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Bacteriology

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Our bacteriology section includes research groups in chlamydia, coxiella, staphylococcus and tularemia, along with a pathometabolism training program.

Bacteriology Labs

Staphylococcus Research
Staphylococcus research within this department is led by Kenneth Bayles, PhD, and funded by a P01 grant from the NIH. The group includes Drs. Paul Fey, Tammy Kielian, Vinai Thomas and Marat Sadykov. Each researcher is focused and working on aspects of developing antibiotics and therapeutic strategies to combat infections caused by S. aureus and S. epidermidis. This group of scientists are also part of the Center for Staphylococcal Research. At the center, education and training using the latest, innovative technology are high priorities.
Coxiella Research
Our coxiella burnetii research is being conducted by Stacy Gilk, PhD. The goal of Gilk's lab is to understand how Coxiella survives in the host cell, and identify new therapeutic targets. Coxiella burnetii causes Q fever endocarditis, a disease that requires 18-24 months of antibiotic treatment and lacks an FDA-approved vaccine. The goal of our research is to understand how Coxiella survives in the host cell, and identify new therapeutic targets.
Chlamydia Research Group
The Chlamydia Research Group involves three highly specialized researchers. Drs. Rey Carabeo, Scot Ouellette and Elizabeth "Lisa" Rucks are well trained within the field of chlamydia biology. The Carabeo Lab is conducting work on the interaction of the human pathogen chlamydia trachomatis with the mucosal epithelium. The Ouelette Lab is focused on the consequences of reductive evolution on bacterial physiology, while the Rucks Lab studies why chlamydia love lipids.
Tularemia Research
Our tularemia research is led by Marilynn Larson, PhD., whose research is focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms that allow intracellular pathogens to evade the immune system and persist. Her research involves highly infective strains that are among the most pathogenic bacteria known with the potential to be used as a bioweapon, therefore are classified as Tier 1 select agents by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
Microscope

Postdoctoral Training in Pathometabolism

Our Training in Pathometabolism Program is geared to postdoctoral trainees, offering broad-based training that combines molecular, cell biological, immunological and metabolism to investigate comprehensively mechanisms of disease caused by bacteria and their interactions with the host. The primary goal is to produce well-trained scientists to address the needs of infectious disease research in academic, industrial or government settings.