In this episode of The Garden State Microbiome, we sit down with Dr. Tom Silhavy, a molecular biology legend whose pioneering research has shaped how we understand bacterial membranes, protein localization, and gene regulation in Escherichia coli.

Tom takes us on a remarkable journey, starting with his early days in Big Rapids, Michigan, where he studied pharmacy at Ferris State College before discovering his passion for biochemistry through undergraduate research. From there, we follow his scientific path to Harvard Medical School, where he earned his PhD working in Winfried Boos' lab, and then onto a transformative postdoc in the lab of molecular biology pioneer Jonathan Beckwith.

We explore how Tom helped develop the use of gene fusions to study protein export, and how his research career evolved as Director of the Laboratory of Genetics and Recombinant DNA at NCI-Frederick before becoming a founding member of Princeton’s Department of Molecular Biology.

Tom reflects on mentoring over 80 trainees, managing a long-running research program on the Gram-negative cell envelope, and his decade-long tenure as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Bacteriology. Along the way, we hear his candid thoughts on science publishing, lab culture, and the enduring need for publicly funded science.

Whether you're a student, a postdoc, or a seasoned researcher, this episode offers an inspiring look into a life devoted to discovery, mentorship, and the microbial world.

Dr. Thomas J. Silhavy is the Warner-Lambert Parke-Davis Professor of Molecular Biology at Princeton University. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, with over 275 publications. He was the 2019 Waksman Lecturer for the Theobald Smith Society.  His lab focuses on the structure, function, and regulation of the Gram-negative bacterial cell envelope.