The Goldberg laboratory focuses on the strategies used by bacteria to cause diseases in humans, in particular respiratory infections in individuals with the genetic disease cystic fibrosis. We study various bacterial factors, especially surface polysaccharides and other potential adhesins. We assess their contribution to virulence and the physiology of the bacterium and their effects on host. We also examine and dissect essential metabolic pathways in these bacteria as targets for the development of novel therapeutics and vaccines to combat naturally antibiotic-resistant pathogens.