The goal of this project is to discover new antibiotics that target the SigmaE/Hfq pathway required for virulence and maintaining the integrity of the cellular membrane in Gram negative bacteria such as E. coli. Previously, a library of chemical compounds was screened to discover potential inhibitors of this pathway. Now these potential chemical inhibitors must undergo a series of secondary assays to differentiate whether the compounds inhibit either the SigmaE or Hfq pathway.