Our laboratory studies the pathogenesis of two intestinal pathogens, Salmonella enterica and Campylobacter jejuni. Combined, these two pathogens account for the majority of cases of infectious diarrhea world-wide leading to an estimated 2,000,000 deaths. We take a multidisciplinary approach in our studies involving bacterial genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, immunology as well as structural biology. As a result, we are beginning to define not only the molecular details of the host pathogen interactions but also the atomic interface between these pathogens and the host.
Microbial pathogens have evolved unique ways to interact with their hosts. In many instances the terms of this interaction reflect the co-evolutionary balance that the host and pathogen must reach in order to secure
their survival. It is therefore not surprising that bacterial pathogens have evolved a large array of virulence
factors well suited to interfere with or stimulate a variety of host-cell responses in order to invade, survive and replicate within their hosts. The identification and characterization of these virulence factors is proving to be a fruitful area of research in more ways than expected.
The understanding of how pathogens interact with their hosts is not only providing the basis for the development of novel therapeutic approaches but also a number of very sophisticated tools for probing basic aspects of cellular physiology and immunology. Our laboratory studies the pathogenesis of two intestinal pathogens, Salmonella enterica and Campylobacter jejuni. Combined, these two pathogens account for the vast majority of cases of infectious diarrhea world-wide leading to an estimated 2,000,000 deads. We are interested in characterizing the bacterial determinants involved in these interactions as well as the cell biology and immunobiology of this process.
We take a multidisciplinary approach in our studies involving bacterial genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, immunology as well as structural biology. As a result, we are beginning to define not only the molecular details of the host pathogen interactions but also the atomic interphase between these pathogens and the host. Our laboratory has also an interest in vaccine development that stems from our discovery of a specialized organelle in Salmonella enterica (the “type III secretion system”) that mediates the transfer of bacterial proteins into host cells. We have harnessed this system for the delivery of heterologous proteins as a means to delivery antigens to the Class I and Class II antigen presenting pathways by avirulent strains of Salmonella.
Specific areas of interest include:
Campylobacter; Cell Biology; Immunity, Innate; Inflammation; Microbiology; Microscopy; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Salmonella; Cryoelectron Microscopy; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Microbiota; Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment; Type III Secretion Systems