Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Program affiliation
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Plant and Microbial Biosciences

Research summary
Molecular investigation of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)

Key words
enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli; microbial pathogenesis; vaccine development; diarrheal disease

Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Immunology
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Research summary
Mechanisms of host immunity and viral evasion

Key words
immunology, virology, structural biology, viral immune evasion, cytokine receptors, signaling, protein trafficking

Program affiliation
Human and Statistical Genetics
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Research summary
Asking and answering critical questions to guide clinical practice and ameliorate childhood suffering due to staphylococcal disease

Key words
Staphylococcus aureus; antibiotic resistance; epidemiology; infection treatment and prevention; genomic determinants of disease; host immune response

Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Neurosciences
Immunology
Plant and Microbial Biosciences
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Research summary
Dr. Fu’s research focuses on the structural and functional analysis of SPFH family proteins. Using cryo-electron microscopy and cryo-electron tomography, the Fu Lab studies membrane proteins in their native environments to explore their role in cellular signaling and disease

Key words
cryoem structure Ion channel membrane protein cryoet

Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Research summary
Biophysical studies of transcription initiation in Eukaryotes and Mycobacterial tuberculosis

Key words
biophysics, kinetics, optical and magnetic trapping, transcription, fluorescence

Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Cancer Biology
Computational and Systems Biology

Research summary
Our research focuses on unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying substrate specificity and degradation by AAA proteolytic machines and their associated adaptor proteins, utilizing structural biology, biochemistry, and cellular assays in both bacteria and human mitochondria.

Key words
AAA proteases, cryo-EM, biochemistry, mass spectrometry, structural biology, microbiology, mitochondria

Program affiliation
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Research summary
We study host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions in the female reproductive and urinary tracts, with a focus on the vaginal microbiome and UTIs

Key words
urinary tract infection, vaginal microbiome, women's health, host-pathogen interactions, mucosal immunology

Program affiliation
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Molecular Cell Biology

Research summary
Biochemistry of malaria

Key words
biochemistry, metabolism, parasitology, malaria, protease, heme, aspartic

Program affiliation
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Computational and Systems Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Plant and Microbial Biosciences

Research summary
Role of the human gut microbiome in health and disease, notably childhood undernutrition and obesity

Key words
Gut microbiome; systems biology; postnatal development; childhood malnutrition; global health; gnotobiotic animal models; metabolic regulation; food webs; gut-brain axis; gut barrier/immune function; microbiome-targeted therapeutics

Program affiliation
Computational and Systems Biology
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Immunology

Research summary

Key words