The Reyes Ruiz laboratory leads a research program focused on discovering new antibacterial effectors in immune cells that target the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and defining how bacteria adapt to stress imposed by the host. 

One major research direction is focused on the mechanisms by which newly discovered antibacterial factors affect the interaction of macrophages with S. aureus. Previous work identified a set of host genes that have an impact in bacterial survival and stress responses inside macrophages. The lab combines cell biology, molecular approaches, and infection models to probe the mechanism by which these genes impact the intracellular reservoir of S. aureus.

A second research direction is focused on bacterial stress response systems. Previous work identified seven two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs) specifically activated inside macrophages. Most knowledge on immune responses to intracellular bacteria comes from studies using professional intracellular bacteria that often use specialized secretion systems and translocated effectors to facilitate intracellular replication. My laboratory investigates the role of TCSs for S. aureus intracellular survival and replication.