OS Lab News

Welcome new OS Lab members!

The OS Lab has grown quite a bit this past year, welcoming a new postdoctoral fellow, graduate student, and PharmD student.

8k0%cKemRnCf742jLRQpmQ_thumb_7726Dr. Tra-My Hoang joined the OS lab this fall after completing her Ph.D. studies in the lab of Dr. Paul Fey at the University of Nebraska. Tramy is studying the impact of the heme-responsive PrrH sRNA on P. aeruginosa growth and gene expression.

kmX%scBHSh6n+4AzWYUKtA_thumb_7725Ashley Lykins conducted rotation studies in the OS lab in the fall of 2017, and officially joined the OS Lab this fall. Ashley is studying the mechanism by which the PrrF sRNAs regulate of a putative bacterioferritin produced by P. aeruginosa.

IMG-0038Xinyi (Xena) Huang is a second-year PharmD student who began a research internship in the OS Lab this past summer. She is studying the impact of iron and antimicrobials on co-cultured biofilms of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus.

Welcome to all the new OS Lab members!

OS Lab Conferences 2018

The OS Lab has been traveling and sharing our science this summer!

In June, the lab headed to beautiful Estes Park Colorado for the 62nd Annual Wind River Conference on Prokaryotic Biology. This year’s conference was co-chaired by Erin Murphy (Ohio University) and Helen Wing (UNLV), who organized an amazing and diverse group of speakers! Luke Brewer (PhD student) gave an oral presentation entitled “Iron-Regulated Mechanisms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Alkyl-Quinolone Activity Against Staphylococcus aureus“. Cassie Nelson (postdoctoral fellow), Jonathan Gans (research assistant), and Mandy Oglesby-Sherrouse (PI) presented posters on the lab’s recent -omics efforts to better understand iron, PrrF, and PrrH regulation in P. aeruginosa. Luke also attended the Metabolism of Infectious Diseases Conference held at Colorado State University, where he had another great opportunity to give an oral presentation on his research.

View from the Wind River meeting
Estes Park
Luke speaking at CSU

In July, Cassie and Mandy traveled to Ottawa to attend the 11th International Biometals Symposium, where we saw a wonderful mix of chemistry and genetics research into how metals affect a variety biological systems. Mandy gave an oral presentation of our laboratory’s work on the heme-responsive PrrH sRNA of P. aeruginosa, and Cassie presented a poster entitled “Proteomic analysis of iron regulation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa reveals metabolic adaptations and metalloregulatory crosstalk”.

Drinks with Mandy and Cassie
View of Gatineau past the Ottawa River
Parliament
Mandy presenting work on PrrH

All around it’s been a great summer with a lot of great science. Now it’s time to get back into the lab to discover more great science!

New publication from the OS Lab

Check out our lab’s newest publication, out this month in Journal of Bacteriology! This work was led by former OS graduate student Dr. Louise Djapgne. Dr. Djapgne detailed the biochemical and genetic basis by which the PrrF sRNAs modulate the production of the PQS quorum signaling molecule. This study was performed as a part of our ongoing collaboration with Dr. Sarah Woodson at Johns Hopkins University, and included work from OS Lab members Luke Brewer and Jonathan Gans. Congratulations all on a great publication!

UMB Commencement 2018

The OS Lab celebrated another doctoral degree last week at the UMB Graduate School Hooding Ceremony. Dr. Oglesby-Sherrouse had the privilege of “hooding” her third doctoral student, Dr. Louise Djapgne. Congratulations Dr. Djapgne!!

 

Louise’s Hooding Ceremony, 2018
Louise’s Hooding Ceremony, 2018
PSC 2018 PhDs

Howard County high school student celebrates her research internship in the OS Lab

Our most recent high school intern, Amy Nackeeran, celebrated her accomplishments at a dinner last week with her two lab mentors, Cassie Nelson and Jonathan Gans. Amy’s project was aimed at determining how natural products could be combined with traditional antibiotics to combat P. aeruginosa infections. In true OS Lab fashion, she also studied how varying iron availability affected the efficacy of these drug combinations. Congratulations on a great internship, Amy, and good luck next year in college!

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Postdoc position available to study sRNA-mediated iron regulation and pathogenesis

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (PSC), invites applications for a postdoctoral position to work with Amanda Oglesby-Sherrouse, Ph.D, on a project funded by the National Institutes of Health. The successful candidate will conduct studies on a) the mechanisms of iron and heme regulation by the PrrF and PrrH small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and b) the impact of these sRNAs on iron homeostasis and acute lung infection. These studies will involve the application of bacterial genetics, transcriptomics, biochemical/biophysical analysis of sRNA regulation, and mass spectrometry-based metabolite analysis. The successful candidate will be expected to participate in vibrant collaborations with investigators at Johns Hopkins University, West Virginia University, and the School of Pharmacy’s Mass Spectrometry Center. Candidates will benefit from the highly collaborative and interdisciplinary research community of the PSC Department and broader UM Baltimore research community.

Applicants should apply directly to Dr. Oglesby-Sherrouse (aoglesby@rx.umaryland.edu) and send a cover letter, CV, and contact information for three references.

Qualifications

The qualified applicant will have a Ph.D. in microbiology, molecular biology, or related field. Applicants should be highly motivated and possess excellent oral and written communication skills. Applicants should also have the ability to work both independently as well as part of a collaborative research group. Preference will be given to applicants with demonstrated experience in microbial pathogenesis, gene expression studies, sRNA biology or biochemistry, and bacterial genetics.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Congrats Dr. Djapgne!!!

We are happy to announce that Louise Djapgne has successfully defended her dissertation entitled “Mechanisms of PrrF-Mediated Iron Regulation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa“! Dr. Djapgne entered the School of Pharmacy’s Graduate Program in Pharmacetical Sciences in 2012, after earning her B.S. in Biochemistry at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Dr. Djapgne is the 100th IMSD Meyerhoff Graduate Fellow to defend her dissertation studies. Congratulations Dr. Djapgne!!!

 

Louise’s Defense 2017

 

Welcome Dr. Cassie Nelson to the OS Lab!

Dr. Cassandra (Cassie) Nelson began working as a postdoctoral researcher in the OS Lab in October. Cassie completed her doctoral training in the Biological Sciences Department at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the fall of 2017. Using a combination of transcriptomics, microbial genetics and physiology, her dissertation work determined the physiological roles of the glycoside hydrolase family 3 enzymes in the bacterium Cellvibrio japonicus. She is currently studying how iron regulation affects the physiology and interactions between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Welcome Cassie to the OS Lab!!

Postdoctoral Positions in the OS Lab

POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS IN BACTERIAL PATHOGENESIS AND GENETICS

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (PSC), invites applications for a postdoctoral position to work with Amanda Oglesby-Sherrouse, Ph.D, on a project funded by the National Institutes of Health. The successful candidate will conduct studies on a) the mechanisms of iron and heme regulation by the PrrF and PrrH small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and b) the impact of these sRNAs on iron homeostasis and acute lung infection. These studies will involve the application of bacterial genetics, transcriptomics, biochemical/biophysical analysis of sRNA regulation, and mass spectrometry-based metabolite analysis. The successful candidate will be expected to participate in vibrant collaborations with investigators at Johns Hopkins University, West Virginia University, and the School of Pharmacy’s Mass Spectrometry Center. Candidates will benefit from the highly collaborative and interdisciplinary research community of the PSC Department and broader UM Baltimore research community.

Applicants should apply directly to Dr. Oglesby-Sherrouse (aoglesby@rx.umaryland.edu) and send a cover letter, CV, and contact information for three references.

Qualifications

The qualified applicant will have a Ph.D. in microbiology, molecular biology, or related field. Applicants should be highly motivated and possess excellent oral and written communication skills. Applicants should also have the ability to work both independently as well as part of a collaborative research group. Preference will be given to applicants with demonstrated experience in microbial pathogenesis, gene expression studies, sRNA biology or biochemistry, and bacterial genetics.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.