We are part of the Department of Microbiology in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. The mission of our lab is twofold: 1) to make novel discoveries in bacterial physiology, regulation, and stress response, and 2) to train rigorous, creative, and collaborative microbiologists.
We use a combination of genetic, genomic, and biochemical techniques to study how bacteria sense and respond to their environments. We are particularly interested in the molecular biology of the symbiotic and probiotic bacteria that make up the healthy microbiome, and are working to identify new regulators, proteins, and pathways that may influence the interactions between bacteria and their human or animal hosts. Our current research has three primary tracks:
For more information and for details on specific projects ongoing in the lab, see our Research page.
Dr. Gray's free course packet on Bacterial Genetics and Molecular Biology is available here.
The Gray lab is dedicated to diversity and inclusion, and we promote and recognize principles of fairness and equity in relation to, and across, intersections of race, age, color, disability, faith, religion, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, social class, economic class, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, and all other identities represented among our diverse communities.
New lab swag obtained!
Congratulations again to Gray lab graduate Dr. Sierra Hansen!
Welcome to new postdocoral fellow Josh Huffines, who will be joining us to work on stress responses of oral streptococci!
Congratulations to Dr. Chris Hamm for receiving the Notice of Award for his NIH F32 fellowship today!
2025 Lab Lunch to welcome Nowshin and Josh and see Sierra off to clinics!
Check out this news article, in which Sierra explains some important facts about probiotics and human health:
Check out our latest paper on bacterial HOSCN stress response, online now at the Journal of Bacteriology!
Saying goodbye to Julia today. We'll miss her, but are sure she'll do great at her postdoc position at UT Austin. The Gray lab won't be the same without you!
Congratulations to Avery for passing his advancement to candidacy meeting with flying colors! Great work.
Welcome to new lab manager / researcher Neetu Jain!
Congratulations to Dr. Julia Meredith, Ph.D. for a successful public thesis defense today! Great job!
2025 Gray Lab Brunch!
And, now online at mBio, Chris Hamm's paper on the weird things that happen to E. coli when you knock out both polyP and (p)ppGpp. Happy New Year!
Welcome to rotation student Owen Smith, who will be joining us for the next few months to work on regulation of polyphosphate synthesis in E. coli!
Lab happy hour at Cahaba Brewing to celebrate the start of the Fall semester:
As we start up the new semester, welcome to new undergraduate research assistant Christine Kim, who will be joining the team working with Chris on polyP in Gram-positive bacteria.