Chemistry Department is pleased to host Chemistry and Biochemistry Seminar Series at 12:10 pm in CNS 333. Please see Ithaca College Chemistry web page.
The IC Chemistry Department is thrilled to welcome back Colleen O’Loughlin (’09 alumna) who will present in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Seminar Series on Thursday, October 20. Please see Ithaca College Chemistry web page.
https://www.ithaca.edu/academics/school-humanities-and-sciences/chemist…
Colleen T. O'Loughlin is now an Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Bates College. Her seminar will be held at 12:10 pm. On Thursday, October 20th in CNS 333. Her topic is described below:
How Different are My Microbes from Yours? Exploring the Phenotypic Variability of Staphylococcus epidermidis
The skin is the largest organ of the human body however, we know surprisingly little about how it functions as a barrier, changes and develops over time, and is monitored by the immune system. Approximately one million microbes reside on every square centimeter of the skin. Interestingly, some disease states are marked by reduced numbers of particular microbes and topical association of these “missing” species can reverse skin inflammation. However, we lack a complete understanding about what makes person A's skin microbes functionally different from person B. Using a collection of nine isolates of S. epidermidis that span the continuum from pathogen to commensal, we set out to define growth, biofilm formation, and responses to a variety of skin-specific signaling molecules for this collection of isolates to better understand intra-species variability. With a better understanding of this variability, we can work towards synthesizing novel small molecules that can disrupt and alter these behaviors, perhaps leading to improved therapeutic approaches for treating skin conditions.