MSU Microbiology, Genetics, & Immunology

Check out the full story here: microbiologyresearch.org/content/journa…

By forming symbiotic relationships with coral reef organisms, D. trenchi passes along some of its thermal tolerance to others. Studying the genetic and molecular makeup of this microbe is helping researchers understand our changing oceans and the impact of coral bleaching.

A new 'Microbial Profile' from from the @Quinn_Labs explores D. trenchii, algae with powerful, heat-resistant properties that are key to understanding how coral reefs adapt to warming waters. 🪸 🐠

Last week, we came together to celebrate the remarkable career of Dr. Bob Hausinger at his Valedictory Seminar and reception. It was a pleasure to welcome former lab members and colleagues from across the decades to honor his lasting impact on the field of Metalloenzymology.

Congratulations are in order! Jared Godfrey was recently awarded a 3-year Kirschstein fellowship from the NIH. His research focuses on understanding how the immune system balances protection and inflammation in the lungs. Read more here: tinyurl.com/5yp7kxst

MGI Asst Prof Elizabeth Heath-Heckman has won TWO Scialog awards from the RCSA. Her projects are entitled "Conserved Epitranscriptomic Signatures of Stress" and "Identifying Mechanisms of Social Resiliency to Heat Stress." Congratulations!

MGI Asst Prof Phillip Delekta spoke about the impact of prerequisite knowledge retention on success in Introductory Microbiology at last week's MSU Spring TALKS event. This is a topic he is studying in collaboration with Katie Krueger of the Biological Science Program.

Congratulations to MGI's HR Director, Christine VanDeuren, who is celebrating a career milestones of 30 years at MSU! We are fortunate to have such a dedicated and knowledgeable member in our department.

Congratulations to MGI graduate student Danielle Gregory on winning the third place poster award in the Career Pathways section of the Association of Public Health Laboratories @APHL annual meeting.

Caps, gowns, and lots of smiles. This weekend we celebrated our Class of 2026 🎓and all of the hard work that got them here. Congratulations!!!

Bacteria swim using a tiny propeller called a flagellum. This Scanning Electron Microscope image shows a typical Brucella with a single flagellum.

Farnham works with a frog Brucella species isolated right here at MSU that can both swim and infect hosts. By comparing bacteria that swim well (left image), poorly (right image), or differently, she studies how movement shapes how bacteria interact with host cells.

Some disease-causing bacteria once knew how to swim but lost that ability as they adapted to infect mammals. Jeannette Farnham, an MGI grad student in the Crosson Lab, studies why they kept *some* of the swimming genes and how those genes may help bacteria infect cells.

MGI’s Dohun Pyeon spoke with WOOD Radio about his team’s discovery of how HPV-related cancers evade the immune system—and how to reveal them—opening doors to new treatments. Listen here: tinyurl.com/9wsceryc

The goal of his work is to reduce industrial environmental impact by creating renewable, biodegradable, low-carbon materials that bridge microbiology and materials science for scalable, eco-friendly alternatives.

Congratulations to MGI Graduate Student Bryce Waller for receiving an @NSF Graduate Research Fellowship! Bryce works in Greg Bonito's lab developing sustainable biomaterials using fungi.

He's particularly interested in how the bacteria respond when they use lactate as fuel. His research will help to identify weaknesses in the bacteria that could lead to the development of new tuberculosis drugs.

Adam Kibiloski, an MGI graduate student in Rob Abramovitch's Lab, is working to better understand how Mycobacterium tuberculosis metabolism changes in acidic environments such as those found in the human body.

Perez’s work focuses on how the Brucella General Stress Response, or GSR, is regulated through protein–protein interactions.

MGI graduate student Emily Perez, of the Crosson Lab, is studying how bacteria sense and respond to the world around them because these attributes can be used to control their growth. It is especially important for animal and human pathogens such as the one she studies, Brucella.