Mentor Areas
The laboratory of Dr. Koo focuses on understanding the assembly principles and the virulence determinants of oral biofilms, as well as developing novel therapeutic approaches to prevent biofilm-dependent oral infectious diseases such as dental caries.
Description:
Dr. Koo’s research is particularly interested in elucidating four major questions:
(1) How the extracellular matrix assembles dynamically in 3D. In particular, he is interested in understanding the production and structural organization of EPS, and how they modulate cell adhesion-cohesion, the 3D matrix-scaffold and mechanical stability of biofilms over time.
(2) How the matrix modulates the microenvironmental heterogeneity within biofilms. Here, he focuses on spatio-temporal characterization of local pH and oxygen levels, microbial organization/positioning and gene expression in situ, and how they influence the expression of virulence of the biofilm as a whole.
(3) How different microbial species (even from different kingdom) interact to each other and influence biofilm formation and extracellular matrix
(4) How to disrupt the matrix-delineated microenvironments and/or target the pathogens embedded in the matrix. He is interested in finding new anti-biofilm agents (that inhibit EPS synthesis or degrade the matrix) from plant-derived foods and organic waste products, as well as using nanotechnology and biotechnology. He is also developing a novel drug-delivery system to target biofilm microenvironments.
Current Projects: Using nanotechnology to develop new anti-biofilm therapeutics to prevent oral diseases. Study cross-kingdom (bacterial-fungal) interactions in the development of oral disease-causing biofilms.
Preferred Qualifications
Microbiology/Molecular biology background and laboratory skills are preferred.
Details:
Preferred Student Year
Second-Year, Junior, Senior
Academic Term
Fall, Spring, Summer
I prefer to have students start during the above term(s).Volunteer
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to volunteers.Paid
No
Yes indicates that faculty are open to paying students they engage in their research, regardless of their work-study eligibility.Work Study
No
Yes indicates that faculty are open to hiring work-study-eligible students.