Expansion Microscopy/Machine Learning

As the assistant director of microscopy, my main function is to assist other labs in the use of the Wake Downtown Microscopy facility. I have extensive knowledge in imaging and analysis, so I am therefore working on utilizing expansion microscopy (physically increasing the size of the sample), coupled with supervised machine learning to perform developmental analysis on Chlamydia trachomatis. This research is supported by an NIH R03 grant to Dr. Brown-Harding.

https://grantome.com/grant/NIH/R03-AI146437-02

Chlamydia growth inhibition by natural products

We collaborate with the Tsang Lab at Wake Forest School of Medicine on determine how different natural products effect the growth of Chlamydia trachomatis within a host cell. The end goal, is to find novel ways to control Chlamydia infections. This work was funded by the Center for Molecular Signaling and the Center for Redox Biology. 

Sulforaphane promotes chlamydial infection by suppressing mitochondrial protein oxidation and activation of complement C3

Discovery of Spilanthol Endoperoxide as a Redox Natural Compound Active against Mammalian Prx3 and Chlamydia trachomatis Infection

Centrosome Amplification

Centrosome control is important for the correct replication of a cell. Most solid tumors have extra centrosomes, indicating that disregulation of centrosome replication can have negative effects on health.

H2O2 has been shown to cause over duplication of centrosomes, but the mechanism has not be determined. We are studying centrosome amplification due to H2O2, because H2O2 is increased in cells due to pathogen entry and normal aging. This work was supported by the Center for Molecular Signaling and URECA