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Welcome to the Department of Microbiology & Immunology
The Department of Microbiology and Immunology is focused on research and educational programs which relate to microbial pathogens (viruses and prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes) and the host immune defenses which protect against these organisms.Current research emphasizes cutting-edge molecular techniques and includes, but is not limited to, studies on:
| Curriculum Tracks | Research Interests | |
Recent Press Releases:
July 7, 2010
Amid the Murk of ‘Gut Flora,’ Vitamin D Receptor Emerges as a Key Player
Within the human digestive tract is a teeming mass of hundreds of types of bacteria, a potpourri of microbes numbering in the trillions that help us digest food and keep bad bacteria in check.
Now scientists have found that the vitamin D receptor is a key player amid the gut bacteria – what scientists refer to matter-of-factly as the “gut flora” – helping to govern their activity, responding to their cues, and sometimes countering their presence. The work was published online recently in the American Journal of Pathology.
June 29, 2010
Despite Countless Changes, Original HIV Infection Lurks Within
Scientists have been surprised to learn that, despite thousands of changes that viruses like HIV undergo in rapid fashion to evade the body’s immune system, the original version that caused the infection is still present in the body months later.
The finding, published in the June issue of the Journal of Virology, is the result of an uncommonly detailed look at the cat-and-mouse action that takes place in an organism shortly after infection. The work is aimed at understanding the earliest stages of infection by HIV more thoroughly, to help scientists develop ways either to quash the infection outright or to develop a vaccine to prevent infection.
June 15, 2010
URMC Receives $15.5M for Live Virus Vaccine Isolation Studies
This week, the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) announced plans to begin a cluster of bird flu vaccine trials, many of which will contain live, weakened viruses and require participants to remain in isolation for several days a time. Slated to start this summer, the studies are funded by a National Institutes of Health grant amounting to more than $15.5 million over five years.
June 10, 2010
Flu’s Evolution Strategy Strikes Perfect Balance
Scientists have uncovered the flu’s secret formula for effectively evolving within and between host species: balance. The key lies with the flu’s unique replication process, which has evolved to produce enough mutations for the virus to spread and adapt to its host environment, but not so many that unwanted genomic mutations lead to the flu’s demise (catastrophic mutagenesis). These findings overturn long-held assumptions about how the virus evolves.
May 3, 2010
Purple Periwinkles Battle Inflammatory Diseases
A widely and safely used plant extract acts as a novel anti-inflammatory agent that may one day be used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, as well as other inflammatory conditions. There is an urgent need for new therapies for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as COPD, otitis media (ear infection), and atherosclerosis (chronic inflammation in the walls of arteries), because the most effective and commonly used agents – steroids – often cause serious side effects, such as liver damage, which prevent long-term use.
Stephen Dewhurst , PhD
Chair,
Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Please take some time to view a recorded message from Dr. Dewhurst.
Department Seminars
This is the current schedule of seminars that will be hosted by the Department of Microbiology & Immunology.
Our Alumni
A list of recent graduates from the Microbiology & Immunology program can be found here.
Rochester Living
Do you want a taste of what living in Rochester is like? Take a moment to view this brief flash presentation.
