Dmitry Apel Memorial Seminar

Uncovering new mycobacterial biology through enzyme discovery

Bacterial growth and division is particularly complex in Mycobacterium tuberculosis due to its unusual cell envelope. As the interface between the bacterium and its environment, the cell wall is a prime target for medical intervention as well as for attack by competing microbes. In this talk, I will share our journey from fundamental enzyme discovery to new insights into mycobacterial biology. We recently identified two new enzymes, endo‑D‑arabinofuranases and mycobacterial mannanases, that sculpt the cell wall. Through biochemical and structural characterisation and bacterial genetics, we have uncovered their roles in phage-, bacterial-, and mycobacterial‑mediated predation and capsule generation. Lastly, I will discuss how this basic biology research has revealed potential translational applications for these enzymes in mycobacterial diagnostics.