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BIDDEFORD, Maine

Lauren Gileau presents Burkholder Lab research at the American Society of Microbiology conference

Lauren Gileau
Lauren Gileau

Lauren Gileau (Nursing, ’17) and Kristin Burkholder, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, attended the American Society of Microbiology meeting in Boston from June 16 to June 20, 2016.  Gileau presented a research poster titled “Lactic acid bacteria reduce Salmonella Javiana-induced epithelial cell cytotoxicity and decrease pathogen virulence gene expression.”  Several undergraduate researchers from the Burkholder lab were co-authors on the work, including Dylan Fletcher (Biology, ’17), Ryan Camire (Nursing, ’15) and Shea Goudreau (Biology, ’15). 

In this study, the authors demonstrate that several species of probiotic bacteria, such as those commonly found in fermented foods like yogurt, can mitigate damage to human intestinal epithelial cells caused by the emerging gastrointestinal pathogen Salmonella Javiana.  One potential mechanism underlying the protective effect of the probiotic bacteria is their ability to reduce expression of key S. Javiana virulence genes.  These findings suggest that certain probiotics may be useful as prophylactics against S. Javiana infection.

To learn more about the Department of Biological Sciences, visit https://www.une.edu/cas/biology/about

 

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Kristin Burkholder
Kristin Burkholder

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.