The Burrows lab is interested in the interaction of bacteria with surfaces, the first step of any infection, and biofilms - antibiotic and disinfectant tolerant populations. We study twitching motility, a form of directed bacterial movement across surfaces, and the unique 'grappling hook' machinery that bacteria use for this movement. We investigate genetic and chemical means of preventing or dispersing biofilms. We are interested in the synthesis and turnover of peptidoglycan (the bacterial skeleton); it's an outstanding drug target, unique to bacteria, but how bacteria control its properties is poorly understood.