My research is focused on the mechanisms for recruitment and distribution of metals. Metal availability is a limiting factor for cell survival, therefore mechanisms to maintain the appropriate metal concentration have been highly conserved. We are especially interested in 1) how metals are distributed, stored and used in mitochondria; the majority of these studies use the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae and 2) the metal requirements of the phytopathogen Xylella fastidiosa in infection and the subsequent development of disease.