My dissertation research was on flagellar biogenesis in the stomach pathogen Helicobacter pylori.  Flagellar biogenesis requires the coordinated transcription and assembly of flagellar components.  I focused identifying structural signals needed to initiate transcription of a subset of these flagellar genes using a mutagenesis approach.

I am currently studying antimicrobial resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae.  Carbapenemases are enzymes (typically encoded on plasmids) that confer resistance to carbapenem antibiotics.  I am using a high-throughput screening approach to identify small molecules that prevent carbapenemase-encoding plasmids from being maintained and propagated among Klebsiella strains.  In addition, I am using a next-generation sequencing approach on a saturating transposon mutant library to identify other elements required for carbapenem resistance.

Martinez, LE, JM Hardcastle, J Wang, Z Pincus, J Tsang, TR Hoover, R Bansil and NR Salama. (2015) Helicobacter pylori strains vary cell shape and flagellum number to maintain robust motility in viscous environments. In press, Molecular Microbiology.

Tsang, J, T Hirano, TR Hoover and JL McMurry. (2015) Helicobacter pylori FlhA binds the sensor kinase and flagellar gene regulatory protein FlgS with high affinity. Journal of Bacteriology. 197: 1886-1892.

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Tsang, J and TR Hoover. (2015) Basal body structures differentially affect transcription of RpoN-and FliA-dependent flagellar genes in Helicobacter pylori. Journal of Bacteriology. 197: 1921-1930.

Tsang, J and TR Hoover. (2014) Requirement of the flagellar protein export apparatus component FliO for optimal expression of flagellar genes in Helicobacter pylori. Journal of Bacteriology. 196: 2709-2717.

Tsang, J and TR Hoover. (2014) Themes and Variations: Regulation of RpoN-Dependent Flagellar Genes among Diverse Bacterial Species. Scientifica. vol. 2014.

Tsang, J, TG Smith, L Pereira, and TR Hoover. (2013) Insertion mutations within Helicobacter pylori flhA reveal strain differences in RpoN-dependent gene expression. Microbiology. 159:58-67.

Pereira, L, J Tsang, J Mrázek, and TR Hoover. (2011) The zinc-ribbon domain of Helicobacter pylori HP0958: requirement for RpoN accumulation and possible roles of homologs in other bacteria. Microbial Informatics and Experimentation. 1:8.