RESEARCH EMPHASES
 Movement: Movements of toxins and pathogens through the environment and into humans and other organisms
Mechanisms: Molecular mechanisms of how toxins and pathogens cause harm
Interplay: Interplay between microbes and toxins and their environments
Specific areas of research include:
Molecular mechanisms of reactive DNA methylation toxicity
The molecular mechanisms responsible for the biological effects of methylating agents, which are found in food, cigarette smoke, and air pollution. These toxins damage DNA, increasing the risk of cancer. Paradoxically, they kill tumor cells and are routinely used for cancer therapy. Manel Camps
- Understanding the biological impact of the damage caused by methylating agents to DNA.
- Enhancing the ability of cells to repair the damage caused by methylation. This is done by modifying the genes that mediate methylation repair. Through improved cellular protection, these genes could be used to alleviate the side effects of cancer chemotherapy.
More from the Camps Lab.
Anthropogenic perturbations of biogeochemical cycles
Natural cycles of trace elements in the environment and their perturbation by human activity. Russ Flegal
- Ascertaining the factors controlling the formation and bioaccumulation of the San Francisco Bay’s principal pollutant of concern, methylmercury.
- Quantifying the sources, magnitude, and flow of industrial pollutants in the oceans.
More from the Flegal Lab.
How pathogenic bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori use environmental cues to establish infection
How the bacterium that leads to stomach ulcers thrives in the body and causes disease.
Karen Ottemann
- Studying the chemical-sensing system used by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori to navigate its environment.
- Detailing H. pylori’s responses to its environment, which include swimming, multiplying, and setting off the immune system of the animal it has infected.
More from the Ottemann Lab.
Anaerobic microbiology and biotransformation of pollutants and toxic metals
Microbes that grow on toxic metals and as a result increase the toxicity of groundwater.
Chad Saltikov
- Revealing the molecular pathway for arsenic metabolism in the metal-transforming bacterium Shewanella sp. strain ANA-3.
- Investigating the impacts of metal-transforming bacteria on the movement of toxic metals in simulated sediments.
More from the Saltikov Lab.
Organismal responses and therapeutic treatment of toxins
The causes and impacts of metal toxicity on humans and the environment. Don Smith
- Understanding the cellular basis of manganese neurotoxicity in children and adults
- Identifying the exposure pathways and effects of lead and other environmental contaminants on humans and wildlife including the California condor.
More from the Smith Lab.
Microbiology, molecular genetics, genomics. The mechanism of persistence and survival of Vibrio cholerae
The molecular basis of survival strategies used by the cholera pathogen, Vibrio cholerae, which causes a diarrheal illness that kills 120,000 people worldwide every year. Fitnat Yildiz
- Investigating the environmental adaptation and stress response of V. cholerae, which alternates between rapid growth within the human intestine and prolonged survival in aquatic habitats.
- Determining the structure, composition and regulation of the biofilm matrix formed by V. cholerae. The slimy, glue-like layer helps the bacteria survive and boosts their infectivity.
More from the Yildiz Lab.
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