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.

Spring 2008

January 10, 2008:  "The Role of RirA as an Alternative Iron-responsive Regulator in the Alpha-proteobacteria"
Jonathan Clay Fox,Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Student

January 17, 2008: "The Relationship Among Cell Membrane Fatty Acids, Emetic Toxin Production, and Cytotoxicity in Bacillus cereus”
Claire A. Lindsey,Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Student

January 24, 2008: Poster Presentations
Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Students

January 31, 2008: "Evaluating the Role of EBV Proteins in the Regulation of Lytic Infection"
Ossie F. Dyson, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Student

February 7, 2008:  "Activation of the PTEN/mTOR/STAT3 Pathway in Breast Cancer Stem-like Cells is Required for Viability and Maintenance"
Melissa L. Sokolosky, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Student

February 28, 2008:  “Heme Transport in Brucella abortus”
Jenifer F. Ojeda, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Student

March 13, 2008:  “Thioredoxins in Redox Maintenance and Survival During Oxidative Stress of Bacteroides fragilis"
Michael A. Reott,Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Candidate

April 3, 2008:  “A New Vaccine Strategy that Targets Antigen To Dendritic Cells”
J. Lori Blanchfield,Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Candidate

April 10, 2008: “Macrophages: Big Eaters Get Indigestion!”
Heidi Dalrymple, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Candidate

April 17, 2008: “Both the B. abortus AhpCD and KatE Detoxify Hydrogen Peroxide in vitro”
Kendra Hitz, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Candidate

April 24, 2008:  "HoxA9 Overexpression: A Potential Biomarker For IGF-1R Therapeutics in Acute Leukemia"
Jarrett Whelan,Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Candidate

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Fall 2008

July 24, 2008: "c-Myc and BMI-1 Cooperativity in Melanoma Cancer Stem Cell and Tumor Formation"
William Chappell, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Candidate

August 21, 2008: Poster Presentations - 5th Floor~North hallway~Brody Building
Brittany Carroll:     "Identification of a Putative Small Regulatory RNA (sRNA) in Brucella abortus2308 that Potentially Regulates Expression of a Gene  Encoding a Compount of the Type IV Secretion Machinery"
Claire A. Lindsey:  "Site-directed Mutagenesis and Binding Studies of an OxyR Binding Site"
Michael A. Reott:   "Thioredoxins in Redox Maintenance and survival During Oxidative Stress of Bacteroides fragilis"
Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Students and Candidates

August 28, 2008: "Understanding the Two Pathways to Antranilate; the Precursor of the Pseudomonas Quinolone Signal”
Claire Lindsey, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Student

September 11, 2008: "A Change in the Manner of Attachment by KSHV-Infected B-Cells"
Ossie F. Dyson, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Student

September 18, 2008: "HTLV-1 Viral Protein HBZ Interacts with the Cellular Coactivators p300/CBP and Represses Viral Transcription"
Pamela Cook, Interdisciplinary Doctoral Student

September 25, 2008: "The Roles p53, DDR1, and NGAL Play in Cancer Cell Signaling and Drug Resistance"
William Chappell,Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Candidate

October 2, 2008: “Identification of Thioredoxin Protein Partners in Bacteroides fragilis”
Michael A. Reott,Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Candidate

October 16, 2008:  “Efficacy and Immunogenicity of an A35∆ Mutant Poxvirus Vaccine"
Krissy Rehm, Interdisciplinary Doctoral Student

October 23, 2008: “PPARgDeficiency Results in Dysregulated Lipid Transporters ”
Anna Armstrong, Doctoral Candidate in the Interdisciplinary Program in Biological Science

October 30 2008: “ A GMCSF-Neuroantigen Fusion Protein Causes Antigen-Specific Tolerance in the Lewis Rat Model of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis”
Lori Blanchfield, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Candidate


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Spring 2009

January 8, 2009:  "The YebC Family Protein PA0964 Negatively Regulates the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Quinolone Signal System and Pyocyanin Production"
Yanlu Cao,Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Student

January 15, 2009: "Constructing Fusion Proteins That May Provide Antigen Specific Tolerance in Murine Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis"
David Martinson, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Student

January 29, 2009:  "QscR:  The Orphan Quorum Sensing Regulator"
Claire Lindsey, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Student

February 5, 2009: Poster Presentations - 5th floor~North hallway~Brody Building
Claire Lindsey:  "The Search for the Kynurenine Pathway Regulator"
David Martinson: "The Construction and Initial Antigenic Characterization of Murine Cytokine-Neuroantigen Fusion Proteins”
Yanlu Cao:  "The Effect of Pyocyanin on Pseudomonas Aeruginosa las Quorum Sensing System"

February 26, 2009:  “Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin's Role in Malignant Tumor Development Survival, and Progression”
William Chappell,Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Candidate

March 12, 2009:  “Heme Loves Me, Heme Loves Me Not"
Jenifer Ojeda, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Candidate

March 26, 2009: “Thioredoxins in Redox Maintenance and Survival During Oxidative Stress of Bacteroides fragilis”
Michael Reott, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Candidate

April 2, 2009:  “GMCSF-NAg Fusion Proteins Function as antigen-specific Tolerogens in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Targeting NAg to Macrophages and Dendritic Cells”
Lori Blanchfield, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Candidate

April 9, 2009:  “Determining the Involvement of BMRF - 2 During Epstein-Barr Virus Infection”
Ossie Dyson, Microbiology & Immunology Doctoral Student


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Fall 2009

July 16, 2009:  "Defining VasD:  The lipoprotein of Type VI Secretion in Vibrio cholera"
Claire Lindsey, Doctoral Student, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

August 27, 2009: "A General O-Glycosylation System Important to the Physiology of a Major Human Intestinal Symbiont"
Yanlu Cao, Doctoral Student, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

September 3, 2009: "A Conserved Small RNA Promotes Silencing of the Outer Membrane Protein YbfM"
David Martinson, Doctoral Student, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

September 10, 2009:  "Poster Presentations-5th floor-North hallway-Brody"
David Martinson:  "Exploring a Link Between Hfq and bhuA Expression in Brucella abortus"
Yanlu Cao: "Testing the Interaction Between the Bacteroid fragilis TrxD Protein and its Potential Targets Using Bacterial Two Hybrid System"

September 24, 2009:  “Identifying the Fingerprint of KSHV Reactivation"
Ossie Dyson, Doctoral Candidate, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

October 15, 2009:  “Heme uptake in Brucella abortus”
Jenifer Ojeda, Doctoral Candidate, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

October 29, 2009:  “The Poxvirus A35 Protein is an Immunoregulator”
Krissy Rehm, Doctoral Candidate, Interdisciplinary Program in Biological Science

November 5, 2009:  “Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin - A Potential Role in Prostate Cancer Development, Survival and Progression"
William Chappel, Doctoral Candidate, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

November 12, 2009:  “Interaction Between the Viral Protein HBZ and Cellular Coactivators p300/CBP Provides a Mechanism of Deregulated Cellular Transcription in HTLV-1 Infection"
Pamela Cook, Doctoral Candidate, Interdisciplinary Program in Biological Science

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