Faculty of Infectious Diseases

Epidemiology of foodborne pathogens at the farm-to-table continuum. Epidemiology of infectious diseases in food animals.

Research goal is directed toward determining the molecular basis for the interaction between a bacterium and its plant or animal host. Research focuses on the determining the structural features of the bacterial cell surface carbohydrates that are important in the infection process, and to identify the function(s) of those structural features in the infection of, and survival within, the host cell.

Major advances have been made in the formulation technology at the Nanotechnology Laboratory at the Center for Cancer Research at Mercer, allowing production of nanospheres using the spray drying methodology in a single step aseptic process. Have formulated and tested several oral vaccines, such as oral melanoma, oral TB, oral typhoid vaccines and have obtained excellent immunizations with these novel vaccines and are currently testing oral influenza, oral breast and prostate cancer vaccines.

Development of novel analytical and spectroscopic methods for biodiagnostic and biosensing purposes. Application of surface-enhanced vibrational spectroscopy for the detection and classification of biomedically important pathogens.

Strategy is to search for metabolic pathways in parasites that may be essential for their survival but may not find an equivalent counterpart in the host. Currently efforts are concentrated on the mechanisms by which pH and calcium homeostasis are maintained by different trypanosomatids (T. cruzi, T. brucei, and Leishmania sp.) and malaria parasites (P. falciparum, P. berghei) and more specifically in the biochemical and molecular characterization of a new organelle that we have discovered and named the acidocalcisome.

The main aspects of research in laboratory are to improve the diagnosis and control of infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) and avian influenza. In particular, interested in identifying ILTV proteins involve in viral pathogenicity, spread, persistence and design of marker vaccines. The development of new serological assays that allow to monitor and detect influenza infected flocks in the presence of vaccination and to determine the survivability of both viruses in poultry litter and in the poultry house environment in order to improve biosecurity as part of the control of these diseases of poultry.

Primary research interests are infections caused by Rhodococcus equi in foals and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of antimicrobial agents in horses.

Laboratory employs bioinformatics and receptor cross-talk analysis to examine how parasite expressed molecules induce anti-inflammatory signaling and maturation in antigen presenting cells. Also working on vaccines for schistosomiasis, including field testing of the vaccines in China.

Interested in virus and host interactions focusing on the roles of host proteins in replication of paramyxoviruses mumps virus and parainfluenza virus 5. Actively pursuing novel strategies for vaccine development and anti-viral drugs.

Primary laboratory research focus is to measure, understand, and solve the problems presented by drug-resistant parasites. This is done by combining clinical, biological, computational, and molecular approaches.

Laboratory is interested in parasite genomics and the biology of genome evolution. Approach is to apply molecular, computational and phylogenetic tools to the analysis of parasite genomes. Projects include the development of tools for data mining, comparative genomics and assessing the phylogenetic distribution of genes.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a human respiratory tract pathogen causing bronchitis and pneumonia, especially in older children and young adults. Research encompasses M. pneumoniae colonization of host respiratory epithelium, including the role and mechanism of gliding motility, as well as development of a nanotechnology-based platform for rapid and accurate detection of mycoplasma infections.

Research program consists of identifying and characterizing surface antigens that are expressed by the gram negative bacteria Moraxella catarrhalis, Burkholderia pseudomallei, and Burkholderia mallei, with emphasis on molecules functioning as adherence factors.

Research programs in laboratory are centered on the investigation and development of novel materials and methods for the precise control of organic molecular assemblies, both in solution and on surfaces as ultrathin films. Research activities involve organic and polymer synthesis, surface sensitive characterization techniques, nano- and micropatterning, and materials and device characterization.

Major research interests are in the development of new synthetic methods that lead to the construction of biologically active molecules with pharmacological properties. Special emphasis is given to molecules that may serve as antimicrobial agents (i.e. antibacterial, antifungal) or inhibitors of clinically important enzymes which we test in the laboratory.

Research centers around the merging of Nanotechnology with Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), specifically for biomedical and lab-on-a-chip applications.Focus is not only on the development, characterization and functionalization of new materials and devices, but also on physical modeling, synthesis and device fabrication.

Research focus includes the maintenance and transmission of vector-borne viruses, ecology of infectious diseases, host-parasite interactions, and the molecular epidemiology of viruses.

Molecular cell biology and discovery of drugs against the trypanosomatids Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania species.

Involved primarily with RSV and influenza-related clinical research projects. Research has been involved in addressing public health-related issues, especially vaccines, infections in child care, various RSV-related projects, and unusual/unique microbiology/infectious disease-related cases.

Laboratory focuses on discovery and characterization of novel virulence genes involved in host colonization by pathogens in Burkholderia/Ralstonia group. Uses bioinformatic analyses, shotgun proteomics and in vivo expression profiling with microarrays to mine their genomes to identify novel virulence genes for subsequent analysis in hosts.

Studying the cell and molecular biology of protozoan parasites responsible for AIDS associated opportunistic infections. Program spans from mechanistic studies on parasite biology to drug screening efforts.

1.) Determination of the role of rickettsial pathogens in naturally infected dogs presenting with thrombocytopenia, circulating morulae or clinical signs suggestive of rickettsial disease 2.) Determination of reference values for protein C in clinically healthy dogs 3. Seroprevalence of, diagnosis of, comparison of different test for canine Lyme disease.

Work on the genomics and bioinformatics of prokaryotic mobile genetic elements (MGEs) focusing primarily on conjugative and mobilizable plasmids and on integrons. These elements play key roles in antibiotic multi-resistance which is now endemic throughout the world and a major factor in increasing healthcare costs in all countries.

The Tarleton laboratory focuses on immunity to the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. In addition to interests in the generation of specificity of T cell responses to T. cruzi, and the discovery of diagnostics and vaccines for this infection, the lab is involved in proteomic, transcriptomic and genomic analysis of this parasite and maintains a field project in Argentina dealing with human Chagas disease.

Research focus is to understand the molecular epidemiology of important multidrug resistant food borne pathogens in animals, food and humans. In addition, characterizing the pathogen to specific strain level is time consuming and very costly. Thus, the molecular characterization of antimicrobial resistance and development of effective detection system for food borne pathogens are the two most important research goals.

Interested in the detection and enumeration of food animal pathogens, ELISA serological test development and developing or improving diagnostic methods.

Research focuses on how cytokine signaling via Stat transcription factors contributes to host defense and autoimmunity.

Molecular details of the interactions between anthelmintic drugs and the nervous systems of parasitic nematodes. Understanding, diagnosing and combating drug resistance in these parasites.

Particularly interested in the 3D structure of polysaccharides and lipids from pathogenic bacteria and in the properties that may be exploited in the design of carbohydrate-based vaccines. Employ a number of biophysical techniques, including computational simulation, x-ray diffraction and mass spectrometry.

Research program (single molecule study of biological molecular assemblies & systems) is highly inter- and multi-disciplinary which combines Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Material Science and Engineering. Detect biological events at the single-molecule level, which will be key to scientific advances in understanding, identifying, and developing therapies that promote human health.

1.) Nanofabrication and characterization 2.) Chemical and biological sensor development