Dr Christine Anderson

Ph.D. Marine Biology, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 2006

Microbial symbionts play important roles in the lives of their animal hosts, from invertebrates to humans. However, little is known about most of these symbiotic interactions at the molecular level. Research in the Visick lab focuses on the symbiosis between the bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri and the squid Euprymna scolopes, a system amenable to studying the details of symbiosis. One cluster of V. fischeri genes discovered by the Visick lab to play a role in symbiosis is the symbiosis polysaccharide (syp) cluster. The goal of my work is to contribute to understanding how the syp cluster functions in symbiosis. I also plan to look for new V. fischeri genes that are important for symbiosis.

Dr Surendranath Baliji

Ph.D. Cell & Molecular Biology, University of Texas San Antonio, 2006

My project involves investigating the replication of murine coronavirus, human coronavirus NL-63 and SARS coronavirus that involves bioinformatic analysis in collaboration with Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) and laboratory research using coronavirus reverse genetics system to test the bioinformatic predictions. 

Dr. Britte Beaudette-Zlatanova

Ph.D. Cellular, Molecular, and Organismal Biology,
University of Massachusetts, Boston, 2003

It can take up to two years for patients receiving umbilical cord blood transplants to have a normal, diverse repertoire of circulating T and B cells. During this time, patients are susceptible to opportunistic infections. My project focuses on generating B cell precursors by culturing umbilical cord blood on stromal cells with cytokines that promote the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells into preproB and proB cells. I utilize the NOD/SCID/IL2Rγ -/- mice as in vivo model to test the hypothesis that mixing precursor B and T cells, that have committed to the lymphoid lineage but have not yet expressed BCR or TCR, with UCB transplants will shorten the time it takes to get peripheral T and B cells. This study fits into the overall aim of the Knight lab, which is to understand B cell development.

Dr Maike Müller

Ph.D. Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University  Chicago, 2008

Dr Daniel Brian Nichols

Ph.D., Microbiology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2008

SARS-Coronaviruses (SARS-CoV) possesses two proteases that cleave large viral polyproteins into shorter units. Given that these proteases are essential for SARS-CoV replication, they provide ideal targets for drugs designed to impair viral replication. My project is to test various drugs that inhibit SARS-CoV proteolytic function. Additionally, I am interested in determining the mechanism(s) of drug resistance that arises during treatment with these anti-proteolytic drugs.

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Dr Sylvia Reimann

Ph.D., Molecular Biology, Dept. of Urology, 
University of Cologne, Germany, 2003

Small molecules can be dangerous, even deadly. The Wolfe lab studies such a molecule: Acetyl phosphate (ac~P). It can influence the transcription of about 100 different genes by donating phosphoryl groups to 2-component-signaling pathways (2CS). These pathways regulate many vital things in the cell: capsule formation, motility, virulence or metabolism. When certain 2CS are non-functioning or missing, cells with high ac~P levels show a lethal phenotype, suggesting that those pathways are required for cell survival when ac~P levels are high. By studying these synthetic lethals I try to answer questions that could give us a better insight into many bacterial properties such as motility, biofilm formation, production of virulence factors, or resistance to antibiotics.

Dr Yoichi Seki

Ph.D., Biological Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Japan, 2004

T cells play a central role in the promotion of the effector and regulatory functions in the immunological system, and failures of these functions are cause of various immunological disease. My research goal is clarifying the details of molecular mechanisms of the development and differentiation processes into effector T cell (such as Th1, Th2 and Th17), memory T cells and regulatory T cells. The accumulation of these knowledge will provide us novel point of view to develop the therapeutic strategy for various immune disorders.

Dr Shivanee Shah

Ph.D. Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University  Chicago, 2008

My research goal is to determine the mechanisms controlling the balance between regulatory and effector T lymphocytes. T cells can be broadly divided into T effector cells that provoke immune responses against infections and tumors, and T regulatory cells that suppress autoimmunity. I will analyze intracellular signaling pathways that are required differently for growth of T effector and T regulatory cells.

Dr Satoshi Shibata

Ph.D., Department of Life Sciences, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Japan, 2008

Specific interactions between bacteria and their host are important in both pathogenesis and symbiosis. The Visick Lab is trying to understand mechanisms of symbiotic interactions between the bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri and the squid Euprymna scolopes at the molecular level. The symbiosis polysaccharide (syp) cluster is involved in biofilm formation that is necessary for symbiotic colonization by V. fischeri. However, little is known about the roles of the 18 syp genes in biofilm formation. Thus, the aim of my study is investigate the roles of these genes in biofilm formation by V. fischeri. We anticipate that this work will promote a deeper understanding of the requirements for symbiotic colonization.

Dr Basile Siewe

Ph.D. Molecular Biology & Immunology,  Technical University of Munich, Germany; 2007.

My research is focused on two projects. The first is to study the mechanism by which B lymphopoesis wanes in rabbits at approximatley three to four months of age. Several molecules that could play a role in this arrest of lymphopoesis have been identified, and I am investigating the role of two of such possible regulators of B lymphopoeis. The first molecule is IL-7, a cytokine that in mice and humans is a key factor for B and T cell development as well as survival. We have identified a novel IL-7 isoform, IL-7II, and my main focus is to elucidate the function of IL-7II. The other molecule, periostin, was identified using a cDNA-RDA with bone marrow from young and adult rabbits. The expression of this gene is greatly reduced in adult rabbits and preliminary experiments show that in vitro, periostin is required for B cell development. Therefore, I am investigating a possible role for periostin in the arrest of B lymphopoesis in rabbits.

In my second project, I study mucosal immunity. In gut-associated lymphoid tissues, lymphoid follicles are separated from the lumen by a specialized epithelium called the follicle-associated epithelium (FAE). The FAE contains specialized cells called M-cells that carry out antigen and bacteria sampling from the gut lumen. I am developing an in vitro intestinal assay to investigate the mechanism by which these M-cells regulate the transport of foreign material from the external environment to the lymphoid follicle. To do this, we make use of the CACO-2 human cell line, that when co cultured with lymphocytes converts into cells that express the morphological and functional M-cell properties. I use these M-cells to examine the transport of intestinal bacteria across the mucosal epithelium.

Dr Mutsumi Yamamoto

Ph.D., Biological Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Japan, 2006

My research goal is to identify the molecular mechanism by which the immune system maintains its memory. In particular, I am interested in how antigen activation of naive T cells convert naive cells to be memory T cells, which live longer and respond more effectively to the antigen than naive T cells. Currently, studies on memory T cells rely mostly on the cell surface antigen expression that change as the time passes from initial activation. I will use a genetic system that marks T cells that are activated by antigens and follow their fate, localization, surface antigen expression, and gene expressions. This study will provide critical information to understand how immune memory is maintained and will help developing more effective and long lasting vaccines.

Dr Yougang Zhai

Ph.D., Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, China, 2008

Because mucosal tissue is one of the major sites of HIV infection, an effective HIV vaccine must induce both systemic and mucosal immunity to contain virus transmission through hematogenous or sexual pathway. Mucosal immunization can induce both mucosal and systemic immunity, including neutralizing antibodies and cytotoxic T lymphocytes. In Dr. Qiao's Lab, we are trying to develop mucosa vaccines to prevent HIV-1 infection. The overall goal of my study is to develop effective mucosa vaccine(s) for HIV-1. Two approaches will be applied for the vaccine design. Briefly, we will develop chimeric virus-like particles (CVLPs) containing conserved epitopes that can be recognized by HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies. On the other hand, we will also develop pseudovirus vaccine that is comprised of empty viral capsid and foreign plasmid DNA. Eventually, HIV-1 specific immune response(s) induced by either vaccine will be determined. This work will benefit the development of a novel effective mucosal vaccine for HIV-1.