Courtney Reichhardt

Welcome to the Reichhardt Lab!

We seek to answer: What are the fundamental biophysical principles of biofilm assembly? Since this question spans several scales—multicellular to atomic—we are developing multidisciplinary approaches that integrate microbiological methods with physical chemistry tools including microscopy and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).

Biofilms are microbial aggregates in which the microbes (i.e., bacteria or fungi) are encased in a mesh-like, biopolymer-rich extracellular matrix that promotes microbial cell-cell interactions, adherence to host tissues, and protection from antimicrobials. Our research is anticipated to lead to improved models to study biofilms, which will be useful in the development of anti-biofilm therapeutics. Additionally, the tools that we develop will be useful for studying other complex materials.

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