We are particular interested in how different environmental signals such as nutrient limitation, oxygen limitation and oxidative stress are perceived and how these signals are transduced to the genome, where RNA polymerase-catalysed transcription occurs. This is important because bacteria only switch on certain genes such as those involved in secondary metabolism (antibiotic production) in response to stress-based signals. We use a wide range of experimental approaches including molecular genetic, genome-wide transcriptome and ChIP-chip analysis, and structural biology.