Microbiology & Immunology Department at Midwestern University

05/17/2023

Dr. Swartzendruber and fellow AAI members, recently traveled to Washington D.C. and had a great time visiting with staff from Congressman Sean Casten's office and talking about the importance of federal investment in biomedical research.

05/16/2023

Congrats to all the poster presentation winners. Special shout outs to Peter from the Swartzendruber lab and Grace from the Swanson-Mungerson lab!

Congratulations to all our poster presentation winners at this year’s Kenneth A. Suarez Research Day on our Downers Grove Campus and shout out to all our outstanding students and faculty who helped promote their academic research.

Every year, KAS Research Day continues to grow and foster student curiosity in academic research. Thanks to the Midwestern University Research Committee and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, who sponsor this event across both campuses every year.

04/14/2023

Interested in learning more about how plants can help solve the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance? Check out this article from Drs. Sigar and Plotkin from our department.

04/11/2023

Check out the recent review article from Drs. Swanson-Mungerson and Tiwari with Mr. Elste in collaboration with Dr. Hawkey from Biomedical Sciences at MWU, as well as authors from University of Illinois at Chicago, St. John's University of Tanzania, Northwestern University, and Mountain Vista High School.

The structural diversity of metazoic heparan sulfate (HS) composed of unique sulfated domains is remarkably preserved among various vertebrates and invertebrate species. Interestingly the sulfated moieties of HS have been known as the key determinants ...

03/14/2023

Endure and Survive!

Insects are fighting off fungal invaders, but the fungi have some tricks up their sleeve

02/08/2023

“The fact that bots find scientific writing to be easy pickings is not a compliment,” our Experimental Error columnist writes

01/27/2023

01/13/2023

Happy Friday! Up this week in , we've got articles about gut bacteria, the microbial effects of sleep deprivation, β-lactamases and more. Check them out!

(1) Clostridium innocuum has been implicated as a potential causative agent of diarrhea in patients from whom Clostridioides difficile could not be isolated. This study is the first to explore the bacterium's diversity & prevalence in the human gut: https://asm.social/ZH

(2) Bugs & β-lactamases? In , researchers present the complete genome sequence of an Entomomonas strain isolated from larvae of the darkling beetle, Zophobas morio. The isolate was resistant to aztreonam & contained a novel class D β-lactamase gene. https://asm.social/ZI

(3) B and T cells gain a diverse repertoire of receptors via V(D)J recombination. However, the topic can be difficult for students to master. This article describes a hands-on activity to teach students the recombination process as it occurs in B cells: https://asm.social/ZK

(4) Sleep deprived? According to this study, sleep deficiency causes qualitative & selective changes in gut microbiota composition, & decreases concentrations of butyrate, ultimately causing small intestinal mucosal injury. https://asm.social/ZL

(5) Mycobacterium smegmatis has been at the vanguard of mycobacterial research. This review outlines how the bacterium has advanced our understanding of mycobacteria, including by serving as a model for M. tuberculosis drug-target studies. https://asm.social/ZJ

Stay tuned for more articles from ASM Journals!

12/13/2022

Interested in learning more about the health threat caused by antibiotic resistance?? Check out the recent review article published by Drs. Plotkin and Sigar that discusses the importance of repurposing FDA approved drugs, such as statin's, as tools to combat antimicrobial resistance.
"Multifunctionality of statins as antimicrobials" in the World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences

The potential of statins as antimicrobials has been recognized for more than a decade; unfortunately, minimal progress in exploring this promise. This mini review highlights the structure of statins and their relevance as antimicrobial co-drug. The current information on the inhibition mechanism of....

12/13/2022

Check out this great opportunity to advocate for support of biomedical research!

AAI is now accepting applications for the 2022 – 2023 Public Policy Fellows Program, which engages early career researchers in AAI public affairs activities, culminating in a Capitol Hill Day in Washington, DC. Apply by January 18, 2023! Learn more at www.aai.org/PPFP.

12/05/2022

It’s National Influenza Vaccination Week. There’s still time to get your child a flu vaccine to reduce their risk of getting seriously ill from flu. Talk to their doctor about getting them vaccinated today. Learn more: http://bit.ly/3TlVZo9.