Microbiology & Molecular Genetics: Research

Advancing Our Understanding & Treatment of Disease

Our faculty are cutting-edge molecular biologists with research interests in the regulation of gene expression and host-pathogen interactions. The long-term goals of our research efforts are to understand the fundamental biological principles that mediate programmed cellular responses to infection or disease so that effective therapeutic treatments can be developed.

Young scientists in PPE at lab bench using a microscope.

Research Areas

Research in the Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics is both comprehensive and interdisciplinary. While our faculty members invest most of their efforts in basic research, they also extend their work toward translational studies and clinical applications. Our research spans various fields, including bacterial development, bacterial pathogenesis, host-pathogen interactions, virology and viral pathogenesis, immunology, cell biology, gene regulation, epigenetics in diseases, stem cell biology, RNA biology, cancer biology and computational biology.

Bacteriology is a branch of microbiology that focuses on the study of bacteria, including classification, structure and function, ecology, and the role of bacteria in health, disease and the environment.

Explore the bacteriology research our faculty are conducting:

Virology is the study of viruses and viral diseases. Researchers study virus structure, classification, replication, pathogenesis, and epidemiology to better understand their biology and impact so we can develop new prevention strategies and treatments.

Explore the virology research our faculty are conducting:

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) biology is an important field of modern biology and biomedicine that aims to study the structure and function of RNAs in biological processes and their connection to viruses, cancers, genetic disorders and disease.

Explore the RNA biology research our faculty are conducting:

The host-pathogen interaction explores the complex and dynamic relationship between a host organism and a pathogen — such as bacteria, viruses and parasites — that cause disease. Understanding this interaction is critical for developing prevention strategies, diagnostic methods and vaccines.

Explore the host-pathogen interaction research our faculty are conducting:

Cancer biology is the field of study that focuses on understanding the molecular, genetic and cellular mechanisms that drive the development and progression of cancer.

Explore the cancer biology research our faculty are conducting:

Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts and their interactions. By understanding parasite life cycles, parasite pathogenic effects and host-parasite interactions, researchers can develop new methods for diagnosing, treating and preventing parasitic diseases in humans, animals and plants.

Explore the parasitology research our faculty are conducting:

Stem cells are unique cells that can develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. They can repair damaged cells and regenerate damaged tissues. There are two main types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells, which have the remarkable ability to become any cell type in the body, and adult stem cells, which are limited to a specific area of the body. Stem cell research holds great promise for treating various illnesses and diseases.

Explore the stem cell research our faculty are conducting:

Minji Byun

Neurobiology is a branch of microbiology that examines the development, structure and function of the nervous system — the brain, spinal cord and neural networks throughout the body — to develop treatments for neurological diseases and disorders.

Research