Recent REU Research Projects

Innate immune response of skin cells to Ebola virus entry

Fishing for new regulators of the enterotoxin gene cluster in Staphylococcus aureus

Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secretion system

Effects of glycerol monolaurate on human B cells

Investigating how cyclic dimeric GMP is involved in lifestyle choices of Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Bacterial cell division: localizing enzymes required for peptidoglycan synthesis in the presence of β-lactam antibiotics

The immune response to Maleria: temporal role of host signaling protein IL-10 during Plasmodium infection

Role of Chlamydia trachomatis type III secreted proteins in serovar-specific disease

Phenotypes of individual point mutations that affect function of HSV-1 nuclear egress complex

Alteration of peptidoglycan disrupts surface sensing signal transduction in Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Novel antivirulence molecules that inhibit type III secretion system activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

TCR-mediated signaling proteins and their association with nuclear GRB2

Bacterial cell division: how do cell wall binding proteins find the midcell?

The Bacillus subtilis response to lysozyme: mutation analysis of RsiV, the anti-sigma factor that senses lysozyme

Prophages as molecular regulatory switches in Staphylococcus aureus

Biochemical counter-regulation of B cell function by IL-10 and IFN-γ

Peptidoglycan transmits the surface sensing signal to induce swarming in bacteria

Warfare of the skin microbiome: impact of commensal Staphylococcal species on S. aureus biofilm formation

In vitro characterization and validation of two component systems in Neisseria gonorrhoeae FA 1090

Unique features of the RsiV signal peptide and their impact on σVactivation and lysozyme resistance in B. subtilis

Effects of empty expression vectors on Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secretion

Virus strain dependent inflammasome activation in macrophages infected with RSV

Analyzing the effects of UL7 & glycoprotein E deletion on cell-to-cell-spread in HSV-1

Investigating the structural requirements of GML in T-cell immunomodulation

Investigating the bacteria cell wall binding protein YoaJ

Exploring the homing receptor profile and cytokine secretion capability of B cell vaccines (Bvac)

What is the mechanism by which IL-12 increases Hut 78 T cell activation? 

A novel role of amyloid fibers in Staphylococcus aureus colony spreading

Investigation of possible PilR-regulated promoters in Myxococcus xanthus

Exploring functional interactions between viral proteins that mediate spread in the host

The role of semen derived exosomes on acute HIV infection in T lymphocytes

Finding Wolbachia pipientis in Iowa mosquitoes

Staphylococcus caprae inhibits quorum sensing in Staphylococcus aureus

Investigating the role of TRAF3 in T cell biology

The polar flagellum as the sensory organelle and Vibrio parahaemolyticus swarmer cell differentiation

Characterizing SPOR Domain-Containing Proteins in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Impact of Glycosylation on TIM-1 Expression

Characterization and Determination of Interaction Partners of UL7 in HSV-1

Isolation of anti-σ factor rsiV mutants unable to activate sigV in response to lysozyme

Identification of Staphylococcus aureus transposon mutants with altered lecithinase activity

Expanding the Scr c-di-GMP-responsive regulatory circuit controlling swarming and sticking in Vibrio parahaemolyticus

The effect of UV radiation on phagosomal escape of Francisella tularensis

Staphylococcal Superantigens and Their Correlation with Atopic Dermatitis

The Role of Gads in T Cell Receptor (TCR) Mediated Signaling

TLR4-mediated Immuno- virologic parameters during CHIKV infection in vivo

Monoclonal Antibody Inhibition of agr-Quorum Sensing inStaphylococcus aureus

Exploring the mechanism of algZR-dependent inhibition of type III secretion system gene expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Effects of Site directed mutagenesis of T Cell Immunoglobulin Mucin Domain 4 (TIM4) on Protein Expression and EBOV Transduction

Exploring Quorum Sensing in Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Bacterial Cell Division: Role of the SPOR domain of DamX in E. coli

Chemosensory Regulation of Riboflavin in Biofilm Formation

The Function of Proline-Rich Tyrosine Kinase (Pyk2) in the TCR-dependent Stabilization of β-catenin in human T cells

Localization of cannibalistic protein SdpA and isolation of toxin mutants in Bacillus subtilis

Assembly and Regulation of Type 1 Fimbriae in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

Identifying inducing signals of the two component system YvrGHb in B. subtilis

Characterization of Lysozyme Induced Proteins of Clostridium difficile

Identification of Natural Mutations in the Two-Component System SaeR/S in Staphylococcus aureus

The phage λ DNA packaging motor: Genetics of the coupling motif

GcvB Regulation of nupX gene in Escherichia coli

Structure-Function Analysis of a Conserved Herpesvirus Egress Factor

The VbsS phosphorelay system and its role in the regulation of swarming and biofilm formation 

Population Heterogeneity of Multiple Variant S. aureus

DNA packaging in lambda phage: Creating mutations in the Walker B motif

Interaction of Chikungunya Virus with Toll-Like Receptor 4

Identification of Vibrio parahaemolyticus mutants affecting regulation of genes important for surface colonization

Torsin Family Members in HSV-1 Nuclear Egress

Elucidating the role of Grb2 adaptor downstream of Shc (Gads) in T cell receptor (TCR) mediated signaling

Structure-Function Analyses of R1pA, a Cell Division Protein from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Mutational analysis of the σv anti-sigma RsiV

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Exploring a Family of Transcriptional Regulators Involved in Surface Colonization by Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Characterization of the role of exosomes in HIV-1 infectivity

Interactions with the Chaperone TorsinA in Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV-1) Nuclear Egress

Mutational Analysis of RsiV, a Bacterial Receptor for Lysozyme

Characterizing Outer Membrane Protein RlpA in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Activity, Motility, and Virulence

The Association Between Xenobiotics and the Enteric Microbiota

The Positive Selection of Cytotoxic T-cells is Influenced by the Transcription Factors, TCF-1 and LEF-1

Staphylococcus aureus Superantigen Profile in Atopic Dermatitis Eczema Herpeticum (ADEH) Compared to Atopic Dermatitis

Screening for cell division proteins that interact with YedR of Escherichia coli

A new role for IL-12: characterizing how cytokine pretreatment alters T cell function