Department of Microbiology and Immunology - Research

The faculty in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology conduct research in the following areas:

 Bacterial Pathogenesis
 Molecular Virology
 Parasitology
 Immunology

Bacterial Pathogenesis

The bacteriologists in the department focus their research on the strategies employed by pathogens that mediate an intracellular infection. These pathogens include Chlamydia, Mycobacterium, and Listeria. Research involves analysis of both bacterial effectors and the response of the host cell.

Faculty members in this area:

Paul Bowser	Infectious and non-infectious diseases of fish, pathogenesis of important bacterial pathogens of cultured and wild fish, evaluation of new therapeutic compounds for use in cultured food fish.
Hélène Marquis	Pathogenesis of Listeria monocytogenes, mechanisms of regulation of specific virulence factors.
David Russell	The biology of intracellular infection, with emphasis on Mycobacteria.
Marci Scidmore	The biology of intracellular infection by the Chlamydia bacterium.

Molecular Virology

The department has a broad-reaching program in virology covering viral infections of animals and humans. Research involves basic mechanisms of infection and propagation, the induction of disease, and the biology of viral infections in both farm animals and wildlife. Viral infections studied include avian flu, avian and equine herpes viruses, canine parvovirus, reovirus and the retroviruses of fish.

Faculty members in this area:

Joel Baines	Molecular biology and biochemistry of herpesvirus assembly, envelopment, and cellular exit. Herpesvirus neurovirulence. Cell biology of herpesvirus induced changes in cultured cells.
Paul Bowser	Infectious and non-infectious diseases of fish, pathogenesis of retrovirus-caused tumors of fish, pathogenesis of rhabdoviral infections in fish, evaluation of new therapeutic compounds for use in cultured food fish.
James Casey	Eukaryotic gene regulation, oncogenic transformation, viral replication, viral pathogenesis, toxicology.
Klaus Osterrieder	Molecular pathogenesis and vaccinology of Equine Herpesvirus and Marek's Disease Virus.
John Parker	Cell biology, biochemistry and molecular biology of mammalian orthoreovirus-host cell interactions. Use of reoviruses as oncotherapeutic agents.
Colin Parrish	Structure and function of canine parvovirus, crystallography, virus assembly, mechanism of host cell invasion.
Karel (Ton) Schat	Avian tumor virology and immunology, molecular biology of Marek's disease virus and chicken infectious anemia virus, avian virology, avian immunology, avian intestinal virus infections and intestinal immunity.
Gary Whittaker	Endocytosis of influenza virus, structure-function studies on influenza HA, entry of coronaviruses and rhabdoviruses into host cells.

Parasitology

The parasitologists in the department study the interface of the pathogen and host at the level of the host's immune response. This research focuses on the nature of the protective immune response and how the pathogen modulates the host response to ensure its success. The parasites studied include both protozoan and helminth pathogens: Cryptosporidium, Icthyophthirius, Leishmania, Schistosoma, Toxoplasma, and Trichomonas.

Faculty members in this area:

Judith Appleton	Mucosal immunity in the intestinal tract, specifically intestinal immunity expressed against parasitic nematodes.
Dwight Bowman	Soil transmitted parasites, parasites of wildlife, biosurveillance.
Paul Bowser	Infectious and non-infectious diseases of fish, pathogenesis of parasites of cultured and wild fish, evaluation of new therapeutic compounds for use in cultured food fish.
Ted Clark	Biology of the parasitic protist Ichthyophthirius multifilis (Ich), fish immunology, vaccine development.
Eric Denkers	Immunity to the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
Matthias Hesse	Immune-mediated pathology in a mouse model of schistosomiasis.
Susana Mendez	Immunology to parasitic diseases (protozoa and helminths), with especial interest in vaccine development and genetic susceptibility.

Immunology

In addition to infection immunology, several investigators in the department research basic immune function, ranging from sensing of the innate immune system to developmental biology of the immune system and the effects of environmental toxins on immune function.

Faculty members in this area:

Douglas Antczak	Pregnancy immunology; immunogenetics; equine immunology.
Judith Appleton	Mucosal immunity in the intestinal tract, specifically intestinal immunity expressed against parasitic nematodes.
Stephen Bloom	Drug and environmental toxin effect on the development of the immune and other systems.
Margaret Bynoe	The molecular basis of antigen induced immune suppression and the modulation of the innate immune system response in immunity against cancer.
Ted Clark	Biology of the parasitic protist Ichthyophthirius multifilis (Ich), fish immunology, vaccine development.
Eric Denkers	Immunity to the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
Rodney Dietert	Genetic regulation of macrophage function; immunotoxicity.
Matthias Hesse	Immune-mediated pathology in a mouse model of schistosomiasis.
Cynthia Leifer	Understanding innate immunity from the inside out: Toll-like receptors, signaling, dendritic cells, and controlling microbial infection.
George Lust	Genetics and pathogenesis of canine hip dysplasia and equine osteoarthritis. Molecular genetic markers.
Susana Mendez	Immunity to parasites and vaccine development; genetic and immunological components of resistance/susceptibility to protozoan diseases.
Klaus Osterrieder	Role of immunomodulatory proteins in equine herpesvirus1 pathogenesis; development of Erv-1 as an immunization and/or gene therapy vector.
David Russell	The biology of intracellular infection, with emphasis on Mycobacteria.
Karel (Ton) Schat	Avian antiviral cell-mediated immunity; avian intestinal immunity; immune response to avian tumor viruses.