The rockefeller university

Event Details

Type

Friday Lecture Series

Speaker(s)

Jorge E. Galn, Ph.D., D.V.M., Lucille P. Markey Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis, professor of cell biology, chair, department of microbial pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine

Speaker bio(s)

A distinguishing feature of S. Typhi is that it only infects humans. This is in sharp contrast to most other Salmonella enterica serovars such as S. Typhimurium or S. enteritidis, which can infect a variety of hosts and are usually associated with self-limiting gastroenteritis. The molecular basis for S. Typhi’s unique pathogenic attributes are unknown, although it is believed to be the result of a combination of genome degradation as well as the acquisition of new genetic information presumably resulting in unique interactions with specific human host factors. One of the few unique virulence factors of this bacterial pathogen is Typhoid toxin, which is encoded by the human-adapted Salmonella enterica serovars Typhi and Paratyphi A. A distinguishing feature of this toxin is that it is only produced once S. Typhi reaches an intracellular location, and it is subsequently transported to the extracellular environment by a unique transport mechanism that involves vesicle carrier intermediates. Unique features of the biology of this remarkable toxin and its impact in host specificity will be discussed. 

 

Dr. Galán has made numerous contributions to the field of bacterial pathogenesis. He has pioneered the study of the cell biology of infection and the mechanisms of pathogenesis of the enteric pathogens Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter jejuni. His work has led to the understanding of mechanisms by which these pathogens enter and replicate within mammalian cells and has established paradigms applicable to other pathogens. His studies have also led to the identification of the first pathogenicity island in Salmonella and the discovery and characterization of a type III protein secretion system (TTSS) in these bacteria, a specialized organelle that mediates the transfer of bacterial proteins into host cells.

 

Dr. Galán is a graduate of National University of La Plata, Argentina where he completed his Veterinary Science degree in 1982. Dr. Galán earned his Ph.D. at Cornell University in microbiology in 1986 and completed his postdoctoral studies at Washington University in St. Louis. Before coming to Yale in 1998, Dr. Galán was associate professor at SUNY Stony Brook within the department of molecular genetics and microbiology.

 

Among other honors, Dr. Galán is the recipient of the Searle Scholar Award, the National Institutes of Health MERIT award, the Hans Sigrist Prize, the Alexander M. Cruickshank Award and the Robert Koch Prize in 2011. He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences and of the U.S. National Academy of Science.

 

Open to

Public

Reception

Refreshments, 3:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m., Abby Lounge

Contact

Linda Hanssler

Phone

(212) 327-7714

Sponsor

Linda Hanssler
(212) 327-7714
lhanssler@rockefeller.edu

Readings

http://librarynews.rockefeller.edu/?p=3730