered in the past decade by the finding that, using a process called quorum sensing, bacteria communicate using mixtures of secreted chemical signals. Quorum sensing allows bacteria to synchronize gene expression, and therefore behavior, on a population-wide scale, and thus allows them to take on characteristics once assumed to be restricted to higher organisms. Vibrio harveyi, a free-living bioluminescent marine bacterium, has been at the forefront of this paradigm shift, because it was the first bacterium shown to communicate with multiple chemical signals and to be able to communicate across species boundaries. This research will determine the complete V. harveyi genome sequence. The genome sequence will enable an understanding of intra- and inter-species cell-cell communication and how bacteria integrate, process, preserve, and react to multiple sensory inputs. Comparing the V. harveyi genome sequence to other sequenced Vibrio species (Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio fischeri) should enhance understanding of the unique biology, ecology, and disease determinants of this clinically and economically important group of aquatic pathogens. The broader impacts of this work are that quorum sensing studies are providing insight into information processing at the cellular level, the evolution of multi-cellular organisms, and population-level cooperation. The PI teaches undergraduate and graduate courses and she is the Director of Graduate Studies. She sits on many committees and panels, performs editorial duties, runs several science outreach programs, and is an active research mentor.