Research interests
Our laboratory is composed of an eclectic group of scientists interested in dissecting the complex interactions between pathogenic bacteria and the mammalian host. Currently, we are focusing on multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, which have been recognized by the World Health Organization as a serious threat to human health. We take advantage of multidisciplinary approaches and outstanding collaborations to combine techniques from bacteriology, genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, cellular biology, and immunology with primary ex vivo tissue culture models and a variety of murine models of infection, to address our favorite questions. Our ultimate goal is to understand the basic principles of MDR-bacterial pathogenesis as well as to develop a platform for the discovery of targets that could be exploited for the generation of much-needed therapies.
Current Projects
S. aureus Biology
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Regulation of virulence factors (transcription, post-transcription, and secretion)
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Adaptation to niches
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Genome changes - in collaboration with Bo Shopsin and Harm van Bakel.
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Epidemiology of Infection - in collaboration with Bo Shopsin
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B-cell epitope discovery - in collaboration with Gregg Silverman
Toxin Biology
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Mechanism of cell death
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Role of toxins in the pathophysiology of S. aureus infection in vivo
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Structure/Function of toxins and host receptors - in collaboration with Damian Ekiert and Gira Bhabha
Host-Pathogen Interactions
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Human Leukocytes and bacterial pathogens
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Development of new mouse models - in collaboration with Sergei Koralov
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Autophagy and bacterial infection - in collaboration with Ken Cadwell
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Human gene polymorphisms (CCR5 and DARC)
MDR Gram-negative bacteria
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Epidemiology - in collaboration with Anne-Catrin Uhlemann
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Pathogenesis
Omics of Infectious Diseases
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Proteomics of Gram-positive and Gram-negative MDR bacteria - in collaboration with Beatrix Ueberheide
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Transcriptomics of bacteria-phagocyte interaction - in collaboration with P'ng Loke, David Fenyo, and Kelly Ruggles
Therapeutics
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Development of novel biologics - in collaboration with Janssen Biotech
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New vaccines against S. aureus infections
COVID-19 Microbial Biorepository of Associated Infections
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In collaboration with Ken Cadwell, Meike Dittman, Bo Shopsin and Lorna Thorpe
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Characterization of pathogens
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Epidemiology
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Virus polymicrobial infections