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Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program |
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Graduate Student Coordinator: Kristina Hedtkamp
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis Faculty Director: Tamara Doering
 Molecular Microbiology Program Guidelines
Microbiology Qualifying Exam Guidelines
Request Ph.D. Admissions Information
Washington University, by virtue of its interdisciplinary graduate program and highly interactive and collaborative environment, is ideally suited for training and research in molecular microbiology and microbial pathogenesis.
This Program is one of four interdepartmental programs in Cell and Molecular Biology in the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences of the University. It is tailored to the needs and interests of the individual student and emphasizes laboratory research, supported by course work, journal clubs and seminars. The Program teaches comprehensive and modern approaches to understanding microbes and the diseases they cause.
This program includes two major areas of research: 1) molecular microbiology and 2) microbial pathogenesis and host defense.
 Molecular Microbiology
Research in molecular microbiology employs genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, and biophysics to investigate fundamental biological problems including environmental sensing and cell-cell signaling, transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, secretion, energy generation, and the bacterial cell cycle. State-of-the-art computational and comparative genomic approaches are used to study commensal, pathogenic, and environmental organisms in their natural environment.
 Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Defense
Research in the molecular biology and biochemistry of pathogenic bacteria, fungi, protozoa, helminths and viruses, with an emphasis on mechanisms of virulence and host-parasite interactions. Applying a wide range of emerging technologies in molecular genetics and cell biology, this work includes the discovery and analysis of virulence-associated genes, the study of innate and acquired immunity to pathogens, and the identification and exploration of novel targets for chemotherapy.
 Program of Study
In the first semester, students complete the core curriculum of the Programs in Cell and Molecular Biology:
Bio 5068 Fundamentals of Molecular Cell Biology, 4.0 (Fall)
Bio 548 Nucleic Acids & Protein Biosynthesis, 3.0 (Fall)
Students begin specialized training in Microbiology in the second semester. The following advanced elective course is considered central to the Program:
.......................................Bio 5392 Molecular Microbiology & Pathogenesis, 3.0 (Spring)
Students choose at least one more advanced elective from the following list, subject to the approval of the Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis steering committee:
Bio 4490 Microbial Physiology and Biochemistry 3.0 (Spring)
Bio 5014 Biotech Industry Innovators (Spring)
Bio 5051 Foundations in Immunology, 4.0 (Fall)
Bio 5146 Principles and Applications of Biological Imaging, 3.0 (Spring)
Bio 5236 Systems Cell and Molecular Biology, 3.0 (Spring)
Bio 5312 Macromolecular Interactions, 3.0 (Spring)
Bio 5352 Developmental Biology, 3.0 (Spring)
Bio 5357 Chemistry and Physics of Biological Molecules
Bio 5476 Modeling Biomolecular Systems I, 3.0 (Spring)
Bio 5477 Modeling Biomolecular Systems II, 3.0 (Fall)
Bio 5488 Genomics, 3.0, with lab 4.0 (Spring)
Bio 5491 Advanced Genetics, 3.0 (Spring)
Bio 5495 Computational Molecular Biology, 3.0 (Fall)
CSE 502N Fundamentals of Computer Science, 3.0 (Spring)
During the course of their training, students also complete five credits of special topics courses and journal clubs (two of the five credits must be in special topics courses). Special topics courses can be chosen from the following list:
Bio 5065 Cell Biology of the Stress Response, 2.0 (Fall)
Bio 5069 Expanding the Central Dogma: Detours between Genome and Proteome, 2.0 (Fall)
Bio 5142 Cell & Molecular Biology of Bone, 2.0 (Fall/Spring)
Bio 5144 Signal Transduction in Human Biology, 2.0 (Spring of odd # years)
Bio 5191 Pathobiology of Human Disease States, 2.0 -limited enrollment (Fall) Markey Pathway
Bio 5196 Special Emphasis Pathway in Cancer Biology, 2.0 (every other Spring) Cancer Pathway
Bio 5215 Thursday Developmental Rave, 2.0 (Fall) (every other Fall)
Bio 5217 Special Topics in Microbial Pathogenesis, 2.0 (Fall)
Bio 5261 Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, 2.0 (Spring)
Bio 5272 Advanced Topics in Immunology, 2.0 (Spring)
Bio 5282 Chromatin Structure and Gene Expression, 2.0 (Spring-offered every 3rd yr)
Bio 5288 Special Topics in Molecular Genetics, 2.0 (Spring of even # years) Cancer Pathway
Bio 5318 DNA Repair 2.0 (Spring)
Bio 5381 Mechanisms of Protein Targeting & Intercompartmental Transport, 1.0 (Spring of even # years)
Bio 5395 Special Topics in Microbiology-Chemistry-Earth Science, 2.0 (every other Fall)
Bio 5424 Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Infectious Disease, 1.0 (Spring)
Bio 5493 Subversive Genetics, 2.0 (Fall)
Students participate in journal clubs organized by several laboratories with overlapping interests. Such journal clubs include:
Bio 5123 Experimental Hematopoiesis Journal Club, 1.0
Bio 5125 Student-Run Cell Biology Journal Club, 1.0
Bio 5128 Cell Biology of Extracellular Matrix Journal Club, 1.0
Bio 5132 Cell Motility and Cytoskeleton Journal Club, 1.0
Bio 5137 Ion Channels Journal Club, 1.0
Bio 5138 Molecular Mechanism of Aging Journal Club 1.0
Bio 5192 Cancer Biology Journal Club, 1.0
Bio 5235 Genetics Journal Club, 1.0
Bio 5255 Experimental Skeletal Biology Journal Club, 1.0
Bio 5284 Current Research in Chromatin, Epigenetics and Nuclear Organization, 1.0
Bio 5393 Molecular Virology Journal Club, 1.0
Bio 5412 Tropical and Molecular Parasitology, 0.5 (attend Fall/Spring, 1.0 credit)
Bio 5416 Molecular Microbiology & Pathogenesis Journal Club, 1.0 (Spring only)
Bio 5417 Hematology/Oncology Journal Club, 1.0
Bio 5443 Nucleic Acids & Nucleic Acid Protein Interactions Journal Club, 1.0 (Fall only)
Bio 5481 Student Run Molecular Genetics Journal Club, 1.0
Bio 5484 Genetics & Development of C. Elegans Journal Club, 1.0
Bio 5486 Classic Experiments in Molecular Biology, 1.0 (Spring only)
Bio 5496 Seminar in Computational Molecular Biology Journal Club, 1.0
Students are required to complete a qualifying examination in January of the second year of study. For Microbiology qualifying exam guidelines, click here. To read the program guidelines, click here.
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program Faculty |
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| Jan P. Amend, Ph.D. - Microbial geochemistry of hydrothermal ecosystems and energetics of metabolic processes at extreme conditions. |
| Largus T. Angenent, Ph.D. - Using molecular biology techniques to understand mechanisms in engineered biological systems. |
| John P. Atkinson, M.D. - Complement activation and regulation in innate and adaptive immunity. |
| Roger N. Beachy, Ph.D. - Molecular and cellular basis of virus infection: Control via biotechnology. |
| Douglas E. Berg, Ph.D. - Helicobacter pylori pathogenic mechanisms, drug resistance, genome organization, evolution. |
| Stephen M. Beverley, Ph.D. - Molecular genetics of protozoan parasite virulence. |
| Keril J. Blight, Ph.D. - HCV replication and pathogenesis. |
| Carolyn L. Cannon, M.D., Ph.D. - Pathogenesis of lung infection in cystic fibrosis and development of novel silver-based therapeutics. |
| Michael G. Caparon, Jr, Ph.D. - Genetics and virulence of the pathogenetic streptococci. |
| Douglas L. Chalker, Ph.D. - Genetic and epigenetic regulation of developmentally programmed DNA rearrangements of Tetrahymena. |
| Peter T. Chivers, Ph.D. - Protein structure/function and genetics of trace metal regulation. |
| Michael S. Diamond, M.D., Ph.D. - Pathogenesis of West Nile encephalitis and Dengue hemorrhagic fever viruses. |
| Tamara L. Doering, M.D., Ph.D. - Investigations of capsule synthesis in the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. |
| Memory P. Elvin-Lewis, Ph.D. - Understanding the therapeutic value and safety parameters of medicinal plants and dietary supplements. Evaluating evolving international policies, regulations and laws, which govern the use of herbal medicines. |
| Thomas A. Ferguson, Ph.D. - Cell death, apoptosis, immune tolerance, T-cells, lymphocyte, macrophages, angiogenesis, immune privilege. |
| Daniel E. Goldberg, M.D., Ph.D. - Biochemistry of malaria. |
| William E. Goldman, Ph.D. - Pathogenesis of respiratory tract infections: histoplasmosis, pertussis, and plague. |
| Jeffrey I. Gordon, M.D. - Genomic and metabolic foundations of symbiotic host-bacterial relationships in the human and mouse gut. |
| Eduardo A. Groisman, Ph.D. - Regulation and evolution of virulence in a bacterial pathogen. |
| David B. Haslam, M.D. - Cellular biology of diseases mediated by bacterial toxins. |
| Michael J. Holtzman, M.D. - Acute and chronic responses to respiratory viruses. |
| Henry V. Huang, Ph.D. - Molecular biology of Sindbis virus; antiviral drug design; monocyte differentiation. |
| Scott J. Hultgren, Ph.D. - Pilus and amyloid fiber formation in bacteria: Structure, function and role in diseases of the urinary tract. |
| David A. Hunstad, M.D. - Exploration of novel virulence mechanisms in E. coli urinary tract infection. |
| Robert G. Kranz, Ph.D. - Gene regulation and biogenesis of extracellular components in bacteria. |
| Barbara N. Kunkel, Ph.D. - Molecular genetic analysis of disease development in Pseudomonas syringae-Arabidopsis interactions. |
| David A. Leib, Ph.D. - Herpes simplex virus molecular biology, latency and pathogenesis. |
| Deborah J. Lenschow, M.D., Ph.D. - Antiviral mechanisms of type I interferons and the role of interferons and viruses in vascular disease. |
| Petra Anne Levin, Ph.D. - Temporal and spatial regulation of bacterial cell division. |
| Jeffrey Scott McKinney, M.D., Ph.D. - |
| Virginia L. Miller, Ph.D. - The molecular mechanism of invasive disease caused by pathogenic bacteria. |
| Mark James Miller, Ph.D. - Lymphoid tissue dynamics and antigen-presentation during infection, cancer and autoimmunity. |
| Indira U. Mysorekar, Ph.D. - Mechanisms of urothelial renewal in normal and diseased urinary bladder |
| Lee Ratner, M.D., Ph.D. - Molecular biology and pathogenesis of HIV and HTLV. |
| L. David Sibley, Ph.D. - Cellular and molecular basis of intracellular parasitism by protozoan parasites. |
| Samuel L. Stanley, Jr., M.D. - Pathogenesis of Entamoeba histolytica. |
| Thomas H. Steinberg, M.D. - Gap junctional communication, P2 receptors, and intercellular calcium signaling. |
| Patrick M. Stuart, Ph.D. - Herpetic keratitis, vaccination and T cell activation and apoptosis in corneal transplantation. |
| Phillip I. Tarr, M.D. - Pathogenic interactions between microbes and the gut. |
| Niraj H. Tolia, Ph.D. - Structural and biochemical characterization of malaria invasion proteins. |
| Heather L. True-Krob, Ph.D. - Epigenetic regulation of phenotypes by propagation of prions in yeast |
| Herbert W. "Skip" Virgin, M.D., Ph.D. - We study viral immunology and search for new pathogens. |
| Joseph P. Vogel, Ph.D. - Intracellular replication of Legionella pneumophila inside macrophages. |
| David Wang, Ph.D. - Functional genomic approaches to new pathogen discovery. |
| Gary J. Weil, M.D. - Research on the biology of filarial nematode parasites. |
| Dong Yu, Ph.D. - Human cytomegalovirus replication and pathogenesis |
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