Affiliated with University of Missouri Health Care

STUDENT INFORMATION

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Molecular Microbiology and Immunology

The disciplines of microbiology and immunology encompass the study of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, yeasts, fungi, protozoa and certain higher eukaryotes. The department focuses on the use of cellular, immunologic, biochemical and molecular biological techniques to study microorganisms that cause disease and the mechanisms that hosts use to respond to those microorganisms.

Research is conducted in the major subdisciplines of microbiology: pathogenesis, immunology, virology, molecular biology and molecular genetics. The department is committed to applying current biotechnology to develop new research knowledge. Faculty members serve as consultants both nationally and internationally and have made the department a major component of MU's multidisciplinary molecular biology program.

Researchers are studying the pathogenesis, molecular biology, genetics and immunology of the viruses of the AIDS family, animal parvoviruses, malarial and rickettsial parasites, parasitic nematodes, pathogenic mycoplasmas and cholera; molecular approaches to the development of vaccines; mucosal immunity and the mechanisms of bacterial airway infections; autoimmune diseases and host defense mechanisms, including antigen presentation; the genetic regulation of iron acquisition in bacteria; and the molecular genetics of signal transduction in yeast and B lymphocytes.

Microbiology laboratories at MU contain state-of-the-art computer hardware and research equipment, including apparatus for oligonucleotide synthesis and sequencing, thermocycling for polymerase chain reaction experiments, protein purification and characterization, monoclonal antibody production, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, ultracentrifugation, spectrophotometry and automated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Specialized graduate-level courses are offered to cover the molecular aspects of bacteriology, genetics, immunology, virology, mycology and parasitology. All microbiology courses stress new developments, and current topics are discussed in journal clubs and a seminar series, which includes presentations by renowned biological scientists. A National Institutes of Health training grant supports predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows studying the molecular aspects of microbial pathogenesis.

Faculty members participate extensively in lectures and discussions and as tutors in the education of medical students. Concepts important to understanding microbiology and immunology as components of human disease are covered through a problem-based education approach. Some students earn combined MD and PhD degrees.

Last Updated 9/4/08

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