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My principal research interest concerns the organization of the bacterial cell. My research has primarily focused on the internal cytoskeletal elements that specify the growth and division of cells, such as the bacterial tubulin ancestor FtsZ and the bacterial actin homologues FtsA and MreB. I have recently expanded my research to the bacterial exoskeleton - the peptidoglycan - to study the factors that determine its growth and form. In addition to focusing on the genetic determinants of the cytoskeleton and the exoskeleton, an important axis of my research concerns how their inherent physiochemical properties confer form and function. This resonates with my interest in evolution and especially the role that generic physical properties of biological polymers play in the origination of organized biological structures.