Whole-Cell MALDI-ToF MS Coupled with Untargeted Metabolomics Facilitates Investigations of Microbial Chemical Interactions.

The emergence of drug-resistant pathogens necessitates the development of new countermeasures. In this regard, the introduction of probiotics to directly attack or competitively exclude pathogens presents a useful strategy. Application of this approach requires an understanding of how a probiotic and its target pathogen interact.

Metabolomics Analysis of Bacterial Pathogen and Mammalian Host Cells in Co-culture.

The Tier 1 HHS/USDA Select Agent is a bacterial pathogen that is highly virulent when introduced into the respiratory tract and intrinsically resistant to many antibiotics. Transcriptomic- and proteomic-based methodologies have been used to investigate mechanisms of virulence employed by and , a convenient surrogate; however, analysis of the pathogen and host metabolomes during infection is lacking. Changes in the metabolites produced can be a result of altered gene expression and/or post-transcriptional processes.

Upregulation of CD14 in mesenchymal stromal cells accelerates lipopolysaccharide-induced response and enhances antibacterial properties.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have broad-ranging therapeutic properties, including the ability to inhibit bacterial growth and resolve infection. However, the genetic mechanisms regulating these antibacterial properties in MSCs are largely unknown. Here, we utilized a systems-based approach to compare MSCs from different genetic backgrounds that displayed differences in antibacterial activity.

Shotgun Immunoproteomic Approach for the Discovery of Linear B-Cell Epitopes in Biothreat Agents and .

Peptide-based subunit vaccines are coming to the forefront of current vaccine approaches, with safety and cost-effective production among their top advantages. Peptide vaccine formulations consist of multiple synthetic linear epitopes that together trigger desired immune responses that can result in robust immune memory. The advantages of linear compared to conformational epitopes are their simple structure, ease of synthesis, and ability to stimulate immune responses by means that do not require complex 3D conformation.

Computational Basis for On-Demand Production of Diversified Therapeutic Phage Cocktails.

New therapies are necessary to combat increasingly antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens. We have developed a technology platform of computational, molecular biology, and microbiology tools which together enable on-demand production of phages that target virtually any given bacterial isolate. Two complementary computational tools that identify and precisely map prophages and other integrative genetic elements in bacterial genomes are used to identify prophage-laden bacteria that are close relatives of the target strain.