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UW Microbiology

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  • listeria infecting cells

    Cell Biology of Bacterial Infection

    Listeria monocytogenes (green) interacting with macrophages (red/blue). 

    Credit: Michelle Reniere

  • Bacterial Self-Organization

    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

  • phage antagonize CRISPR

    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

  • uropathogenic

    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

  • greenberg

    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

  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa in co-culture

    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

  • envelope

    HIV-1 Envelope Evolution

    Reconstructed phylogenetic network of HIV-1 envelope sequences (C2-V5) from subtype B.

    Courtesy of: Mullins Lab

  • biofilm

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa

    Colonies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa expressing different amounts of exopolysaccharides.

    Courtesy of: Harwood Lab

  • yopm

    YopM Crystal Structure

    Crystal structure of the Yersinia virulence protein YopM

    Courtesy of: Cookson Lab

  • Inflammatory Death of Mouse Macrophages

    Inflammatory Death of Mouse Macrophages

    Mouse macrophages undergoing pyroptosis.

    Courtesy of: Cookson Lab

News & Updates

Patrick S. Mitchell

Hearty congratulations to Patrick Mitchell, who was selected from ~6000 applicants to be one of ~30 inaugural HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholars!  The HHMI press release can be found here as well as additional information about the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program here.

Professor E. Peter Greenberg

E. Peter Greenberg, the inaugural Eugene and Martha Nester Professor of Microbiology at the University of Washington, joins Bonnie L. Bassler, Squibb Professor and chair of Molecular Biology at Princeton University, and Michael R. Silverman, emeritus investigator at The Agouron Institute and emeritus adjunct professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, in receiving the 2023 Canada Gairdner International Award.  Each year, the Gairdner Foundation honors individuals who have made truly outstanding contributions in biomedicine or global health. The Gairdner Foundation press release can be found here.

Tristan Jordan, PhD
The Department of Microbiology welcomes new Assistant Professor, Dr. Tristan Jordan, who joined the department in January, 2023. Dr. Jordan indicates “Several things about the UW and UW Micro drove me to join. First and foremost, was the science. I loved the rigor and diversity of the science that was on-going in the Department of Microbiology and the UW as a whole. The collaborative atmosphere of the Department and biomedical science in Seattle, in general, was also a significant draw. It felt like a breath of fresh air to see and hear about all the collaborations that exists.”

Upcoming Events

Seminar
Dr. Huang
Orin Smith Auditorium/ Zoom
Speaker:
Dr. KC Huang
Department Event
The HUB, Rm 160 (Lyceum)
Department Event
Orin Smith Auditorium

Fast Facts

More than 175 undergraduate majors and 40 graduate students
Five National Academy of Sciences Members
Twelve American Academy of Microbiology Fellows
More than 120 peer-reviewed publications in 2022