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Dr. Prado is a statistician whose research deals with developing sophisticated Bayesian models and methodology to analyze data that arise in various biomedical applications. She is currently working on statistical genetics and non-stationary time series modeling. Her areas of application include studying the effect of natural selection in DNA sequences from malaria antigens that are candidates for vaccine development, and modeling biomedical signals such as electroencephalograms. [More]

Phil Berman's lab develops products and methods useful for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of infectious diseases, particularly HIV-1. This work involves molecular epidemiology to characterize viruses responsible for new infections and to understand the evolution of the virus within individuals. They also analyze the immune response to HIV-1 and the identification of epitopes recognized by broadly neutralizing antibodies. Based on results from these studies, new antigens are selected, mutagenized, expressed in mammalian cells, purified, and evaluated as candidate HIV-1 vaccine antigens. Because the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, gp120, is highly glycosylated and difficult to express, Berman's lab has developed special expertise in commercially useful methods to improve the yield and quality of complex recombinant  glycoproteins in mammalian cells. In collaborative studies, they also analyze host factors that affect susceptibility and resistance to HIV-1 infection. [More]

Dietlind Gerloff leads a bioinformatics research group that examines the structural/evolutionary principles of interactions between proteins. Her research team combines such principles with computer science to make sense of the recent, vast accumulation of functional genomics data. The group has produced several protein structure models for biomedically important target proteins, including the malaria transmission-blocking vaccine candidate, Pfs230. They have also developed visualization tools for yeast and malaria functional genomic data. [More]

The Pourmand lab develops new tools and technologies that integrate biology, electronics, and nanofabrication for the detection and study of genes and proteins. These tools are specifically designed to increase the speed and lower the cost of sample analysis. The lab directs particular attention to the development of medically relevant technology, such as instruments for pathogen detection. Pourmand is also spearheading UCSC's effort to establish a new high-throughput, high-quality sequencing facility. [More]

In the laboratory of Glenn Millhauser, investigators use peptide synthesis and magnetic resonance to investigate the structure and function of biomolecules. These studies include analysis of proteins, such as the prion protein, which is involved in the devastating neurological condition, Creutzfeld Jacob's Disease. [More]

Professor Karen Ottemann's laboratory investigates how bacteria translate chemical and physical cues in their host environment into adaptive responses. Mistakes in sensation and subsequent gene expression by bacteria may result in their elimination by the host immune response or peristaltic flow. Elucidation of such processes will hopefully lead to identification of anti-bacterial drug targets. Ottemann is particularly interested in the role of chemoreceptors and chemotaxis associated with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. This pathogen infects some 3 billion humans and can lead to serious disease, including ulcers and cancer. Ottemann and her colleagues have discovered two of the first chemoreceptors known to aid in the process of bacterial colonization. [More]

Ex-vivo Survival Mechanisms used by Vibrio cholerae between Epidemics: Fitnat Yildiz's laboratory investigates signaling and regulatory networks of Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the Asiatic cholera. She and her colleagues are particularly interested in those mechanisms that allow the pathogen to adapt to changes in its habitat. The bacteria's ability to survive in different growth modes in aquatic environments is closely linked to seasonal epidemics of cholera. Yildiz's laboratory is attempting to identify and characterize genes and processes associated with phase variations of the pathogen. Their results will be useful for prediction and control of epidemics of this devastating disease. [More]

Plasmodium falciparum is the causative agent of the most lethal form of malaria in humans, and arguably the most harmful human pathogen. No successful vaccine has been developed for malaria, and drug resistance is a growing obstacle to treatment and control of the disease. Thus, there is great interest in understanding the fundamental biological mechanisms of this eukaryotic pathogen, with the hope that this knowledge will lead to a cure or more effective treatment of the disease. The Ares lab is interested in the genomics and RNA biology of malaria, with a focus on RNA processing events in Plasmodium falciparum. They are currently analyzing the role of small RNAs in the maintenance and control of virulence gene expression in malaria. Their long-term goal is to identify chemical compounds that can block RNA-based processes in Plasmodium falciparum, and thereby neutralize this dangerous pathogen. [More]