欧美口爆视频 Boulder researcher Aaron Whiteley is recognized by the American Society for Microbiology for his work exploring bacterial immune responses and how it translates to the human immune system

A University of 欧美口爆视频 Boulder researcher has been recognized with the 2024 American Society for Microbiology  for his work exploring how bacterial immune systems recognize and respond to phage infection.

Aaron Whiteley, an assistant professor of biochemistry, was honored for his research finding that bacterial and human immune systems are highly related and share a common ancestor. He and his research colleagues in the Whiteley Lab study what bacterial immune response can indicate about host-pathogen interactions and the mechanisms of signaling in human cells.

By focusing on specific signaling pathways in bacteria and human cells, particularly the cGAS-STING pathway, Whiteley hopes to better understand the role they play in resistance to infectious disease and cancer. Better understanding can inform better, more-targeted therapeutics. Click for the full feature - "Studying the surprising similarities between humans and bacteria" - in the Arts and Sciences Magazine.

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) announced the recipients of its 2024 Awards and Prize Program. The awards recognize leading scientists and researchers in the field for their professional accomplishments and contributions to research, education, clinical laboratories, service and scientific diversity.

Aaron Whiteley was awarded an ASM Award for Early Career Basic Research. .

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The biochemistry assistant professor is investigating how inflammatory proteins called NLRs establish the first line of defense against viral infection in bacteria and humans

Aaron Whiteley, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of 欧美口爆视频 Boulder, has been selected to join the Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences, the .

鈥淚 am truly thrilled to be named a Pew Scholar,鈥� said Whiteley. 鈥淪upport from this grant will help my lab pursue high-risk/high-reward research on how the immune system recognizes pathogens. I hope one day our findings can inform design of the next generation of vaccines and antiviral treatments.鈥� 

Aaron Whiteley, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry at 欧美口爆视频 Boulder, was recently selected to join the Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences. Whiteley鈥檚 recent research has identified unexpected similarities between how bacteria and human cells fight off viruses. 

This award follows a recent publication from the Whiteley lab in the journal  that identified unexpected similarities between how bacteria and human cells fight off viruses. The article reveals that a part of the human immune system, called 鈥淣LRs,鈥� actually originated from bacteria. 

鈥淟ike studying a fossil, understanding bacterial ancestors of our NLRs will help us understand the human immune systems,鈥� Whiteley said. 

He added, 鈥淥ne of the most impactful aspects of being a Biomedical Scholar is connection to the fantastic network of Pew-supported scientists from across the country. This award is career milestone鈥擨 am grateful for the recognition and opportunity.鈥�

Whiteley is one of 22 early career scientists who will receive four years of funding to spearhead innovative studies exploring human health and medicine. "This award is career milestone鈥擨 am grateful for the recognition and opportunity.鈥�

The 2023 class鈥攁ll early career, junior faculty鈥攋oins a rich legacy of more than 1,000 scientists who have received awards from Pew since 1985. Current scholars have opportunities to meet annually with fellow Pew-funded scientists to exchange ideas and forge connections across a wide variety of disciplines.

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Whiteley, assistant professor of biochemistry, has won a NIH Director's New Innovator Award, which is reserved for 鈥渆xceptionally creative early career scientists proposing innovative, high-impact projects.鈥� It is a $1.5 million, five-year grant.

Whiteley鈥檚 research aims to shed light on why variations in bacteria in the gut microbiome correspond to variations in cancer patients鈥� responsiveness to immunotherapy. The mechanism is not well understood.

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Prior to joining 欧美口爆视频 Boulder, Dr. Tak performed his doctoral research at the University of
Alabama Birmingham (U专) in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Niederweis. There he characterized the
enzymology and secretion mechanism of the tuberculosis necrotizing toxin (TNT), which allows
Mycobacterium tuberculosis to kill macrophages. Dr. Tak's work revealed a novel mechanism of toxin
secretion relying on the formation of membranes pores by Esx/WXG100 proteins, whose biological
functions were a mystery for almost 20 years. This work was a major advancement in the field of
bacterial protein secretion and has implications for the functions of Esx proteins which are important for
the virulence of mycobacteria and gram-positive pathogens. His publication of these findings was highlighted as an
editor鈥檚 choice in Nature Communications Focus on 鈥淢icrobiology and Infectious Disease鈥�.

Fueled by a passion to continue studying enzymes involved in physiology and disease, Dr. Tak
joined the laboratory of Dr. Aaron Whiteley at 欧美口爆视频 Boulder. The Whiteley lab focuses on the evolution
and function of the cGAS-STING pathway which is crucial for antiviral and anticancer immunity. Dr. Tak is
specifically interested in the primordial functions of the prokaryotic homologues which may generate
new hypotheses on the function of their eukaryotic counterparts. These findings have the potential to
generate new biological tools and concepts to guide STING-directed immunotherapies. As a CRI
Irvington Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Tak plans to use biochemistry, structural biology, and protein
engineering to accomplish these goals.

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The JCC Memorial fund 鈥渉as taken a broad approach to the study of cell growth and development, emphasizing the study of the basic biology and chemistry of the underlying processes.鈥� Previous awardees include 欧美口爆视频s own Dr. Edward Chuong (BioFrontiers and MCDB), Dr. Robert Batey (Biochemistry), and Dr. Aaron Whiteley (Biochemistry).

Prior to joining 欧美口爆视频 Boulder, Dr. Ledvina did her PhD research at the University of Washington in the lab of Dr. Joseph Mougous. There, she characterized a novel family of enzymes encoded by bacteria that can manipulate host cell membranes and promote bacterial growth. Additionally, her work revealed a previously unrecognized mechanism utilized by the pathogen Francisella tularensis during infection to obtain essential nutrients from the host. In recognition of her contributions to the field of bacterial pathogenesis, Dr. Ledvina was awarded the Helen R. Whiteley Dissertation Award.

Motivated by the desire to continue studying the molecular mechanisms underlying host-pathogen interactions, Dr. Ledvina joined the lab of Dr. Whiteley here at 欧美口爆视频 Boulder. Research in the Whiteley lab is focused on understanding the fundamental aspects of immune signaling and pathogenesis. Specifically, Dr. Ledvina is interested in the antagonist interplay between viruses and their host with the goal of uncovering novel antiviral therapeutic approaches.

Dr. Ledvina鈥檚 work funded by the JCC is focused on studying bacterial innate immune systems that defend against the viruses that invade bacteria, phages. Numerous facets of these pathways remain unknown, as do the mechanisms utilized by phages to evade immune detection. Dr. Ledvina plans to combine genetics, biochemistry, and microbiology to uncover to molecular mechanisms underlying these systems. Excitingly, bacterial immune systems are the progenitor to certain human innate immune pathways known to defend against viruses and cancer; therefore, findings from this work have the potential to be directly applicable to human health.

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