Center for Emerging Pathogens
The
Center for the Study of Emerging and Reemerging Pathogens
is a collection of interdepartmental laboratories located
in the Medical Science Building at the University of
Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
These
laboratories share a new facility containing many pieces
of top of the line/state-of-the-art equipment, used
in scientific research. The facility comprises modern
rooms dedicated to different purposes such as cell culture
equipped with carbon dioxide incubators and a Biological
Safety Cabinet, dishwashing and autoclaving (two dishwashers,
two drying ovens and two autoclaves for sterilization),
darkroom, PCR room, common equipment room containing
gel dryers, ultracentrifuges, a lyopholizer, a tabletop
centrifuge, & a scintillation counter.
The BSL-3 facility
is located in the Medical Sciences Building occupying
725 square feet and has four rooms (3 modules, accessed
through the 'common room') used for biohazardous work,
plus an anteroom. The common room is a support area,
containing freezers, an ELISA reader, a flow cytometer,
a fluorescent microscope and a computer along with other
standard laboratory equipment including a pass-through
autoclave and sink. This
facility is open for use by all investigators studying
respiratory pathogens and is the location
for the Center for BioDefense's research
aims.
The lines
of research in the center are directed by 7 principal
investigators:
Nancy
Connell PhD.
Most
of the likely agents of bio-terrorism have profound
effects on the host and, in particular, on the immune
and inflammatory responses. We propose a broad-based
approach to identify the unique “signatures” of infectious
agents using host DNA micro-arrays. Because of the known
diverse patterns of host cell interactions with these
organisms, examination of the host transcriptional response
has enormous potential to allow rapid diagnosis of infectious
diseases in general and agents of bio-terrorism in particular.
The agents under investigation are Bacillus anthracis,
Burkholderia mallei, Francisella tularensis , multi-drug
resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Yersinia pestis,
Dengue virus, Monkeypox virus, SARS Coronavirus,
Influenza virus and Hantaan virus. In vitro infection
models for these respiratory pathogens will be developed
using whole blood samples from unvaccinated and vaccinated
individuals. Recognition of specific genes that are
expressed or repressed during these early infection
models will provide signature markers that can be used
in related and alternative approaches for rapid diagnosis.
The long-term goal of the project is to develop DNA
chips and assays for associated disease markers that
focus on genes and their products that provide the best
discrimination among bio-terrorism agents.
This
project has expanded into additional funding years and
now includes the testing of “blind” samples to test
validity and reproducibility of the unique signatures,
as well as to develop chips based on these signatures.
In
addition to the micro-array studies, collaborations
are underway with many laboratories investigating these
agents. Projects include; analysis of the blood after
infection, to determine effects of the pathogen on the
blood cells, analysis and production of enzymes involved
in bio-film formation, as well as additional host transcriptional
response studies employing infection of human alveolar
macrophages and other cell lines.
David
Alland M.D. M.Sc. DTM & H.
The focus of the research is on different
aspects of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis biology,
epidemiology and diagnostics. The main areas are: Rapid
diagnostics for biodefense, Intracellular consequences
of antibiotic treatment, Studies of antibiotic resistance
alleles in M. tuberculosis, Evolutionary studies
of M. tuberculosis and Integrated sample processing
for detection of M. tuberculosis & diagnosis
of drug resistance.
Padmini
Salgame Ph.D.
One of the research programs of my
laboratory is focused on elucidating the mechanistic
principles that govern Th1 initiation in tuberculosis.
We are studying the interplay between dendritic cells,
macrophages, and T cells through the use of transgenic
model systems to define the role of these cells in initiation
of Th1 immunity. My laboratory is also examining the
role of two antigen-presenting cell types in orchestrating
the formation of granuloma during tuberculous infection.
Diego
Cadavid M.D.
My
laboratory in the EP Center studies the pathogenesis
of the spirochetal infections Lyme disease and relapsing
fever. The emphasis is on neurological complications
of these infections. We use in vivo models and in vitro
assays to study the role of variation of spirochetal
outer membrane proteins on tissue tropism and inflammation
in the brain and other tissues.
Dr.
Kevin Fennelly M.D.
Our research focus is the study of transmission and
infectiousness in tuberculosis through studies of cough-generated
aerosols of Mycobacterium tuberculosis . The
laboratory supports our clinical studies by studying
rheological and surface-active properties of respiratory
secretions, by analyzing cough strength and frequency
data, by studying the distribution of bacilli within
components of secretions and by quantitative microscopy
and cultures. We have also developed a laboratory model
of cough-induced aerosols that we will be validating
against clinical studies.
Stephan
Schwander M.D., PhD.
My
laboratory focuses on human pulmonary immune responses
during tuberculosis and in health in search of markers
of protective immunity. Bronchoalveolar cells and blood
monocytes as well as cell lines are infected in vitro
with virulent and avirulent M.tuberculosis
and Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG). Interferon gamma
(IFN- g ) responses are evaluated in infected and uninfected
cells. The impact of mycobacterial infection and of
cytokines that interfere with IFN- g responses on expression
of IFN- g regulated genes, and the JAK-STAT-1 pathway,
are studied.
Dr. Virendra
Pandey PhD.
The
main objectives of our laboratory are (1) To understand
and define the biochemical and structural aspects of
the HIV-1 replicating enzyme reverse transcriptase,
which continues to be a prime target for intervention
in HIV-1 replication, (2) To develop novel anti-HIV
inhibitors that target critical regulatory regions of
the viral genome invulnerable to genetic variability
of the virus, (3) To understand the molecular biology
of host cell-Hepatitis C Virus interactions using state-of-the-art
proteomics technology to identity cellular/viral factors
interacting with HCV genome and their possible implications
with regard to HCV replication, gene expression and
pathogenesis.
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