Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Program affiliation
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Neurosciences

Research summary
Characterization of human diseases associated with novel viral infections

Key words
Virology, microbiology, pathogen discovery, host-virus interactions, viral immunity, astroviruses, encephalitis, myocarditis, viral RNA structures, brain organoids, astrocytes, neurons, neural progenitor cells

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

Research summary
We are broadly interested in understanding host/pathogen interactions in malaria parasites. We use a range of approaches including biochemistry, red blood cell genetics and parasite genetics to identify essential ligand/receptor interactions in malaria parasites, with the long-term goal of developing novel therapeutics.

Key words
malaria, red blood cell, plasmodium, ligand/receptor

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

Research summary
Microbial community-immune interactions in airway diseases and urogenital tract

Key words
microbiota; microbiome; mucosal immunity; asthma; allergy; atopy; urinary tract infection; pathogen colonization; metabolomics;

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

Research summary
understand the biology of different human dendritic cells and other myeloid cells as a key for manipulating immune responses in various disease conditions

Key words
Human Immunology, Dendritic Cells, Tumor Immunology, immune dysfunctions, Vaccines

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

Research summary
My lab works on the host immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We use mouse models that mimic key aspects of human disease to gain a mechanistic understanding of the host response allowing for the identification of novel targets for host-directed therapies.

Key words
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, innate immunology, macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells

Program affiliation
Plant and Microbial Biosciences
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Research summary
Molecular genetic analysis of disease development in Pseudomonas syringae-Arabidopsis interactions

Key words
plant-microbe interactions, bacterial pathogenesis, auxin, IAA, Type III effector protein, genetics, plant biology

Program affiliation
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Plant and Microbial Biosciences
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Computational and Systems Biology

Research summary
Kutluay Lab studies the fundamental molecular biology of HIV-1 replication and virus-host interactions. We are currently interested in understanding key protein-protein interactions that regulate maturation, cis- and trans-acting factors that regulate nuclear retention and export of viral RNAs, and why HIV-1 replication is restricted in rodents.

Key words
Virology, virus-host interactions, RNA biology, RNA-binding proteins, HIV-1, virus assembly, virus maturation

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

Research summary
Investigating the development of immunological memory in disease states

Key words
B cells, immunological memory, germinal center, virus, allergy

Program affiliation
Immunology
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Research summary

Key words

Program affiliation
Immunology
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Research summary
Antiviral mechanisms of type I interferons and the role of interferons and viruses in autoimmune diseases

Key words
host-pathogen interactions, immunology, innate immunity, interferons, pathogenesis, virology, autoimmune disease, lupus