The majority of human and veterinary pathogens target the mucosal surfaces of the
body. These mucosal sites need to maintain a delicate balance between appropriately
responding to virulent pathogens and avoiding unnecessary inflammatory responses to
harmless agents. The Bimczok laboratory is interested in the complex interplay between
pathogens, mucosal antigen-presenting cells, and epithelial cells. The overarching
goal of our work is to better understand how epithelial responses to bacteria and
viruses lead to alterations in the function of antigen-presenting cells such as dendritic
cells and macrophages, and how this immune cell-epithelial cell crosstalk defines
the outcome of infection.
To address these research goals, we utilize:
Current projects, funded by the NIH and USDA:
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Helicobacter pylori infection in the human gastric mucosa
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SARS-CoV-2 infection in human and bat intestine
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Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae infection in sheep