Dr Mostowy’s laboratory is currently involved in studying autophagy and the cytoskeleton to understand how cells control infection. The research aims are (i) to identify and characterize host and pathogen determinants underlying the intracellular fate of cytosolic bacteria, and (ii) to investigate the role of discovered molecules and mechanisms in vivo using zebrafish models of bacterial infection. The study of intracellular host defence may suggest the development of new therapeutic strategies aimed at bacterial infection, and possibly other disease states that also implicate cytosolic host responses.