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The inhabitants of Earth are mostly microbes, and their activities are central to human welfare. Microbes can cause disease, but a properly functioning microbiome is essential for health. Microbes spoil food, but drive many forms of food production. Microbes mediate organismic decay, but catalyze numerous geochemical processes essential for life on Earth.

Research in the Penn Microbiology Department focuses on infectious agents that threaten global health, with an emphasis on understanding molecular mechanisms and developing key new methods. Areas of focus include SARS-CoV-2, HIV, pathogenic bacteria of the airway and gut, cancer causing viruses, emerging infectious diseases, and the human microbiome. On the host side, faculty study many areas of immunology related to infection, including innate and adaptive immunity, tumor immunology and vaccine development.

Departmental Events

  • Prokaryotic Seminar

    Monday, April 1, 4pm, 209 Johnson Pavilion

    Dipti Nayak, PhD:: Univ Berkeley

    “CRISPR-guided insights into the biology of methanogenic archaea”

     

  • Virology Seminar

    Tuesday, Apr 2, 12pm, 209 Johnson Pavilion

    Steven Miller :: Cherry Lab and Tamanna Srivastava :: Cherry Lab

    "Tissue Specific Innate Immune Responses Impact Viral Infection"

    “Defining the role of age-dependent interferon-stimulated genes in antiviral immunity”

  • Microbiology Seminar

    Wednesday, Apr 3, 12pm, Austrian Auditorium, CRB

    Ivaylo Ivanov, PhD  ::  Columbia

    "Microbiota-immune interactions in health and disease”

     

     

More Events