The Microbiology and Immunology Forum (MCBI 7480) is an integral part of the graduate training program in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in which students develop their skills in presenting research findings in a standard seminar format. All students are required to give a formal seminar once each semester on a topic from current research literature or their own research. The Forum is attended by all departmental faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students, and research staff who participate in discussion and critical review of the presentation.

Fall 2011

July 14, 2011:  "Effect of HTLV-1-encoded protein, HBZ, on CREB mediated-cellular transcription"
Issabelle Nash, UWE, Bristol Student, Microbiology & Immunology

"Motility but not the possession of periplasmic flagella is required for the pathogenesis of Lyme disease"
Tristan Boquoi, UWE, Bristol Student, Microbiology & Immunology

"The effects of iron in co-cultures of Bacteroides fragilis and Bacteroides vulgatus"
Anna Krykunivsky, UWE, Bristol Student, Microbiology & Immunology

July 28, 2011:  "Study of Fatty Acid Assimilation and Degradation in Moraxella catarrhalis"
Michael Betteken, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

August 18, 2011:  "Role of Flagella in Pathogenesis of Arcobacter butzleri"
Kyle Tipton, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

August 25, 2011: "EfeUOB (YcdNOB) is a tripartite, acid-induced and CpxAR-regulated, low-pH Fe²⁺ transporter that is cryptic in Escherichia coli K-12 but functional in E. coli O157:H7"
Ahmed Elhassany, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

September 1, 2011:  "The small RNA PhrS stimulates synthesis of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa quinolone signal"
John Farrow, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

September 2, 2011: (Note: Friday) "A Proposed Study on Regulatory Dendritic Cells: Applications Toward Tolerance Induction in a Rodent Model of Type I Diabetes"
Alan Curtis, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

September 29, 2011:  "Exploring Regulation of the Oxygen induced Starch Utilization Operon (osu) of Bacteroides fragilis"
Yanlu Cao, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology

October 6, 2011:  "Poster Presentations, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Students & Candidates- 5th Floor, North hallway, Brody"
"Mapping of cis-encoded elements within the pqsR promoter region in Pseudomonas aeruginosa"
John Farrow, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology
"Characterization of a putative high affinity Fe²⁺ transporter in Brucella abortus 2308 that is required for virulence in the mouse model"
Ahmed Elhassany, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

October 13, 2011:  "Regulation of the Kynurenine Pathway in Pseudomonas aeruginosa"
Claire Knoten, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology

October 19, 2011:  "Characterization of cellular miR-149 in response to HIV-1 infection: expression, targets, regulation"
Diana Wright, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

November 29, 2011: (note: Tuesday) "Exploring the mechanism responsible for the iron dependent degradation of Irr and further determining which genes make up the Irr regulon in Brucella abortus 2308"
David Martinson, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology

Return to Main Menu

Spring 2011

January 13, 2011:  "PqsE Functions Independently of PqsR-Pseudomonas Quinolone Signal and Enhances the rhl Quorum Sensing System"
John Farrow, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

January 20, 2011:  “Inactivation of a putative flagellar motor switch protein FliG1 prevents Borrelia burgdorferi from swimming in highly viscous media and blocks its infectivity "
Ahmed Elhassanny, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

January 27, 2011:  “Poster Presentations, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Students & Candidates- 5th Floor, North hallway, Brody”
Ahmed Elhassanny: "Is motility or possession of periplasmic flagella necessary for the pathogenesis of Lyme disease? "
Diana Wright:  "HTLV-1 Viral Protein HBZ Inhibits the Histone Acetyltransferase Activity of the Cellular Coactivators p300/CBP"
Michael Betteken:  "Does Hos, a Hybrid Two Component Regulatory System, have an effect on the Oxidative Stress Response in Bacteroides fragilis?"
John Farrow:  "LasR interacts with the pqsR promoter region in Pseudomonas aeruginosa"
Kyle Tipton:  "Initial Characterization of Programmed Cell Death in Pseudomonas aeruginosa"
Alan Curtis:  "MOG-Induced Atypical EAE in the Lewis Rat: The Case for Autoantibodies and A Novel Encephalitogen"

February 10, 2011:  "HTLV-1 Viral Protein HBZ Inhibits Histone Acetyltransferase Activity of the Cellular Coactivators p300/CBP"
Diana Wright, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

February 17, 2011:  “A Novel Mechanism of Regulation Utilizing Orphan Two Component Systems in the Opportunistic Pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa"
Michael Betteken, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

February 24, 2011:  "The Holin Truth and Nothing but the Truth"
Kyle Tipton, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

March 3, 2011:  "Chronic MOG-Induced Atypical EAE in the Lewis Rat: A Novel Encephalitogen and A New Model for Neurodegenerative Disease"
Alan Curtis, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

March 10, 2011:  "Regulation of phase variable expression of the capsular polysaccharides in Bacteroides fragilis"
Yanlu Cao, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology

March 17, 2011:  "Coordinate Regulation of the Gene Encoding the TonB-dependent heme Transporter BhuA in Brucella abortus 2308"
David Martinson, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology

March 31, 2011:  "KynR Directly Controls the Kynurenine Pathway in P. aeruginosa "
Claire Knoten, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology

April 7, 2011:  "BhuO plays a critical role in the capacity of B. abortus 2308 to use heme as an iron source"
Jenifer Ojeda, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology

Return to Main Menu

Spring 2010

January 7, 2010: "The Development of a Single Plasmid-Based Regulatable Gene Expression System for Borrelia burgdorferi"
Michael Betteken, Doctoral Student, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

January 14, 2010: "Phage Therapy: A New-Old Magic Bullet"
Kyle Tipton, Doctoral Student, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

January 21, 2010: "A Cytokine IFN-β Fusion Protein as a Possible Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis"
Diana Wright, Doctoral Student, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

February 11, 2010: "Antibodies to Native Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein in Children with Inflammatory Demyelinating Central Nervous System Disease"
Alan Curtis, Doctoral Student, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

February 18, 2010:  "Poster Presentations-5th floor-North hallway-Brody"
Yanlu Cao, "Analysis of Oxygen-induced Sod Expression in B. fragilis Using Two Different Transcriptional Fusions"
David Martinson, "Post Transcriptional Regulation of the Gene Encoding the Brucella abortus Heme Transporter BhuA"
Michael Betteken, "A Link Between cyclic-di-GMP and Motility of Borrelia burgdorferi"
Alan Curtis, "Developing a Cell-Based Bioassay to Detect Auto-Antibodies to Native Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein"
Kyle Tipton, "Pseudomonas Quinolone Signal Gene Expression Plasmid Construction"
Diana Wright, "Extablishing a Baculovirus Expression System for Murine IL-12"

March 11, 2010:  “Fur-Dependent Regulation of Succinate Dehydrogenase Genes in Neisseria meningitidis By the Small Noncoding RNA NrrF"
Dave Martinson, Doctoral Student, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

March 18, 2010:  “Periplasmic Thioredoxins – Roles in Oxidative Protein Folding and Single Cysteine Residues Protection from Oxidation”
Yanlu Cao, Doctoral Student, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

April 1, 2010:  “The P. aeruginosa Kynurenine Pathway: the search for a transcriptional regulator”
Claire Knoten, Doctoral Candidate, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

April 15, 2010:  “Regulation of KSHV Reactivation:  Directed by KSHV gB"
Ossie Dyson, Doctoral Candidate, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

April 22, 2010:  “Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin – A Potential Role in Prostate Cancer Development and Progression"
William Chappell, Doctoral Candidate, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

Return to Main Menu

Fall 2010

August 19, 2010:  "Cumulative Autoimmunity:  MOG Specific T Cells Cross-React with a Component of the Neuronal Cytoskeleton in a C57BL/6 Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis"
Alan Cutis, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

August 26, 2010:  “HTLV-1-encoded protein HBZ Interacts with the Cellular bZIP Factor MafB and Inhibits its Transcriptional Activity"
Diana Wright, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

September 2, 2010:  “Biofilms and Cell Death in Pseudomonas aeruginosa”
Kyle Tipton, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

September 9, 2010:  “Two Component Regulatory Systems: The Design and Signaling Mechanism of a Chimeric Light-Regulated Histidine Kinase”
Michael Betteken, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

September 23, 2010:  Poster Presentations, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Students & Candidates- 5th Floor, North hallway, Brody
Michael Betteken: "Investigation of an Orphan and Hybrid Two Component Regulatory System and their effect on the Oxidative Stress Response in Bacteroides fragilis"
Alan Curtis: "Chronic MOG-Induced Atypical EAE in the Lewis Rat: A New Model for Neurodegenerative Disease "
Kyle Tipton: "A Non-Functional N-Terminal Histidine-Tagged Regulator"
Diana Wright: "HTLV-1 Viral Protein HBZ Inhibits the Histone Acetyltransferase Activity of the Cellular Coactivators p300/CBP "

October 14, 2010:  “Identification of an inner membrane heme transporter (BhuTUV) in Brucella abortus"
Jenifer Ojeda, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology

October 21, 2010:  "A fork in the road to anthranilate for PQS production: determining the regulation of anthranilate synthase PhnAB and the kynurenine pathway"
Claire Knoten, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology

October 28, 2010:  "Revealing an Uncharted Role of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Structural Protein gB"
Ossie Dyson, Doctoral Candidate, Microbiology & Immunology

November 15, 2010: (Note: Monday 12:00-4:00) "Study of the germination receptors on the spores of Clostridium difficile"
Yanlu Cao, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

December 14, 2010: (Note: Tuesday)  "A role for the Haemophilus ducreyi fim gene locus in microcolony formation"
David Martinson, Doctoral Student, Microbiology & Immunology

Return to Main Menu