POST-DOCTORAL SCHOLAR PROFILE
NAME: John M. Farrow, III, Ph.D.Diana G. Wright, Ph.D.
EMAIL:
MENTOR: Marti Van Scott, Director of the Office of Technology Transfer
DEPARTMENT: Research, Economic Development, and Engagement
EDUCATION: B.S. – Biochemistry, Virginia Tech
B.A. – Classical Studies, Virginia Tech
Ph.D. – Microbiology and Immunology, East Carolina University
SUMMARY:
Microbes live in, on, and all around us, and while most are harmless or even beneficial for our health, some can cause serious illnesses. This is especially a concern in healthcare settings, where patients with injuries or compromised immune systems can become susceptible to infection by environmental pathogens that do not normally pose a risk to healthy individuals.
The bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii is one of these opportunistic pathogens that causes a significant number of healthcare-associated infections, and it was also the predominant cause of secondary infections in wounded soldiers during the Iraq war. A. baumannii continues to be a concern due to its ability to develop multi-drug resistance, and the fact that it can be extremely difficult to eradicate once it is established in the hospital setting. Its survival and persistence in the hospital environment is thought to be due partly from this organism’s ability to tolerate desiccation.
I am currently investigating the molecular mechanisms that allow A. baumannii cells to survive drying, and have found that some A. baumannii strains display an extremely desiccation-resistant phenotype. Additionally, this phenotype correlates with the induction of multiple bacterial stress responses. By learning more specifically about the factors that allow A. baumannii to survive drying, we hope to be able to design treatments and develop practices that will be more effective in preventing these infections, and eliminating these bacteria from the hospital environment. These insights may also be helpful in controlling other healthcare-associated infections, food-borne pathogens, and the spread of bacterial diseases via inanimate objects.
MENTOR: Everett Pesci, Ph.D.
DEPARTMENT: Microbiology and Immunology
EDUCATION: B.S. – Biology, East Carolina University, 2001.
Ph.D. – Microbiology and Immunology, East Carolina University, 2015.
ImageMy interests lie in the drug development regulatory process and working closely with university researchers to educate them about intellectual property, commercialization and the clinical trial process. Greater understanding of the process allows for improvement of experimental design and project development.
I began biomedical research during my undergraduate studies at Virginia Tech. I worked with Dr. Liwu Li for two and a half years, learning about innate immunity. I also worked with Dr. Karen Brewer for two years on an inorganic chemistry project partnering with industry. After I completed my dual undergraduate degrees, I started on my doctoral work in the department of Microbiology and Immunology in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.
My mentor, Dr. Isabelle Lemasson, focused her laboratory on studying the viral transcription factor called Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) basic leucine zipper factor (HBZ). HTLV-1 can cause Adult T-cell Leukemia, an aggressive T-cell malignancy. My studies established that HBZ inhibits acetyltransferase activity of cellular coactivators like p300/CBP and p/CAF, thereby deregulating transcription. The deregulation of transcription can play a role in tumorigenesis, suggesting that this mechanism may lead to Adult T-cell Leukemia.
As a fellow in the Office of Technology Transfer, I offer the campus community support to help foster the generation of ideas and create a culture of innovation. Innovators from the university and the community share their ideas, and our office assesses them for intellectual property protection and market potential. The Office of the Technology Transfers also assists university staff, students and faculty in finding commercial opportunities for their technology, by collaborating with industry, license agreements or supporting start-up efforts. Technology Transfer helps guide inventors through the different steps of commercialization and helps inventors at every stage find a measure of success.