OTTEMANN LAB
Karen
Ottemann
459 Physical Sciences Building
Phone: (831)459-4780,
Email
The Ottemann
Research Group studies how the bacterium Helicobacter
pylori uses environmental cues to target the stomachs
of its host. H. pylori infects some 3 billion people
around the globe--approximately half the world's population.
In the majority of cases, the bacterium
establishes chronic infections. Around 5-10% of those who
are infected develop some form of serious illness, such as
ulcer
disease or gastric cancer.
H. pylori is particularly well-suited to these studies because it
has a relatively simple molecular system for sensing its environment.
Aided by funding from NIH, Ellison Medical Foundation and University
of California Cancer Research Coordinating Committee, we can thus
examine how bacteria translate host chemical and physical signals
into a response that allows them to colonize a mammalian host.
Current Research Topics in our lab include:
- What chemoreceptors
does H. pylori use during infection, and what ligands or physical
parameters do these receptors sense?
- How is ligand-binding information
relayed from the chemoreceptors to control the swimming behavior
of H. pylori?
- When does H. pylori swim during infection, and how
does swimming promote a robust infection state?
- Can we develop non-invasive
ways to detect H. pylori within hosts?
- What other bacterial gene
products are needed for full infection by this microbe?
- What types
of ligands do chemoreceptors sense?
LAB MEMBERS
 |
Andrew Lowenthal
Graduate Student Researcher
BA UC Berkeley, Molecular and Cell Biology
Research Interest: Interaction
of H. pylori with white blood cells. |
 |
Andrea Castillo
Postdoctoral Scholar
B.S. (summa cum laude), Biology,
Albertson College
Ph.D., MCD Biology, Univesity of Colorado, Boulder
Research Interest: Identyfing Helicobacter pylori virulence factors
|
ALUMNI
Contact information available from the Ottemann Lab
Postdoctoral Scholar Alumni:
Lynn Connolly, M.D. Ph.D.
Graduate Student Alumni:
Kerrianne Terry, BS San Francisco State University - Biology; Ph.D., UC Santa Cruz, MCD Biology;
Ting Chen, M.A.
Former Technicians:
Mary Cashman
Undergraduate Researchers Alumni:
Veronica Anania
Tesa Andermann, B.S. MCD Biology (summa cum laude), UC Santa Cruz
Sonia Arevalo
Edward Cabral
Ralph Chapoco
Ross Corriden
Amber S. Fair
Joy Fitzgerald
Alvin Go
David Herman
Marla Hill, B.S. Biology, UC Santa Cruz
Kim Jackson
Noah Post
Andy Woodruff, B.S. Molecular Biology, UC Santa Cruz |
