UW Microbiology Home
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Interspecies Interactions
The tiny obligate parasitic bacterium Southlakia epibionticum(yellow) cultured on its host bacterium, Actinomyces israelii (blue)
Image credit: Drs. Larry Gallagher and Joseph Mougous
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Cell Biology of Bacterial Infection
Listeria monocytogenes (green) interacting with macrophages (red/blue).
Credit: Michelle Reniere
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Bacterial Self-Organization
Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells that engage (magenta) or don’t (green) in collective behavior spontaneously self organize in cellular aggregates (3D image acquired by confocal laser scanning microscopy).
Credit: Jeffrey Carey and Matt Parsek
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Phage antagonize CRISPR-Cas Immunity
Cryo-EM structure of a phage-encoded anti-CRISPR protein (blue) in complex with the RNA-targeting CRISPR effector Cas13 (gray) and its guide RNA (red).
Credit: Alex Meeske
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Emergence of Highly Pathogenic Clones of Escherichia coli
Genetic typing of uropathogeic E. coli reveals strong association of some clones with high sensitivity or extreme resistance to multiple antibiotics.
Courtesy: Sokurenko Lab
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Quorum sensing in Vibrio fischeri
Lux genes coding for light production are activated by quorum sensing at high cell density. The light produced by the bacteria exposed the film for the image.
Courtesy: Greenberg Lab
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa in co-culture
Structural component of bacterial targeting type VI secretion system P. aeruginosa (green) assembled in presence of competitor organism (red).
Courtesy of: Mougous Lab
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HIV-1 Envelope Evolution
Reconstructed phylogenetic network of HIV-1 envelope sequences (C2-V5) from subtype B.
Courtesy of: Mullins Lab
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Colonies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa expressing different amounts of exopolysaccharides.
Courtesy of: Harwood Lab
News & Updates
Molly Ring, a first-year graduate student in the Department of Microbiology, was awarded an National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF). A highly competitive (>14,000 applicants) program, the NSF GRF recognizes outstanding graduate students across the United States who are pursuing research-based degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Congratulations Molly!
A strong contingent of UW Micro researchers presented their research at the 2025 ASM Northwest Branch Meeting in Portland OR. Several among them were selected for awards, including Best Trainee Talk at Main session (Edith Sawyer - Meeske lab), Best Trainee Talk at Trainee session (Daniel Mwangi - Woodward lab), and Best Poster (Olivia Dong - Mitchell lab). Congrats!
For over 20 years, Prof. Matt Parsek (UW) and Prof. Dan Wozniak (Ohio State) have had an NIH-supported collaboration working on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation, how it influences people with cystic fibrosis, and developent of new treatments. The collaboration was highlighted in a video interview with both PIs by NBC Ohio!
Dr. Shoshanna Kahne, a postdoc in the Meeske lab, was awarded the highly competitive Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowship for her work on immune systems of Cyanobacteria. Congratulations Dr. Kahne!
Upcoming Events
Seminars
Orin Smtih Auditorium
Speaker:
Dr. Jonathan Pruneda
Recent Publications
Frontiers in immunology
2026
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Apr, 2026
Nature communications
Apr, 2026
Viruses
Mar, 2026
Journal of virological methods
Mar, 2026
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
Mar, 2026
The Journal of clinical investigation
Mar, 2026
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
Feb, 2026
Fast Facts
