Natasha Kirienko
Assistant Professor, CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research
Mentored presenters may have participated in these courses
BIOC 310
Student Project Titles List
Utilizing PINK-1 GFP C. elegans assay to identify precocious activation of mitophagy
Characterization of the Ethanol and Stress Response Element (ESRE) Network in C. elegans
Identifying the Interactions between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans using a Caenorhabditis elegans model
Utilizing Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Hyperactive Mitophagy as a Novel Cancer Therapy
Analyzing the Fitness and Virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa oprD Mutant Strains
Categorizing the Mechanisms of Carbapenem Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Clinical Isolates
Using Cancer as a Model to Elucidate Mitochondrial Sensitivity and Maintenance
Characterizing Novel Mitophagy-Activating Compounds in Neurodegenerative Models
Exploring Pseudomonas aeruginosa Virulence Using Killing Assays
Research Areas
Research in my lab currently focuses on two interrelated topics. The first of these goals is to identify novel treatments for bacterial infections that exhibit resistance to antimicrobials. Antimicrobial resistant bacteria cause over 1.5 million nosocomial infections per year, and over 100,000 deaths. As antimicrobial misuse continues at a virtually unchecked pace, resistance has flourished, making new treatments desperately needed. We've developed a liquid-based, Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection assay that utilizes the master virulence factor pyoverdin for pathogenesis. Using this assay, we've identified small molecules that inhibit P. aeruginosa virulence or that promote innate immune activation. Research within the past twenty years has increasingly demonstrated that innate immunity plays a crucial role in priming the adaptive immune response and in mitigating the earliest sequelae of infection.
