Chris Tang’s group have discovered a natural temperature sensor in a type of bacteria that causes meningitis and blood poisoning. The sensor allows the bacteria to evade the body’s immune response, leading to life-threatening infections.
Chris said: ‘These infections are extremely dangerous to vulnerable groups, particularly young children, and can cause blindness, brain damage and limb loss. We hope that this research will help us understand how the bacteria cause disease, and might one day help us prevent serious infection.’