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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.
Penn Micro on Bluesky
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Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Microbiology Seminar 🔬 Wednesday 4/1/26 12-1PM CRB Austrian Auditorium Alumni Speaker Andrew Camilli, PhD "Genetic Analysis of the Arms Race Between Vibrio cholerae and Phages" https://gsbs.tufts.edu/faculty-research/andrew-camilli-lab
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Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Virology Seminar 💉 Tuesday 3/31/26 12-1 PM 209 Johnson Pavilion Andoni Nolasco-Ramirez, Cherry Lab “Bunyaviruses are Differentially Controlled by Protein Kinase R”
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Friday, March 27, 2026
Please note there will be no ProK seminar next Monday March 30🦠
Departmental Events
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Prokaryotic Seminar
Monday, April 6: 4pm in 209 Johnson Pavilion
Suhas Bobba, PhD, Shin/ Brodsky Labs
"Interrogating enteropathogen infection kinetics and dynamics between oral gavage and bread feeding routes of infection”
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Virology Seminar
Tuesday, April 7th: 12pm in 209 Johnson Pavilion
James Regan, You Lab
"Merkel cell polyomavirus tumor antigens transform dermal fibroblasts and drive tumor formation”
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Microbiology Seminar
Wednesday, April 8th: 12pm in CRB Austrian Auditorium
Matthias Schnell PhD :: TJU
“Immunogenicity of an adjuvanted, combination inactivated rabies-vectored, Lassa fever vaccine in healthy adults: Interim results of a first-in-human Phase 1 trial”