Grant: Operating Grant

Campylobacter jejuni is a major human pathogen, causing more foodborne diarrheal illness than any other bacterium in the developed world. However, much less is understood about its pathogenesis and survival strategies than those of less prevalent organisms such as Salmonella and E. coli. Our lab is a leader in the C. jejuni field for identifying and understanding bacterial factors important for the pathogenesis cycle, including colonization of animal hosts, causing disease in humans, and survival in the harsh transmission environment. Interestingly, we have consistently found that C. jejuni utilizes "fundamental" processes not only to survive significant stresses but also to engage in pathogenic activities such as colonization and virulence. The importance of these fundamental processes is underscored by a lack of dedicated "virulence" factors, thus also distinguishing C. jejuni from other diarrheal pathogens. This proposal seeks to better understand several newly identified novel factors and to uncover additional means by which C. jejuni persists in the environment, colonizes animals, and causes human disease. We will use genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, and other technologies to study these processes, including several novel approaches pioneered by our group. Many of our findings will have implications for future therapy, prevention, and control strategies. Our current and future findings will also contribute greatly to emerging models of pathogenesis in other important organisms.