Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that is primarily responsible for serious respiratory infections (but potentially a wide variety of infections), and is becoming increasingly dangerous due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant mutant strains. A method of protection against A. baumannii could potentially be the use of monoclonal antibodies for treatment or prophylaxis. I have […]
A28: Evaluation of Ceramide’s Influence on Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase Activity in Cells Infected with Chlamydia
Members of the Chlamydiae family are bacterial pathogens that can cause sexually transmitted infection, respiratory infection, and ocular infection. While symptomatic infection is widespread in the U.S. and around the world, many more people have asymptomatic chronic infections. Chronic infection in women can cause tubal factor infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease, and can transmit to […]
C68: Isolating the FCRL1 and SHIP-1 Interaction Domain
A major component of adaptive immunity is B cells, which produce antibodies. Fc Receptor-like 1 (FCRL1) is a receptor protein on B cells that interacts with the protein SHIP-1, but the details of this interaction are not well understood. SHIP-1 has 3 important domains: SH2, phosphatase, and proline-rich region. We seek to determine more about […]
B04: Inflammation can Alter Social Behavior: Is Nitric Oxide the Link?
Nitric oxide (NO) functions as both a gaseous neurotransmitter in the brain and a key signaling molecule in the innate immune system. NO is synthesized from arginine by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Our goal in this project was to utilize the house cricket Acheta domesticus to study the role of NO in both […]
B19: Constructing the B Lymphoid Protein Interaction Network of FCRL1
Immunology seeks to investigate the immune system’s response to pathogens and the diseases that result when the immune system is improperly regulated. B cells are immune cells that function to produce antibodies, proteins that target a specific molecule for destruction by the immune system. However, in autoimmune diseases, antibodies may target the host’s body. To […]