jˈuːzɪŋ ˌɛʃɚɹˈɪkiə kˈoʊli æz ɐ mˈɑːdəl sˈɪstəm, hɪz lˈæb wʌzðə fˈɜːst tʊ ˈaɪsəlˌeɪt sˈɪɡnəl sˈiːkwəns mjuːtˈeɪʃənz, aɪdˈɛntᵻfˌaɪ ɐ kəmpˈoʊnənt ʌv sˈɛljʊlɚ pɹˈoʊtiːn sᵻkɹˈiːʃən məʃˈiːnɚɹi, dɪskˈʌvɚɹ ɐn ˈɪntᵻɡɹəl mˈɛmbɹeɪn kəmpˈoʊnənt ʌvðɪ ˈaʊɾɚ mˈɛmbɹeɪn ɐsˈɛmbli məʃˈiːnɚɹi, ænd tʊ aɪdˈɛntᵻfˌaɪ ænd kˈæɹɪktɚɹˌaɪz ɐ tˈuːkəmpˈoʊnənt ɹˈɛɡjʊlətˌoːɹi sˈɪstəm.
Using Escherichia coli as a model system, his lab was the first to isolate signal sequence mutations, identify a component of cellular protein secretion machinery, discover an integral membrane component of the outer membrane assembly machinery, and to identify and characterize a two-component regulatory system.