Columbia University in the City of New York · BiologyDietrich Lab
Lars Dietrich · New York, New York
Research Focus
Lars Dietrich's lab at Columbia University studies the opportunistic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, known for causing serious infections, particularly in vulnerable populations. They focus on understanding how these bacteria survive and thrive in challenging environments, such as during infections, by examining unique structures like R-bodies that help protect the bacteria and contribute to their virulence. The research aims to uncover the mechanisms behind these survival tactics to identify new treatment strategies against bacterial infections.
Pseudomonas aeruginosaR-bodiesbiofilmsantimicrobial resistancebacterial toxinsinfection mechanismsmulticellular bacteriametabolic pathwayscellular physiologytherapeutic targets
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the assembly and function of R-bodies in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
AIM 02Characterize the virulence effects of R-bodies on host immune cells.
AIM 03Examine the metabolic pathways influenced by biofilm growth and environmental cues.
AIM 04Assess how Pseudomonas aeruginosa tolerates self-produced toxins like cyanide.
AIM 05Explore the spatial organization of bacterial cells within biofilms.
Skills the Lab Values
molecular biology techniquescell culturemicroscopybiochemical assaysgenetic manipulationbiofilm analysisimaging mass spectrometrystructural biologyprotein purificationpathogen infection models
Output against the department
Publications134bottom 48% of dept.537th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.9ktop 47% of dept.488th of 1,033
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.