Molecular Basis of Infectious Disease

Infectious diseases of all types remain among the greatest threats to human health. Recent events remind us that combatting these ongoing imminent threats requires a detailed understanding of the biological processes that are the basis for infection and disease. This understanding, in turn, provides the foundational knowledge that guides development of new therapies.

Faculty in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics study infectious disease-causing agents ranging from viruses to multicellular parasites. Members of their laboratories seek to understand the molecular underpinnings of the parasites and key host-parasite interactions that drive disease. The goal is to know, at the most fundamental level, how these infectious agents operate and evolve by applying expertise in molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, genomics, computational biology, biophysics, metabolomics, and proteomics in a collaborative and dynamic environment. This multidisciplinary approach provides major insights into the biology of these parasites as well as identifying novel targets to inform drug screens, vaccine development, and new diagnostics.