Randy Stockbridge

Randy Stockbridge is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on membrane transport proteins, particularly fluoride and multidrug resistance mechanisms in microorganisms. The Stockbridge lab employs biochemical, biophysical, and structural approaches including electrophysiology, X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, and phylogenetic analysis to understand how bacteria resist environmental toxins and human-made chemicals.

Research interests include:

• Fluoride Resistance: Mechanisms in oral microbiota and their role in dental biofilm dynamics.
• Anthropogenic Chemical Defense: Bacterial resistance to antiseptics (e.g., benzalkonium), pharmaceutical metabolites, and environmental pollutants.
• Membrane Protein Evolution: Molecular evolution of SMR transporters and novel protein folds.
• Structural Biology: Development of methods for small membrane protein characterization (e.g., antibody tagging, FAB-Tags).

Recent work highlights the lab’s exploration of SMR transporter substrate specificity, metformin metabolite export, and evolutionary strategies enabling microbial survival in chemically challenging environments. These studies bridge fundamental biology and applied challenges like antimicrobial development and environmental remediation.

Lab members include postdocs Jordan Compton and Saikat Mandal, with graduate student Rachael Lucero recognized as a Cranefield awardee. Open positions are available for researchers interested in joining this interdisciplinary work.