The development of fluorescence imaging techniques has revolutionized our ability to visualize cellular processes in real time.    The scientific community now has the ability to interrogate specific proteins, molecules, and ions in cells with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution.  The focus of our lab is to expand this “toolkit” to develop probes for imaging cellular metal homeostasis and bacterial pathogenesis.  These targets represent fascinating examples of the complexity of cellular signaling networks.  Moreover, these signaling cascades have been implicated in diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, as well as processes such as neurodegeneration and persistent bacterial infections.  In our laboratory the creation of novel imaging probes and the use of such probes to shed light on cell biology are inextricably linked.  Our research combines in vitro spectroscopic and biophysical techniques, protein design and engineering for the development of novel probes, and cellular imaging studies to elucidate the mechanisms of cellular signaling pathways.