Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Bacteriology
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The study of infectious disease is a constantly evolving field that deals with the emergence of novel diseases as new threats to humans, and the realization that some chronic diseases presumed to be non-infectious are actually infectious diseases. Some examples of bacterial diseases that have emerged or been recognized in recent years are Legionnaire's Disease, Toxic Shock Syndrome, hemolytic uremic syndrome caused by E. coli O157:H7, and gastric ulcer/cancer caused by Helicobacter pylori.
As new infectious diseases emerge and old infectious agents acquire resistance to current antibiotics, research into the basic molecular mechanisms by which bacteria cause disease is essential for the development of new vaccines and therapeutic interventions.
How can one species such as E. coli include beneficial strains of normal intestinal flora in healthy individuals yet also include strains that can cause life-threatening diseases of the intestine, kidney, or brain? How can one-third of the world's population be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis yet only a small percentage of these individuals exhibit active disease? How can some bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori require years to produce overt disease, yet other bacteria such as Neisseria meningitidis cause death in a matter of hours? It is only at the level of molecular genetics, molecular immunology, cell biology, and molecular epidemiology that answers to these and other questions can be obtained.
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Molecular bacterial pathogenesis and vaccine development is the research focus of an eminent group of prokaryotic molecular biologists with primary and secondary Faculty appointments in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, including Drs. Azad, Barry, Bavoil, Carbonetti, Donnenberg, Kaper, Levine, Nataro, Radulovic and Shirtliff. Their work concentrates on human pathogens such as Bordetella pertussis, Vibrio cholerae, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Rickettsia, Chlamydia and Staphylococcus. Basic research is aimed at elucidation of mechanisms of pathogenesis and the role of individual virulence factors in infection and disease. Collaboration with the Immunology groups allows investigation of the interplay between infection and the immune response of the host. Molecular characterization of bacterial virulence determinants has led to the identification of targets for immune protection and the production of efficacious vaccines. Genetically modified bacteria are also being used as vaccine vectors to induce anti-bacterial and anti-viral immune responses.
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