• Primary Faculty Profiles
• Bankert, Richard, Ph.D., V.M.D., Professor
• Bianco, Piero, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Campagnari, Anthony, Ph.D., Professor
• Collins, Arlene, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Connell, Terry, Ph.D., Professor
• Egilmez, Nejat, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Hakansson, Anders, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
• Hay, John, Ph.D., Professor
• Jacobs, Amy, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
• Melendy, Thomas, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Panepinto, John, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
• Read, Laurie, Ph.D., Professor
• Russell, Michael, Ph.D., Professor
• Ruyechan, William, Ph.D., Professor and Chairman
• Thacore, Harshad, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Williams, Noreen, Ph.D., Professor
• Adjunct Faculty Profiles
• Departmental Publications
• Career Opportunities
• The Witebsky Center
• Seminars

Faculty and Research

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Research Interests:

My research interests focus on microbial pathogenesis, particularly on the identification and characterization of bacterial virulence factors and putative vaccine antigens for three Gram-negative human pathogens: Moraxella catarrhalis, Acinetobacter baumannii and Haemophilus ducreyi.

Currently active M. catarrhalis projects.
Moraxella catarrhalis causes middle ear infections and sinusitis in infants and children, and lower respiratory tract infections in adults. This bacterium is the third leading cause of otitis media and 50% of all children will become colonized in the first six months of life. We have demonstrated that M. catarrhalis express peritrichious type-IV pili and these structures are essential for DNA uptake by natural transformation. These structures are shown in the immunoelectron micrographic shown on the right. Additional studies have further demonstrated that M. catarrhalis expression of type-IV pili are important for attachment in vivo using our newly developed Chinchilla colonization model.

Our second major M. catarrhalis project involves a detailed analysis of the genetics and biology of lipooligosaccharide (LOS). This prominent bacterial surface component is considered a potential virulence factor and structural studies show that M. catarrhalis LOS is similar to the LOS of other Gram-negative human mucosal pathogens. The goal of this research is to define the role of LOS in pathogenesis and to define the steps involved in assembly and expression of this major surface glycolipid.

Currently active A. baumannii projects.
Acinetobacter baumannii causes nosocomial infections in susceptible populations and the organism has the ability to persist on abiotic surfaces. Recently, there have been multiple outbreaks of multidrug resistant Acinetobacter-infections particularly in wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and also in various medical facilities. We have identified a 26-kb A. baumannii gene that encodes a large biofilm-associated protein (Bap). This Bap is homologous to similar proteins in S. aureus and our studies show that Bap is expressed during biofilm formation in vitro. The movie on the right shows A. baumannii (green) forming a biofilm with a corresponding increase in Bap expression (red/orange) detected over time.

Comparative Genomic Analysis and Data Mining
We have recently formed the Infectious Disease and Genomics Laboratory based in the New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences. Together with our collaborators we have completed genome sequencing of multiple clinical isolates of M. catarrhalis, A. baumannii and H. ducreyi and we have begun performing data mining and comparative genomic analysis. This is a new initiative for our group and these studies will allow a comprehensive analysis of the virulence factors and potential vaccine candidates we have identified to date.

Relevant references:

Edwards, K. J., Allen, S., Gibson, B.W. and Campagnari, A.A. 2005. Characterization of a Cluster of Three Glycosyltransferase Enzymes Essential for Moraxella catarrhalis Lipooligosaccharide (LOS) Assembly. Journal of Bacteriology, 187:2939-2947.

Edwards, K.J., Schwingel, J.M., Datta, A.K. and Campagnari, A.A. 2005. Multiplex PCR assay that identifies the major lipooligosaccharide serotype expressed by Moraxella catarrhalis clinical isolates. J Clin Microbiol. 43:6139-6143.

Nicole R. Luke, N.R., Jurcisek, J., Bakaletz, L.O., and Campagnari, A.A. 2007. Contribution of Moraxella catarrhalis Type-IV Pili to Nasopharyngeal Colonization and Biofilm Formation. Infect. Immun. 75: 5559-5564.

Loehfelm, T.F. and Campagnari, A.A. 2008. Identification and Characterization of an Acinetobacter baumannii Biofilm-Associated Protein. Journal of Bacteriology, 190: 1036-1044.

Schwingel, J.M., St. Michael, F., Cox, A.D., Masoud, H., Richards, J.C. and Campagnari, A.A. 2008. Identification and Characterization of a Unique Glycosyltransferase Involved in the Assembly of the Inner Core of Moraxella catarrhalis Lipooligosaccharides. Glycobiology, 18: 447-455.

Russo, T.R., Beanan, J.M., Olson, R., MacDonald, U., Luke, N.R., Gill, S.R. and Campagnari, A.A. 2008. Rat Pneumonia and Soft-Tissue Infection Models for the Study of Acinetobacter baumannii Biology. Infection and Immunity, in press.