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Development of Yeast-displayed scFv and Monoclonal Antibodies for <i>Entamoeba histolytica</i> Cyst Detection
The aims of this dissertation research are two-fold: 1) develop an accelerated affinity reagent pipeline that overcomes the limitations seen in utilizing recombinant antibodies and in vitro display systems; and 2) validate a novel <i>Entamoeba histolytica</i> cyst biomarker in stool, utilizing reagents obtained in the accelerated ...
Quantifying the effect of helical cell shape on Helicobacter pylori's motility and niche acquisition
Half of all humans harbor the extracellular pathogen Helicobacter pylori in their stomachs. Successful colonization by H. pylori requires flagellar-based motility for the bacterium to traverse the thick gastric mucus layer and reach its preferred niche, close to the gastric epithelium. Helical cell shape is thought to facilitate ...
Mechanisms of Group B Streptococcus Colonization and Ascending Infection
Group B Streptococcus (GBS), also known as Streptococcus agalactiae, are bacteria that commonly reside in the vagina of healthy women. GBS is not a major cause of infection in normal adults. However, newborns can acquire GBS from colonized mothers during birth leading to neonatal infections. Alternatively, GBS can migrate ...
Characterization of the Group B Streptococcus Hemolysin and its Role in Intrauterine Infection
Intrauterine infection and inflammation are a major cause of perinatal morbidity, including preterm birth. A pathogen associated with intrauterine infection, preterm birth, and perinatal disease is Streptococcus agalactiae, or Group B streptococcus (GBS). Despite its importance to public health, little is known about the ...
Examining Preexisting Immune Mediators that Augment Immune Responses to Drifted Influenza Exposure
Influenza A annually infects 5-10% of the world’s human population resulting in an estimated one million deaths, severely afflicting the elderly population in particular. Influenza causes annual epidemics and re-infects previously exposed individuals because of antigenic drift in the surface glycoprotein hemagglutinin (HA). ...
Alteration of the Epithelial Environment and Cellular Pathways by HPV type 16 E6 and NFX1-123
High-risk human papillomaviruses (HR HPV) are the causative agent of various anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers, accounting for approximately 5% of the global burden of cancer. The highest risk factor for development of these cancers is a persistent infection with HR HPV. Understanding what promotes long-lived HPV infection ...
Characterizing the Chlamydia trachomatis inclusion membrane proteome
Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infection, responsible for millions of infections each year. Despite this high prevalence, the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of Chlamydia pathogenesis has been difficult due to limitations in genetic tools and its intracellular developmental ...
Mechanisms of Salmonella Typhi Persistence
Although human Salmonella infections are caused by a single species, Salmonella enterica, different Salmonella serovars cause distinctive clinical syndromes. Whereas non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) serovars typically cause self-limiting acute gastroenteritis, typhoidal serovars cause enteric fever, a severe protracted illness ...
Characterizing host immune responses to Group B Streptococcus hemolysin during invasive infection
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a gram-positive, ꞵ-hemolytic bacteria that asymptomatically colonizes the vaginal tract. However, during pregnancy maternal GBS colonization greatly predisposes the neonate to a wide range of adverse outcomes, including preterm birth (PTB), stillbirth, and fetal injury. Perinatal transmission ...
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein O-phosphorylation landscape
Protein phosphorylation is a main mechanism for translating extracellular signals into cellular adaptations. In bacteria, the two-component system has been the paradigm of protein phosphorylation. Increasingly, however, protein serine/threonine and tyrosine phosphorylation (O-phosphorylation) mediated by serine/threonine ...