The Satchell Lab solved the crystal structure of Ras/Rap1-specific endopeptidase (RRSP), revealing the mechanism of action of the bacterial effector.
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The Satchell Lab solved the crystal structure of Ras/Rap1-specific endopeptidase (RRSP), revealing the mechanism of action of the bacterial effector.
The Smith Lab investigates herpesvirus capsid morphogenesis and maturation.
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The Smith Lab investigates herpesvirus capsid morphogenesis and maturation.
The Laimins Lab studies the expression of DNA damage response proteins during the progression of cervical cancer.
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The Laimins Lab studies the expression of DNA damage response proteins during the progression of cervical cancer.
The Gottwein Lab investigates immunomodulatory drug effectors in primary effusion lymphoma cell lines.
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The Gottwein Lab investigates immunomodulatory drug effectors in primary effusion lymphoma cell lines.
The Seifert Lab constructed loss-of-function mutations in Neisseria gonorrhoeae genes to determine their role in bacterial physiology.
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The Seifert Lab constructed loss-of-function mutations in Neisseria gonorrhoeae genes to determine their role in bacterial physiology.
The Thimmapaya Lab studies how the PIMT RNA binding protein functions in cardiac energy metabolism.
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The Thimmapaya Lab studies how the PIMT RNA binding protein functions in cardiac energy metabolism.
The Brown Lab discusses how mast cells and innate lymphoid cells can have either disease-promoting or -protecting effects on MS and other CNS inflammatory diseases.
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The Brown Lab discusses how mast cells and innate lymphoid cells can have either disease-promoting or -protecting effects on MS and other CNS inflammatory diseases.

Seminars & Events

Oct
23
Microbiology-Immunology Department: Lena Al-Harthi, PhD
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Oct
25
Microbiology-Immunology Department: Edward S. Mocarski, PhD
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Oct
30
Microbiology-Immunology Department: Hank Seifert, PhD
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Nov
6
Microbiology-Immunology Department: Billy Tsai, PhD
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Nov
13
Microbiology-Immunology Department: Benjamin Gewurz, PhD
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Nov
20
Microbiology-Immunology Department: Jun Huang, PhD
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Nov
27
Microbiology-Immunology Department: Nels Elde, PhD
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Nov
29
Microbiology-Immunology Department: Michael Lagunoff, PhD
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Dec
4
Microbiology-Immunology Department: Harry Mobley, PhD
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Dec
11
Microbiology-Immunology Department: Andrea Sant, PhD
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Dec
18
Microbiology-Immunology Department: Colleen Furey
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Jan
10
Virology Club: Dr. Judd Hultquist
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

News & Awards

10.11.2018Investigating Sex-Related Differences in Multiple Sclerosis
10.08.2018 Brain Tumor SPORE Drives Rapid Translation
10.05.2018Study Finds Critical Genes for Viral Lymphoma
10.01.2018Human Stem Cell Model Reveals Mechanisms of Herpes Infection
08.22.2018Experimental drug takes aim at cancers associated with Epstein-Barr virus

Our Department

We investigate mechanisms of bacterial and viral pathogenesis as well as regulation of the immune system. Our faculty members teach graduate, undergraduate and medical students at Northwestern University and the Feinberg School of Medicine. Learn more about us.

Recent Publications

Neisseria gonorrhoeae Exposed to Sublethal Levels of Hydrogen Peroxide Mounts a Complex Transcriptional Response.
Quillin SJ, Hockenberry AJ, Jewett MC, Seifert HS.
mSystems. 2018 Oct 2;3(5). pii: e00156-18. doi: 10.1128/mSystems.00156-18. eCollection 2018 Sep-Oct.
RRSP and RID Effector Domains Dominate Virulence Impact of Vibrio vulnificus MARTX Toxin.
Gavin HE, Satchell KJF.
J Infect Dis. 2018 Oct 5. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiy590. [Epub ahead of print]
The bacterial Ras/Rap1 site-specific endopeptidase RRSP cleaves Ras through an atypical mechanism to disrupt Ras-ERK signaling.
Biancucci M, Minasov G, Banerjee A, Herrera A, Woida PJ, Kieffer MB, Bindu L, Abreu-Blanco M, Anderson WF, Gaponenko V, …
Sci Signal. 2018 Oct 2;11(550). pii: eaat8335. doi: 10.1126/scisignal.aat8335.
Analysis of pilin antigenic variation in Neisseria meningitidis by next-generation sequencing.
Xu J, Seifert HS.
J Bacteriol. 2018 Sep 4. pii: JB.00465-18. doi: 10.1128/JB.00465-18. [Epub ahead of print]
Spleen Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor TAK-659 Prevents Splenomegaly and Tumor Development in a Murine Model of Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Lymphoma.
Cen O, Kannan K, Huck Sappal J, Yu J, Zhang M, Arikan M, Ucur A, Ustek D, Cen Y, Gordon L, Longnecker R.
mSphere. 2018 Aug 22;3(4). pii: e00378-18. doi: 10.1128/mSphereDirect.00378-18.
Gene essentiality landscape and druggable oncogenic dependencies in herpesviral primary effusion lymphoma.
Manzano M, Patil A, Waldrop A, Dave SS, Behdad A, Gottwein E.
Nat Commun. 2018 Aug 15;9(1):3263. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-05506-9.
Engineered Bacteria for Cholera Prophylaxis.
Satchell KJF.
Cell Host Microbe. 2018 Aug 8;24(2):192-194. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2018.07.013.
Poxviruses Evade Cytosolic Sensing through Disruption of an mTORC1-mTORC2 Regulatory Circuit.
Meade N, Furey C, Li H, Verma R, Chai Q, Rollins MG, DiGiuseppe S, Naghavi MH, Walsh D.
Cell. 2018 Aug 23;174(5):1143-1157.e17. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.06.053. Epub 2018 Aug 2.
Linking CD1-Restricted T Cells With Autoimmunity and Dyslipidemia: Lipid Levels Matter.
Bagchi S, Genardi S, Wang CR.
Front Immunol. 2018 Jul 16;9:1616. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01616. eCollection 2018. Review.
Exploitation of Cytoskeletal Networks during Early Viral Infection.
Walsh D, Naghavi MH.
Trends Microbiol. 2018 Jul 19. pii: S0966-842X(18)30156-2. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2018.06.008. [Epub ahead of print] Review.
Expression of HPV-induced DNA Damage Repair Factors Correlates With CIN Progression.
Spriggs CC, Blanco LZ, Maniar KP, Laimins LA.
Int J Gynecol Pathol. 2018 Jul 10. doi: 10.1097/PGP.0000000000000477. [Epub ahead of print]
The Apical Region of the Herpes Simplex Virus Major Capsid Protein Promotes Capsid Maturation.
Ruhge LL, Huet AGE, Conway JF, Smith GA.
J Virol. 2018 Aug 29;92(18). pii: e00821-18. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00821-18. Print 2018 Sep 15.
ASC acts in a caspase-1-independent manner to worsen acute pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Hughes AJ, Knoten CA, Morris AR, Hauser AR.
J Med Microbiol. 2018 Aug;67(8):1168-1180. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.000782. Epub 2018 Jun 29.
The Use of Biodegradable Nanoparticles for Tolerogenic Therapy of Allergic Inflammation.
Smarr CB, Miller SD.
Methods Mol Biol. 2018;1799:353-358. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7896-0_25.
CK1α and IRF4 are essential and independent effectors of immunomodulatory drugs in primary effusion lymphoma.
Patil A, Manzano M, Gottwein E.
Blood. 2018 Aug 9;132(6):577-586. doi: 10.1182/blood-2018-01-828418. Epub 2018 Jun 28.
Dissecting the Herpesvirus Architecture by Targeted Proteolysis.
Daniel GR, Pegg CE, Smith GA.
J Virol. 2018 Aug 16;92(17). pii: e00738-18. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00738-18. Print 2018 Sep 1.
B7-H4 Modulates Regulatory CD4⁺ T Cell Induction and Function via Ligation of a Semaphorin 3a/Plexin A4/Neuropilin-1 Complex.
Podojil JR, Chiang MY, Ifergan I, Copeland R, Liu LN, Maloveste S, Langermann S, Liebenson D, Balabanov R, Chi H, …
J Immunol. 2018 Aug 1;201(3):897-907. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1700811. Epub 2018 Jun 13.
Case Report of an Extensively Drug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection With Genomic Characterization of the Strain and Review of Similar Cases in the United States.
Krapp F, Ozer EA, Qi C, Hauser AR.
Open Forum Infect Dis. 2018 Apr 6;5(5):ofy074. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofy074. eCollection 2018 May.
Author Correction: HIV-1 counteracts an innate restriction by amyloid precursor protein resulting in neurodegeneration.
Chai Q, Jovasevic V, Malikov V, Sabo Y, Morham S, Walsh D, Naghavi MH.
Nat Commun. 2018 Jun 5;9(1):2257. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-04750-3.

View full list in PubMed

Read a message from the Chair, Laimonis A Laimins, PhD