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Mentor Areas

  • Immunology
  • Innate immunity
  • Microbiology
  • Microbial pathogenesis
  • Enteric infection

Description:

The Brodsky lab focuses on the interplay of bacterial virulence mechanisms and host innate immune recognition strategies. We are interested in how bacterial pathogens are sensed by host cells, how this sensing contributes to antimicrobial immune defense, and how bacterial pathogens evade innate immune recognition. We use the Gram-negative bacterial pathogens Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Salmonella typhimurium in combination with genetic, biochemical, and immunological approaches on both the bacterial and host side to understand the bacterial signals that trigger activation of a molecular platform known as the inflammasome, how inflammasome activation is coupled to innate and adaptive immune responses, and how bacterial pathogens evade inflammasome-dependent immune responses.

Specific projects will vary. Interested students should contact us to discuss possibilities.

Preferred Qualifications

Coursework in quantitative reasoning, molecular biology, chemistry, biochemistry and experience in basic lab techniques/procedures are required.

Details:

Preferred Student 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

Yes

Yes indicates that faculty are open to paying students they engage in their research, regardless of their work-study eligibility.

Work Study

Yes

Yes indicates that faculty are open to hiring work-study-eligible students.

Researcher