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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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Friday, October 30, 2026
Microbiology Seminar 🔬 Wednesday 11/4/26 12-1PM CRB Austrian Auditorium Jeremiah Faith, PhD "Microbiome therapeutics: a golden era or another lost generation" faithlab.mssm.edu
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Friday, October 30, 2026
ProK and Virology Trainee Seminar🦠💉 Tuesday 11/3/2026 12 – 1 PM 209 Johnson Pavilion
Departmental Events
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ProK and Virology Trainee Seminar
Tuesday, Nov 17: 12pm; 209 Johnson Pavilion
Jiayi Duan, Bushman Lab :: Helena Winstone, PhD, Weiss Lab
“Characterizing the Early-Life Human Gut Virome”
“A contemporary H5N1 strain exhibits increased replication and interferon-evasion in the human airways relative to the H1N1 2009 pandemic strain”
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Microbiology Seminar
Wednesday, Nov 18: 12pm in Austrian Auditorium, RRB (CRB)
Roy Wong, PhD :: Rutgers
"Impact of spike dynamics on coronavirus entry and immune response”