The team’s research program is already underway, using mice. White praised graduate student Michelle Gerber for creating a “reference strain” of Salmonella that turns green when it transforms into a biofilm cell and red when it remains in its single-celled, virulent form. The reporter strain is one way they can closely monitor the change in salmonella bacteria and continue research that White said is unlike anything else in the world. “It’s pretty exciting,” he said. “It’s great for interns. We have an opportunity to redefine how we approach this bacterium, make better vaccines and control infections by studying these new ideas.” While they are already at the cutting edge of research, White is looking ahead to what may come next. He said that through their NSERC-funded research they have already identified a link between proteins present in the formation of biofilm cells and those present in human neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. “It’s still in the early stages, but this might be the most exciting thing I’ve come out of my research,” he said. “It’s a big issue to deal with.” As the team learns more about what causes Salmonella to break down and survive, White is excited about the questions his program can answer about the pesky bacteria — and other questions this research could answer in the future .
