To learn
how Mycobacterium
tuberculosis mounts a defense against a drug, Baliga is first looking within the
bacterium, identifying the genes, proteins and other molecules that interact as the microbe infects a host.
The goal is to find new ways to tackle the disease, which requires a thorough understanding of
how the
bacterium, known as Mycobacterium
tuberculosis, behaves once it takes hold of the macrophages in our lungs.