º£½ÇÉçÇøapp

Can We Reverse the Rise of Antibiotic Resistance? 

Antibiotic resistance seems like an unavoidable consequence of the widespread use of antibiotics to prevent and treat bacterial infections. In this lecture, I will review the challenge of resistance evolution from clinical, epidemiological and experimental perspectives. I will then assess a range of proposed strategies that hold the potential to slow or even reverse the rise in antibiotic resistance. Specific strategies include, the use of multiple drugs (cocktails, cycling, mixing), diagnostics and non-conventional therapies (e.g. anti-virulence drugs, phage therapies). I will focus on diagnostic-informed, patient-specific control strategies that have the potential to effectively treat patients now and into the future.
 

Challenges and Opportunities in the Treatment of Chronic Infections 

Infection medicine currently faces two major and growing crises that impact the ability of MDs to treat bacterial infections with our current arsenal of antibiotics. The first is widely recognized – the evolution of antibiotic resistance. The second receives less attention – chronic polymicrobial infections where appropriate antibiotics often fail to resolve infections. I will review the challenges of chronic infection treatment, spanning the problems of biofilms, polymicrobial microbiomes, physiological adaptation, and evolutionary adaptation. I will then discuss potential paths forward to improve treatment outcomes, with a focus on “personalized medicine” strategies, coupling diagnostics with adaptive treatment regimes.
 

Socio-microbiology: Cooperation and Conflict in Microbes

The evolution of cooperation is a fundamental problem in biology: why help another individual to survive and reproduce if this comes at a cost? What prevents cooperators being outcompeted by “cheats” that contribute less to collective, cooperative activities? In recent decades, microbiologists have discovered an increasing and fascinating array of cooperative behaviors in bacteria, spanning collective modes of foraging, transport, shelter and defense. These discoveries raise the question – what makes these behaviors robust against competition with cheats (loss-of-function mutants that can reap the rewards but don’t pay the costs)? In this lecture I will review the other-worldly social lives of bacteria, together with experimental evidence that these cooperative behaviors are vulnerable to cheats. I will then discuss how cooperators are able to succeed, dependent on details of their ecology. I will end with a review of how the emerging field of socio-microbiology holds therapeutic potential; for example, through the development of “cheat therapies” to limit pathogenesis.

Decoding Bacterial Language: Learning to Speak “Quorum Sensing” 

Several decades of molecular research has resulted in an impressive body of knowledge on how bacteria produce signal molecules, and how bacteria respond to these molecules. Together, these processes define “quorum sensing” (QS) – central to the study of bacterial cell-cell communication. But why are they talking to each other? What are they saying? We know surprisingly little on these basic functional questions. The default answer is that bacteria use QS to sense density – turning on behaviors when “quorate” (high density), yet a menu of other sensing behaviors are now recognized (e.g., diffusion sensing, competition sensing, efficiency sensing, etc.). In this lecture I will review basic molecular knowledge on QS and our current understanding of the functional roles of cell-cell communication. I will also assess the applied relevance of QS research, including potential applications for the development of “quorum quenching” therapeutics.

The Evolution of Virulence – Why Do Pathogens Make Us Sick? 

One of the most basic and important questions about pathogens is why they damage the very source of their livelihood – their hosts? In other words, why aren’t virulent pathogens that kill their hosts outcompeted by harmless commensals? In this lecture I will critically review existing answers to the “why be virulent” question, highlighting that leading models such as the “virulence-transmission tradeoff” hypothesis conflict with the basic biology of most bacterial pathogens. After shooting down earlier theory (including my own), I will outline ways forward based on an ecological perspective of bacterial opportunistic pathogens, which flags that virulence is often a side-effect of generalist organisms simply getting into the wrong place and causing disease.
 

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL Lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL Lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an º£½ÇÉçÇøappStudent Chapter meeting. 
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

Molecular Mechanisms of Environmental Stress Resistance in Bacteria  

Our lab seeks to understand molecular mechanisms that underlie the ability of bacterial cells to survive in complex, dynamic environments, including mammalian hosts. To this end, we utilize an interdisciplinary set of genetic, biochemical, biophysical and computational approaches to address these questions on multiple scales, from the cellular/systems level to the level of molecular structure. Our most recent work in this area includes the discovery of novel bile resistance genes in the opportunistic gut pathogen Bacteroides fragilis and dissection of a multicomponent sensory system that is critical for Brucella infection of its mammalian hosts.  
 

Using Environmental Cultivation Approaches to Understand Gene Function in Ecosystems Contexts  

The ability of bacterial cells to execute complex processes in their environment is directly determined by the proteins and RNAs encoded within their genomes. Genomics research programs have cataloged millions of bacterial genes and the 3D structures of thousands of proteins. However, data that define the cellular functions of uncharacterized genes and proteins in these large datasets have been slow to emerge. Indeed, nearly 1/4 of cataloged protein domain families lack any annotated function. To address this problem, we have developed a workflow that combines modern mutagenesis and DNA sequencing methods with environmental cultivation approaches that favor ecological and geochemical complexity over standard laboratory media. Our initial studies in this area have defined genes that are required for Caulobacter crescentus growth and survival in the natural waters of inland Michigan lakes and the Great Lakes. 

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an º£½ÇÉçÇøappStudent Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.
• Participate in roundtable discussions with microbiologists from a variety of sectors, including clinical labs, biotechnology industry, academic labs, primarily undergrad teaching institutions, law, etc. 
• Participate in short (e.g., half-day) technical workshops; I have expertise in structural biology and genomics and would be willing to participate in workshops in these areas.

What Can Large-Scale Comparative Genomics Teach Us: The Use of Machine Learning to Identify Bacterial Virulence and Tropism Genes  

Our realization of the near universality of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) processes among bacteria, combined with the observation that HGT could serve as a population-level virulence factor, led to the genesis of the distributed genome hypothesis and, consequently, to the pan-genome concept. The testing of these new paradigms required us to develop large-scale genomic technologies (next-generation sequencing and comparative genomic software) to be able to characterize and compare large numbers of genomes from within multiple bacterial species.

From these studies we determined that all bacterial strains within species contained a common core genome, but each strain contained a unique subset of genes that were variously “distributed” among the component strains. The near-universal finding that the number of distributed genes per species was far greater than the number of core genes led us to the first application of statistical genetics and, later, machine learning approaches to identify, in an unbiased manner, unannotated genes from the genomic dark matter that were associated with infection, virulence and tropism. This approach has provided a directed means to uncover novel biology underlying a trait of interest. 

Development and Use of Microbial Trans-Pan-Domain Assays as Universal Species-Specific Molecular Diagnostics  

The quest for an unbiased, universal DNA diagnostic, which could be used to characterize any specimen for any and all cellular microbes has been the “holy grail” of PCR jockeys for 35 years. To bring this concept to fruition, we have exploited long PCR and long-read circular consensus sequencing (CCS) to develop and validate a pair of pan-domain microbiome assays. In the first case, we target the entirety (~1,400 bases) of the bacterial 16S gene, and in the second case, we target a >3-kb fragment of the eukaryotic ribosomal operon. When combined, these assays provide for a semiquantitative microbial trans-pan-domain molecular diagnostic that provides near-linear results for species spread over 4 orders of magnitude in the same specimen.

The combination of the long-read sequencing and the single-molecule error correction provided by the CCS provides for species specificity throughout the entire bacterial, fungal and single-celled parasitic domains of life. Applications of these assays have produced findings as diverse as identifying previously unknown bacteria as biomarkers for specific cancers, brain-specific microbiomes associated with Alzheimer's disease and differences in tick microbiomes based on geo-spatial sampling.  

Bacterial Biofilms as Multicellular Pathogens  

How do chronic bacterial pathogens persist in the face of antimicrobial therapy, as well as the innate and adaptive host responses? To understand this complex phenomenon, we promulgated the rubric of “bacterial plurality,” which embodies the concept that bacterial biofilms are multicellular organisms that display enormous heterogeneity at many levels, including phenotypic, metabolic and genotypic. The reasoning behind the development of this theoretical construct was to provide a paradigm that more accurately models chronic pathogenic processes, enabling the development of rational therapies for these diseases that are recalcitrant to current medical management. We hypothesized that the extant paradigms of bacterial pathogenesis passed down to us from Robert Koch and developed for acute epidemic infections, although powerful and useful for clonal planktonic infections, acted for decades as blinders to our understanding of chronic infections.

As part of our studies of bacterial plurality, we have participated in the development of a new understanding of bacterial ecology, which includes the realization that bacteria have a developmental life cycle, can exist as solitary organisms or as part of a complex interacting multicellular community, and can phenotypically adapt to changing environmental conditions. Phenotypic heterogeneity is explained by the fact that nearly all bacteria can form biofilms or even more complex large-scale structures for protection, generation of reducing power and dispersal. Metabolic heterogeneity results (in part) from the understanding of limiting nutrient fluxes into a biofilm and the bacteria's responses to those fluxes, including the triggering of the stringent response, which renders the bacteria metabolically resistant to antibiotic therapy while also upregulating their virulence mechanisms. 

Defanging Pathogens: Development of Antivirulence Drugs  

Antibiotic resistance has been a recognized and growing problem for more than 50 years. Yet despite repeated exhortations to act from multiple national and international health organizations, the problem has become increasingly exacerbated over the decades. This is largely due to the design of antibiotics to kill the offending microbes, thus supplying enormous selective pressure for them to become resistant. To address this issue, we have begun a program to develop drugs that inhibit virulence gene expression, whereby we “defang” the pathogens and return them to a commensal state as opposed to killing them. We are currently characterizing a compound that inhibits virulence factor production in both a major gram-negative pathogen (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and a major gram-positive pathogen (Staphylococcus aureus).

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an º£½ÇÉçÇøappStudent Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.
• Hold a session on career development—focusing on the intangibles.

Chlamydia Is a Master Cell Biologist 

Chlamydia is an obligate intracellular bacteria that creates a specialized niche to survive within the hostile environment of the host cell. To do this, it secretes over 100 effectors into the host cell to reprogram host cell biology. In this lecture, I describe how we have used a multidisciplinary approach, including proteomics, cell biology, bacterial and host cell genetics and structural biology to begin to unravel how Chlamydia hijacks host processes.

Pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections With a Special Emphasis on Bacterial Signal Transduction, Virulence Programs, Secreted Effectors

In this lecture, I describe how a clever genetic screen, performed over 25 years ago, has given insights into how this bacterium activates a virulence program upon surface contact to avoid being eaten by its natural or host predatory cells. I will describe how the bacteria responds to surface contact, the signal transduction system used and what the consequences of activating an acute virulence program are. I will then relate this system to human infections.

Bacterial Adaptation—A Short Term Memory System 

In this lecture, I review how adaptation works in bacterial signaling systems, from chemotaxis to surface sensing systems. 

Bacterial Mimicry of Viruses 

In this lecture, I will introduce the idea of short linear motifs, a strategy used by viruses and bacteria to mimic or hijack host protein-protein interaction surfaces to reprogram host processes.  

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an º£½ÇÉçÇøappStudent Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

Is the Atmosphere a Microbially Active System?

The growth and activity of bacteria have been extensively studied in nearly every environment on Earth, but there have been limited studies focusing on the air. Suspended bacteria (outside of water droplets) may stay in the atmosphere for time frames that could allow for growth on volatile compounds, including the potent greenhouse gas methane. Our lab has been studying these bacteria to understand the functions of the atmospheric microbiome. Learn about our results and the unique techniques to sample and study aerobiology.
 

Life in the Slow Lane, Anaerobic Dechlorination of Dioxins in Sediments 

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic pollutants found in the environment. Learn about dichlorination by anaerobic organohalide respiring bacteria (OHRB) from our work including that on the Passaic River in New Jersey, which is highly contaminated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TeCDD), one of the most toxic of the PCDD/F congeners. The aims of this work are to provide methods for monitoring the slow process of dechlorination in contaminated sites and lead to new in situ treatment technologies. 

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL Lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL Lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an º£½ÇÉçÇøappStudent Chapter meeting. 
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.
• Other: Mentoring undergraduates in job or graduate applications; mentoring post-docs in preparing for academic job applications; the speaker is a first-generation college student and would especially enjoy talking to first-gen students in any capacity.

The Do’s and Don’ts for Microbiology Testing of Cell and Gene Therapies 

This talk will provide a story of lessons learned at the NIH following 2 high profile contamination events in 2015. For several decades, the clinical microbiology lab at the NIH had performed sterility testing for a variety of investigational drug products (INDs) used in clinical trials. Limited environmental monitoring cultures were also performed to meet checkbox requirements. Following the contamination events in 2015, including the shutdown of the hospital pharmacy and the major revamping of manufacturing facilities, a clearer understanding of cGMP requirements prevailed, leading to the creation of a new sterility lab dedicated solely to the microbiology testing for cellular therapies on the NIH campus. Lessons learned from the NIH experience are important to share with other academic clinical research centers that may be participating in product testing in support of hospital services, such as compounding pharmacies and cell therapy labs.
 

Clinical vs cGMP Micro—Is there a Role for Clinical Microbiology in Pharmaceutical Testing? 

As cellular therapies emerge as frontline treatment options for an increasing number of disease states, more tertiary care centers and hospitals are onboarding as participants in clinical trials. As such, on site microbiology labs (usually the diagnostic clinical microbiology lab) are often asked to assist with product testing, environmental monitoring, personnel qualification and/or aseptic processing assessments. This talk will provide a side-by-side comparison on the regulatory expectations required for cGMP microbiology testing juxtaposed against clinical microbiology requirements. The differences are “night and day,” and it is important that any lab providing testing services in support of cGMP functions understands the FDA requirements for pharmaceutical testing.
 

Practical Steps to Ensure FDA Compliance if Performing Microbiology Testing for Hospital Pharmacies and Cell Therapy Labs

Many clinical laboratories participating in testing services in support of hospital pharmacies and/or cell therapy labs may not have the resources to separate cGMP services from the clinical lab. This talk will provide an overview of practical steps that can be adopted to at least meet minimum requirements for cGMP and USP testing.

Preparing for an FDA Inspection 

Microbiology testing in support of patient care services, such as hospital pharmacies and cellular therapy labs, requires compliance with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In the pharmaceutical sector, the FDA relies heavily on expert agencies, such as the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), for the establishment of standards and expectations. The FDA code of federal regulations (CFR) and USP are not typical reference sources for clinical microbiology labs. This talk will provide an overview on how to prepare for and what to expect in an FDA inspection of a microbiology lab that is performing testing services in support of aseptic facilities, such as compounding pharmacies and biological therapeutic and/or drug manufacturers.

Important Highlights for Using MALDI-TOF MS for Mold Identification 

The identification of mold by MALDI-TOF MS has lagged significantly behind its bacterial counterparts. Since the development of the NIH Mold Database (published 2013), the microbiology lab at the NIH has been routinely providing rapid mold identification by MALDI-TOF MS for the last decade. A large multi-center study led by the NIH resulted in ground-breaking discoveries with regards to the impact of spectral acquisition methods on test reproducibility. This finding has since prompted Bruker to develop a filamentous fungi specific acquisition program to improve identification rates. Nevertheless, organism representation still relies heavily on the use of supplemental databases. This talk will provide an overview of the most updated literature and the NIH experience for identifying molds by MALDI-TOF MS, highlighting pitfalls for any lab considering test implementation. 

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL Lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL Lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an º£½ÇÉçÇøappStudent Chapter meeting. 
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.
• Other: Arrange for a student to shadow Lau in the sterility laboratory to learn about cGMP testing and pharmaceutical microbiology. 

Antimicrobial Resistance Initiatives—Do They Work?  

In an effort to increase antimicrobial drug discovery efforts, a focus on medical needs to combat antibiotic resistance is becoming more prominent. Multiple initiatives from both the public and private sector have been proposed. This lecture provides personal experience with approaches that have worked in the past, followed by proposed initiatives that may be useful in the future. 

How Can We Motivate the Pharmaceutical Industry to Invest in Antimicrobial R&D?  

The pharmaceutical industry has backed away from antibacterial research and development in the past few years. Creative approaches that result in commercially viable products are necessary to re-energize this industry. Both science-based and business-related considerations must be included in the discussions. 

Novel Approaches to Antibacterial Drug Development Are in Your Future  

With the continuing and increasing threat of antimicrobial resistance, novel approaches to new agents are required. In the future, small-molecule antibiotics will share the therapeutic platform for infectious disease with biologics, bacteriophages and agents that affect the microbiome. Novel therapies that will not share resistance mechanisms with current drugs are currently being developed. Their success will be judged as new resistant pathogens emerge in the future.    

Navigating a Career Path as a Microbiologist  

There are so many amazing career choices for microbiologists, spanning nearly the entire spectrum of sectors, organization types, roles and geographies. How does one decide where to start, what to look for in an organization, how to capitalize on your network or how to know when to shift gears? The stories of personal journeys and experience from the perspective of an industry leader will frame the discussion. 

Understanding the Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industry Partnership Environment  

When exciting science is emerging from the bench, what is critically important from an investor or research and development (R&D) partner perspective? What are some of the aspects of one’s scientific and business approach that require special attention when pitching to investors, potential partners and top talent? The experience as a big pharma science and business partner, both on the buying and selling sides, as an investor, as a board member and as a start-up advisor will frame the discussion. 

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an º£½ÇÉçÇøappStudent Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.
• Other: "I'm open to other ways that I can contribute."

Using the Force for Good and Evil: A Role for Cell Surface Amyloids in Fungal Biology and Disease

This lecture talks about force-activated amyloids in fungal cell adhesion and their roles in biofilms and host-pathogen interactions. It discusses amyloid structure and function in both functional and pathological contexts. I talk about how each student, post-doc and collaborator brought specific talents and drove the discovery process.

Force-induced Cell Wall Amyloids A-D: Ale, Biofilms, Commensalism and Disease

This lecture talks about amyloid adhesins in fungal cell adhesion and their roles in biofilms and host-pathogen interactions. I talk about how each student, post-doc and collaborator brought specific talents and drove the discovery process.
 

Building the Wall: Lessons from the Yeasts 

Fungal cell walls are marvels both as barriers and as functional organelles. I talk about homologies and evolution of animal extracellular matrix and fungal walls and how evolution has shaped walls. I talk about how each student, post-doc and collaborator brought specific talents and drove the discovery process.

How To Be “The Best-Qualified Candidate” 

Tales of how Ph.D. students with dissertations about yeast biology end up in real paying jobs. We discuss the roles of experimental and communications skill sets, as well as support networks.

On and Off the Pathway: Careers in Science 

This talk illustrates how the scientists in our research group blended their science with their outside lives to make 3 major discoveries: 1) how adhesins are covalently linked to cell walls, an idea leading to the most common yeast surface display techniques for mass screening and for industrial processes; 2) The process of cell wall anchorage in yeast, now the target of a medical antifungal in phase 3 trials and an agricultural anitfungal in the process of licensing; and 3) The role of functional amyloids in sensing flow and strengthening biofilms.

In addition to providing lectures for Branch meetings, ASMDL Lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at Branch meetings. This ASMDL Lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an º£½ÇÉçÇøappStudent Chapter meeting. 
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.
• Other: I am an on-line mentor for º£½ÇÉçÇøappand NRMN, and I have also mentored in person at all levels, from high school to post-tenure faculty. I would available after visits to communicate and discuss with any interested º£½ÇÉçÇøappmember. 

Fungi and Interferons Meet at Unexpected Places  

This lecture focuses on understanding mechanisms of immune-mediated control of fungal infections in the lung and the role of interferons (IFNs), describing the multifaceted role of these cytokines in antifungal defenses and how they regulate host responses to microbes. In this context, I will discuss our novel finding that type I and III IFNs are necessary for defense against invasive aspergillosis. We uncovered that monocytes are an essential source of type I IFN, which is required for optimal expression of type III IFN. We determine that type III IFN is essential for the activation of antifungal neutrophils. We employed a combination of gain-of-function, loss-of-function and mouse models with cell-specific gene defects to support our conclusions. 

Unexpected Effects of a Fungus-Based Vaccine Candidate  

Fungal pathogens typically affect individuals with some defects in their immune response, but, on the other hand, they are armed with multiple mechanisms that interfere with host defenses and promote immune evasion. Thus, the generation of antifungal vaccines is a challenging task. In this lecture, I will discuss our work with a vaccine strain of Cryptococcus neoformans. This Cryptococcus-based vaccine confers potent protection against homologous infection, but intriguingly, it also protects against other invasive mycoses. I will discuss our studies aimed at defining the mechanisms of vaccine-induced protection against fungal pathogens. 

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at Branch meetings. This ASMDL lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an º£½ÇÉçÇøappStudent Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI)  

Healthcare-associated infections remain a major challenge for prevention and control, especially Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). This topic will cover ways to effectively prevent and treat CDI and related HAIs, including the role of fecal microbiota transplantation and related therapeutics. 

Systems Engineering Approaches to Prevent HAIs  

Healthcare organizations are complex interconnected systems. Prevention of HAIs requires behavioral change on the part of the healthcare worker. A systems approach is useful in optimizing the system to help the work of the human. This novel approach to HAI prevention is generalizable to other communicable diseases. This lecture will review and discuss the use of these methods and their impact on HAIs. 
  

Challenges in Antimicrobial Stewardship in Immunocompromised Hosts  

Immunocompromised hosts are prone to infections, especially by drug-resistant bacteria. Effective antibiotic stewardship is essential, yet challenging, in this population. This lecture will review potential strategies to implement effective antibiotic stewardship in immunocompromised patients. 

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL Lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at Branch meetings. This ASMDL Lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Attend an º£½ÇÉçÇøappStudent Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

Waste Not, Want Not 

Advances in molecular biology and technology are enabling us to monitor public health at an unprecedented scale with many novel approaches emerging, including analysis of wastewater. Wastewater-based epidemiology or WBE is unbiased, cheap, scalable and sustainable. It has been employed across the globe to surveil SARS-CoV-2 in communities and is being investigated for the detection of other emerging pathogens, such as avian influenza and mpox. Researchers and educators alike are responding to the challenge of detecting known and emerging pathogens by developing new isolation and detection techniques, and by preparing the next generation of wastewater scientists.
 

Airborne Transmission of Microbes 

Surrogate viruses can be safely used instead of pathogenic microbes to monitor and study the spread of viruses in aerosols, revealing how humidity, airflow and occupancy can affect the prevalence and diversity of microbes in the air. We are studying how quickly and far microbes can travel in real-world settings, such as classrooms, and how interventions, such as masks or increased airflow, can be leveraged to prevent their spread, depending on the context.
 

What Can Microbes Teach Us about the Built Environment?

We have long studied microbes in the built environment, examining their presence on elevator buttons, on hand dryers and on vending machines. We are most interested in how antimicrobials are being used in building products, ranging from paint to wall coverings and carpets. Are the antimicrobials we are using in these products contributing to the emergence of resistance in clinical pathogens? How can we better design our spaces to not only reduce pathogen spread, but also to support beneficial microbes and their communities that promote our health and well-being?

Science Education and Civic Engagement 

I have spent my career working to develop civic scientific literacy and science engagement among my students. I have helped faculty across this country and beyond to do the same. Science education is civic education when you use high-impact teaching approaches, support student’s sense of belonging, engage students in authentic research experiences and teach through the issues of relevance to our students, which often include wicked, capacious and unsolvable problems that we all must respond to.  

In addition to providing lectures for Branch meetings, ASMDL Lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at Branch meetings. This ASMDL Lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an º£½ÇÉçÇøappStudent Chapter meeting. 
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.
• Other: I'm open to other ways that I can contribute.  

The Highs and Lows of Enteric Infections 

Explore how bacteria sense host neurotransmitters, the effect of neurotransmitters on bacterial pathogenesis and how microbiota composition change susceptibility to drug addiction.
 

Pour Some Sugar on Me: Gut Pathogen Interactions with the Host and the Microbiota 

Investigate metabolic exchanges between gut pathogens and microbiota, how metabolites derived from the host or microbiota impact pathogenesis and metabolites that also moonlight as signaling molecules.
 

You're Hot and You're Cold: Pathogen-Host-Microbiota Interactions in the Gut-Brain-Axis 

Learn how different neurotransmitters impact bacterial pathogenesis. Explore the utilization of neurotransmitters, their analogs or inhibitors as new anti-virulence approaches. Examine the integration of host and bacterial signaling and its impact on bacterial pathogenesis. 

Metabolic Interactions in Host-Pathogen and Microbiota Interactions in the Gut 

Examine how members of the microbiota harvest host metabolites that can be exploited by pathogens. Explore dietary metabolites in host-pathogen interactions. Learn how metabolism in exploitation of the microbiota by pathogens or microbiota resistance to pathogens.

Inter-Kingdom Chemical Signaling Among the Host-Microbiota and Pathogens: There is a Whole Lot of Talking Going On  

Learn about the integration of AI-3 and epinephrine/norepinephrine signaling to regulate bacterial virulence, the integration of indole and serotonin signaling in bacterial pathogenesis and how interference with inter-kingdom signaling functions as an anti-virulence approach.

In addition to providing lectures for Branch meetings, ASMDL Lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at Branch meetings. This ASMDL Lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an º£½ÇÉçÇøappStudent Chapter meeting. 
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

The Invisible Forest: How Tiny Cells Sustain Life in the Open Ocean  

Like trees on land, microbial phototrophs (phytoplankton) in the open ocean provision vast ecosystems with energy and carbon through photosynthesis. This lecture will introduce the diverse array of photosynthetic microbial cells that inhabit the open ocean and dive into the surprising ways they make a living in a dilute and nutrient poor environment to support a thriving ecosystem.  
 

Don’t Mourn for Me When I Die: How Loss of Microbes from the Sea Fuels Global Nutrient and Energy Cycles

Microorganisms in the open ocean die in a range of ways, from lysis by viruses, to engulfment by larger microorganisms, to filtration by large gelatinous zooplankton. But there is beauty and power in this circle of life. This lecture will look at how each of those loss processes are critical to providing different and diverse carbon sources to ecosystems of the open ocean that drive major biogeochemical cycles on Earth.
 

Master of Minimalism: The Simple but Powerful Life of Prochlorococcus 

The cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is the smallest free-living photosynthetic cell on Earth, even more numerous than all plant cells combined. Discovered just 35 years ago, this amazing cell has much to teach us. This lecture will share the intertwined stories of the tiny cell itself and the scientists who have devoted their lives to learning its secrets. 

In addition to providing lectures for Branch meetings, ASMDL Lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at Branch meetings. This ASMDL Lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an º£½ÇÉçÇøappStudent Chapter meeting. 
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

It’s Complicated: The Global Problem of Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms  

Blooms of toxin-producing cyanobacteria are on the rise around the globe, yet, it is only recently that researchers have begun to disentangle the many reasons. Using state-of-the-art molecular ecology, the lecture will dig into how big data (RNA sequencing, metabolomics) is being used to show how nutrients, viruses and climate change are intertwined in driving the proliferation of toxic cyanobacteria. With a focus on Lake Erie, this work also contains insights from fresh waters around the world. 

Small Stories about Giant Viruses  

Giant viruses contain genes and drive functions that rival “cellular life.” The lecture will provide insight into how viruses shape ecosystem function, with a focus on giant viruses in the Nucleocytoviricota. As a case study, the Aureococcus anophagefferens virus (now known as Kratosvirus quantuckense) that infects the causative organism of the brown tides along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard is but one such model. Drawing from 20 years of DNA and RNA sequencing, as well as the deployment of state-of-the-art new techniques, e.g., cryo-transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the presentation provides insight on genomic expansion and the potential for virus particles to carry functional genes and proteins, giving them metabolism independent of their hosts. 

Molecular Biology on the High Seas  

The tools of molecular biology are changing how oceanographers look at the world and how biological processes (and who undertakes them) occur. Drawing on deep transcriptional sequencing from research completed in the Southern Ocean, as well as in the heart of the Bermuda Triangle, the lecture asks not only what microbes do in the ocean, but also how and why—and in the process, provides new insight on oceanic biogeochemistry and the potential state of the ocean in future climate scenarios.

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL Lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL Lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an º£½ÇÉçÇøappStudent Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.

Toxins, Toxins, Everywhere: Turning Foe into Friend  

This presentation provides an overview of the prevalence, modes of action and potential applications of toxins. Toxin-like modules are being identified in an ever-growing number of bacterial genomes. Bacterial toxins have played a myriad of fundamental roles in basic and clinical microbiology, from their first discovery as causes of disease to their implementation as tools for understanding cell biology, to their beneficial therapeutic applications as immunomodulators, anti-cancer treatments, treatments for neuronal disorders, biologic cargo-delivery platforms and many still-untapped potential applications.

Clinical Applications of Bacterial Toxins: Mechanism of Action and Therapeutic Uses of Botulinum Neurotoxin

This presentation provides an overview of how bacterial protein toxins act on cells and can be used as target-cell-specific therapeutic agents. Botulinum neurotoxin is given specifically as an example. Attendees gain an understanding of how botulinum neurotoxin disrupts neurotransmission and is used as a therapeutic. Attendees gain an appreciation of the potential consequences of misuse of botulinum neurotoxins in cosmetic and non-cosmetic applications, gain an appreciation of their potential therapeutic application as augmenting agents during wound healing to prevent severe scarring and to treat keloids, and learn about the development of bacterial toxin-inspired drug delivery (BTIDD) platforms. (This presentation has been used for CME credit by the OSF Healthcare System). 

Global Biosecurity and the Antibiotic Resistance Crisis  

This presentation brings to light the ongoing and escalating antibiotic resistance crisis. The talk outlines the diminishing antibiotic pipeline and the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance, with emphasis on the problem being of critical concern for everyone. Attendees will gain an understanding of how antibiotic resistance arises and spreads and gain an appreciation of the many factors that have led to the current crisis situation. Attendees will gain an appreciation for the challenges associated with bringing newly discovered compounds with antibiotic activity through the development, testing and regulatory approval processes and, finally, to market. Attendees will also gain insights into the perspectives of different stakeholders and some promising measures that are underway that might help tackle the problem. (This presentation has been used for community outreach).  

Food Safety: The Case for Food Irradiation—Ensuring 100% Germfree  

This presentation provides insights about the use of food irradiation and its application toward ensuring food safety. Attendees will learn about the factors that led to our current concerns about food safety and why this is a growing problem. Attendees will gain an understanding of what food irradiation is and how food irradiation might help mitigate food contamination, thereby providing a possible solution to improve food safety. (This presentation has been used for community outreach). 

GMOs and Food Insecurity: Problem or Solution?  

This presentation discusses GMOs and provides an overview of the issues surrounding their perceived risks and benefits. Attendees will learn about what GMOs are and the pros and cons of using GMOs, including perspectives from different stakeholders. Attendees will also gain an understanding of how GMOs might serve as a possible solution for the impending global food insecurity problem, including protection against food spoilage and crop damage and enhancing nutritional value of food. (This presentation has been used for community outreach). 

In addition to providing lectures for branch meetings, ASMDL Lecturers are available to participate in career development and mentoring activities for trainees at branch meetings. This ASMDL Lecturer has indicated interest in doing the following:

• Attend poster sessions and oral presentations.
• Judge posters and/or oral presentations.
• Give separate lecture for students.
• Participate in informal gatherings/discussions—at dinner, reception, etc.
• Attend an º£½ÇÉçÇøappStudent Chapter meeting.
• Participate in a career forum.
• Hold a “Meet the Speaker” session.
• Other: Give talks/lead discussions on the following topics:
  • Navigating the Tenure-Promotion Process: Strategies for Balancing Research, Teaching, and Service. 
  • Balancing a Career in Science and Family. 
  • Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. 
  • The Gender Wage Gap: Pay Equity is Still an Issue that Impacts Everyone.
  • Active-Learning and Scientific Teaching—Strategies for Enhancing Student Engagement at Scale.
  • Navigating Tricky Situations. 
  • Taking the Wheel: How to Navigate Difficult Conversations.