Harvard University · Microbiology & ImmunologyRudner Bacteriology Lab
David Z Rudner · Cambridge, Massachusetts
Research Focus
David Z Rudner's lab at Harvard Medical School studies bacteria, particularly a type called Bacillus subtilis. They focus on how these bacteria grow, differentiate, and how they handle their chromosomes and cell walls during these processes. Understanding these fundamental mechanisms may lead to new treatments for bacterial infections and insights into cancer-related cell division failures.
Bacillus subtilisbacterial growthcell wall biogenesischromosome dynamicsspore germinationsignal transductionantibiotic resistancenutrient detection
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how Bacillus subtilis organizes and segregates its chromosomes.
AIM 02Define the role of the SMC condensin complex in chromosome dynamics.
AIM 03Explore the signaling pathways that coordinate bacterial cell wall assembly.
AIM 04Elucidate how spores detect nutrients and trigger germination.
AIM 05Characterize the mechanisms of dipicolinic acid release during spore germination.
Skills the Lab Values
PCRcell culturegenetic analysisbiochemical assaysstructural biology techniquescomputational modelingmicroscopyprotein purificationelectrophoresis
Output against the department
Publications148top 44% of dept.216th of 486
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations11ktop 34% of dept.166th of 486
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.