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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
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Prokaryotic Seminar
Monday, April 13: 4pm in 209 Johnson Pavilion
Connor Tiffany, PhD, Zackular Lab :: Anh Quack, Goulian Lab
"Healthcare Access and Quality Outperforms Diet as a Predictor of Infant Gut Microbiota Development and Pathobiont Colonization”
“Exploring the roles of nucleoside-diphosphate kinase in Escherichia coli physiology”
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Virology Seminar
Tuesday, April 14th: 12pm in 209 Johnson Pavilion
Gabby Scher, PhD, Hensley Lab :: Jefferson Santos, Hensley Lab
"Effects of prior immunization with a 20HA mRNA-LNP vaccine on subsequent heterologous HA mRNA-LNP vaccinations”
“Evaluation of an H5 Influenza mRNA-lipid nanoparticle (LNP) vaccine in lactating dairy cows”
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Microbiology Seminar
Wednesday, April 15th: 12pm in CRB Austrian Auditorium
Daniel Claiborne, PhD :: Wistar
“Enhancing antigen sensitivity to develop potent HIV-specific CAR T cells”