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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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Departmental Events

  • Prokaryotic Seminar

    Monday, November 10: 4pm in 209 Johnson Pavilion

    Joshua Chang Mell, PhD :: Drexel

    “To colonize or infect: The natural history of pathogenesis in Haemophilus influenzae”

     

  • Virology Seminar

    Tuesday, November 11: 12pm in 209 Johnson Pavilion

    Linlin Yang, Eisenlohr Lab :: Michael Hogarty, Shaw Lab

    “Understanding non-classical MHCII Processing and Presentation with a TCR-like antibody”

    "Envelope modifications accelerate HIV bNAb development in SHIV-infected rhesus macaques"

  • Microbiology Seminar

    Wednesday, November 19: 12pm in Austrian Auditorium, CRB

    Elias Haddad, PhD :: Drexel

     

     

     

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