Lab News
- Winter 2016
A laboratory wide collaboration led by post-doctoral Sourabh Dhingra resulted in a publication in the American Society of Microbiology's new open access journal mSphere on a novel protease, RbdB, that is involved in activating the hypoxia transcription factor SrbA. RbdB was identified in a screen of the Neurospora crassa whole genome deletion collection and the A. fumigatus homolog, RbdB, was found to be essential for hypoxia growth and virulence. The study adds to our growing understanding of how this critical virulence and antifungal drug associated transcription factor is regulated in filamentous fungi.
Graduate students Sarah Beattie and Caitlin Kowalski, post-doctoral fellow Sourabh Dhingra, and Dr. Robb attended the 7th Advances Against Aspergillosis Conference in Manchester United Kingdom. Sarah gave an invited oral presentation on her PhD thesis research project on the role of CreA transcription factor in Aspergillus fumigatus metabolism and virulence. Sarah's work is pointing toward the first known role of CreA and its homologs in human fungal pathogenesis. Caitlin and Sourabh presented posters on their research related to hypoxia and oxygen signaling and therapeutics at the excellent poster session.
The laboratory attended the annual Dartmouth Molecular Microbiology and Pathogenesis (M2P2) retreat at Lake Morey resort presenting their research. Caitlin Kowalski gave one of the new 5 minute elevator talks at the retreat, a session we hope to continue at future M2P2 retreats!
PhD candidate Sarah Beattie contributed to new insights into the Aspergillus nidulans CreA transcription factor regulation in collaboration with the laboratory of Dr. Gustavo Goldman in Brazil. Goldman laboratory Post-doctoral fellow Laure Ries visited our laboratory to learn ChIP-Seq and together with Sarah successfully identified key functional domains in CreA for DNA binding in response to diverse carbon sources. The study was published in the Genetics Society of America journal Genetics.
Post-Doc Sourabh Dhingra contributed to the Hohl Laboratory's study on the role of GM-CSF signaling in Aspergillus fumigatus respiratory challenged published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. A key role in neutrophil antifungal activity for GM-CSF signaling was identified adding to our knowledge of the signaling mechanisms in the immune system regulating protection against invasive fungal disease.
The laboratory contributed to a nice study led published in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases by graduate student Patricia Lima in Dr. Celia Soares laboratory in Brazil on the hypoxia response in the important human pathogen Paracoccidioides. Patricia spent 4 months in the Cramer laboratory working with former Cramer laboratory post-doc Dawoon Chung on heterologously expressing PB SbA in A. fumigatus. The study shows the conservation of function of SrbA in the hypoxia response and identifies new pathways for exploration of PB virulence mechanisms.
- June 2015
The Cramer Laboratory Welcomes new 2nd year MCB student Caitlin Kowalski as an official member of the Cramer Laboratory! Caitlin will be conducting her PhD thesis research on the mechanisms through which certain strains of Aspergillus fumigatus are capable of causing disease in specific immune system environments. Welcome to the laboratory Caitlin!
The Cramer Laboratory welcomes summer undergraduate research interns Cathleen Beliveau from Whitman College and Peter Kim from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. Cathleen and Peter will be exploring mechanisms through which the virulence associated transcription factor SrbA is activated.
Dr. Robb will be attending the 2015 Molecular Mycology Courses at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole as a faculty member. This year, we will be teaching the students our murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis for the first time! Exciting to see this foundational course continue to grow and expand in new directions !!
- May 2015
Graduate students Sarah Beattie and Arsa Thammahong, with Dr. Robb attended the 6th FEBS Advanced Lecture Course on Human Fungal Pathogens in La Colle sur Loup France. Sara and Arsa presented posters on their research, Arsa also presented his work in the new "elevator" talk format. Sarah's trip was supported in part by a fellowship from the Dartmouth MCB NIH training grant and Arsa won an outstanding student presentation award at the meeting. Congratulations to Sarah and Arsa for an outstanding conference!
- March 2015
Dr. Robb was promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Congrats to ALL current and former Cramer laboratory members that have contributed to the laboratory!
- March 2015
Dr. Robb and Dr. Sourabh Dhingra are attending Asperfest and the Fungal Genetics Conference at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove California. Dr. Robb is presenting an invited talk and chairing a session on human fungal interactions.
- February 2015
The Cramer Laboratory attended the annual Dartmouth M2P2 retreat at Lake Morey in Vermont. All Cramer Laboratory members presented their work and Sarah Beattie gave an invited talk on her project working on in vivo carbon metabolism and Aspergillosis.
- January 2015
Dr. Robb attended the Gordon Research Conference on Fungal Immunology in Galveston Texas and gave an invited talk on the HIF1a project.
- September 2014
Our analysis of the fungal transcription factor SrbA's regulon in response to hypoxia identified a new transcriptional regulator of the hypoxia response and virulence, SrbB. This study, co-led by current and former Cramer laboratory Post-Docs Dr. Dawoon Chung and Dr. Bridget Barker was accepted for publication in PLoS Pathogens. SrbB is the 2nd SREBP family member identified and characterized in A. fumigatus, and it plays a critical role in carbon metabolism and heme biosynthesis. These results expand the suite of biological processes associated with hypoxia and virulence in A. fumigatus, and further emphasize the therapeutic potential in inhibiting this hypoxia responsive genetic network.
- August 2014
A collaboration with Dr. Mihai Netea and colleagues examining the role of HIF1 alpha in trained immunity was accepted for publication in Science. Recent Cramer Laboratory and MCB graduate Dr. Kelly Shepardson contributed the murine HIF1 alpha experiments for this clinically important study.
- August 2014
Former Cramer Laboratory graduate student Dr. Sara Blosser's investigation into the function of the 2 Erg25 paralogs in Aspergillus fumigatus was accepted for publication in Microbiology. Congratulations Sara!
- August 2014
A collaboration on the iron responsive transcription HapX with Dr. Hubertus Haas and colleagues was accepted for publication in EMBO Journal. Current Cramer laboratory PhD candidate and MCB student Sarah Beattie and post-doctoral fellow Dr. Dawoon Chung contributed ChIP analyses of HapX binding to the cccA promoter for this study. Congratulations to all!
- August 2014
Our NIAID/NIH project entitled "Hypoxia adaptation and fungal virulence of Aspergillus fumigatus" was renewed. We are excited to continue our investigations into the impact of hypoxia on the pathogenesis and virulence of A. fumigatus.
- August 2014
Former Ph.D. candidate Dr. Kelly Shepardson's investigations into the role of the host transcription factor HIF1 alpha in pulmonary defense against A. fumigatus was accepted for publication at PLoS Pathogens. Congratulations Kelly!
- July 2014
An analysis of the A. fumigatus transcriptome in response to hypoxia utilizing RNA-Seq technologies was published in Mycopathologia in collaboration with Dr. Lilian Losada, Dr. William Nierman and colleagues at JCVI. A unique finding of this research is the identification of a hypoxia regulated ncRNA in A. fumigatus. Former Cramer laboratory post-doctoral fellow Dr. Bridget Barker contributed to this research.
- June 2014
Dr. Robb was chosen as a Burroughs Welcome Fund awardee in the Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease!
- June 2014
Dr. Robb will be attending and lecturing at the Molecular Mycology Course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole in June
- June 2014
Dr. Kelly M. Shepardson graduated with her PhD from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, we will miss you!
- June 2014
Sarah Beattie, PhD candidate received a Dartmouth MCB NIH Training Grant to support her doctoral studies. Congratulations Sarah!
- May 2014
Sarah Beattie Passed her Qualification Exam and is now a PhD Candidate! Congratulations!
- May 2014
Arsa Thammahong Passed his Qualification Exam and is now a PhD Candidate! Way to go Arsa!
- May 2014
Dr. Dawoon Chung's study on the PerA protein was accepted for publication in Molecular Microbiology, congratulations Dawoon!