Recent developments in the field of ribosome profiling enabled the measurement of translation on a genome-wide scale by massive parallel sequencing of ribosome-protected messenger RNA fragments When combined with trapping of initiating 70S ribosomes at start codons, the genome-wide identification of small open reading frames (sORFs) and de novo translation start site assignment in bacteria is facilitated Viewing their greatly understudied nature, in this project we not only aim at studying the biogenesis of newly identified sORFs of the bacterial pathogen Salmonella, but also at a proteome-wide functional characterization of its resulting translation products referred to as sORF-encoded polypeptides or SEPs

To do this, we will employ state-of-the-art proteomics, interactomics and genomics technologies With this riboproteogenomics effort we will provide unique insights into the highly unexplored field of SEP biology in a model bacterial pathogen The changes in bacterial sORF expression in infection-relevant conditions will potentially highlight novel bacterial virulence factors, allowing for faster and more accurate detection of infectious diseases, as well as inform the development of novel antimicrobial treatments