Microbiology Faculty Mentors
Unique Departmental Research Programs
Bridges to the Baccalaureate Degree Program
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa
Community College have a cooperative program funded by the National
Institutes of Health entitled the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Degree
program. This program, initiated in 1996, seeks to involve Native
American students from the community college in biomedical research
projects. The program is coordinated by Dr. Marc Rott of the Department
of Microbiology. Faculty from the departments of Microbiology, Biology,
Chemistry and Ethnic and Racial Studies are also actively involved in
the program. Current research projects involve investigating the
chemical and biological basis of therapy with medicinal plants used by
the Ojibwa people. For additional information see:
http://www.uwlax.edu/microbiology/
or e-mail: rott.marc@uwlax.edu
.
Clinical and Infectious Disease Microbiology
Numerous faculty and adjunct faculty in the Department of Microbiology
are involved in research related to infectious disease and human and
animal health. Students may participate in research projects involving
various bacterial, fungal, or viral pathogens, antibiotic resistance in
bacteria, vaccine development, and development of immunologic tests. At
the graduate level, students may enter the Master of Science in
Biology/Clinical Microbiology Program. This unique masters degree
program is a collaborative program between UW-La Crosse, Gundersen
Lutheran Medical Center, Marshfield Clinic, and the Wisconsin State
Laboratory of Hygiene. Students in the program take advanced course work
and participate in on-site clinical rotations at Gundersen Lutheran
Medical Center, Marshfield Clinic/St. Joseph's Hospital, and the
Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene. Students are required to conduct
a research project and may choose either a laboratory research project
or a literature-based project. Research projects may be conducted at
UW-La Crosse, or at research laboratories at the clinical partners. For
additional information see:
http://www.uwlax.edu/microbiology/
or http://www.uwlax.edu/clinmicro/
.
Microbial Biogeochemistry in Antarctic Lakes
Dr. Bonnie Bratina is involved in a collaborated Antarctic research
project with Dr. William Green of Miami University of Ohio. The project,
"Microbial Mediation of Trace Metal Cycling in Four Stratified Antarctic
Lakes" is funded by the National Science Foundation Office of Polar
Programs. This unique project provides students with opportunities to
travel to Antarctica in December and January for field work on lakes in
the Dry Valleys. Upon returning to UW-La Crosse, students are involved
in analysis of samples and characterization of bacteria collected during
the field sampling. For additional information see:
http://www.uwlax.edu/microbiology/bonniejo.htm
or e-mail
bratina.boni@uwlax.edu .
Microbiology Faculty Mentors
Bonnie Bo Bratina
Associate Professor of Microbiology
My research interest is in microbial ecology. The first of the two
current projects concerns microorganisms involved in the cycling of
manganese in lakes in the Dry Valleys in Antarctica. The second project
is determining the abundance and diversity of nitrifiers and
denitrifiers in the Upper Mississippi River. For additional information
see: http://www.uwlax.edu/microbiology/bonniejo.htm
. or e-mail
bratina.boni@uwlax.edu .
Michael A. Hoffman
Assistant Professor of Microbiology
Research in my laboratory focuses on the replication and gene expression
of human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV3), a common cause of lower
respiratory tract infections such as croup, pneumonia and bronchiolitus.
To carry out the investigation of the HPIV3 life cycle, students use a
variety of techniques from microbiology and molecular biology. Knowledge
gained from this research can be applied to the development of vaccines
and antiviral drugs against HPIV3. For additional information see
http://www.uwlax.edu/microbiology/hoffman.htm
or e-mail
hoffman.mic2@uwlax.edu .
S. N. Rajagopal
Associate Professor of Microbiology
Several research projects are available in the areas of food and
fermentation microbiology including detection of pathogens and
antibiotic resistant bacteria in foods, therapeutic effects of lactic
acid bacteria, and bacteriocin production. For additional information
see: http://www.uwlax.edu/microbiology/raj.htm
or e-mail rajagopa.s@uwlax.edu
Marc A. Rott
Associate Professor of Microbiology
Several research projects are available in the areas of bacterial
genetics and molecular biology including cloning, isolation and
characterization of bacterial mutants affected in alcohol metabolism and
mapping the genomes of bacteria. For additional information see:
http://www.uwlax.edu/microbiology/marc.htm
or e-mail rott.marc@uwlax.edu
.
William R. Schwan
Associate Professor of Microbiology
My research involves examining the role of proline transport in the
pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus and the regulation of type 1 pilus
expression in uropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli. For additional
information see:
http://www.uwlax.edu/microbiology/bill.htm or e-mail
schwan.will@uwlax.edu .
Bernadette C. Taylor
Associate Professor of Immunology
My research is in the area of veterinary immunology. Current projects
include study of bovine mammary gland lymphocyte function and
development of immunologic tests for the sea otter (a threatened species
in California). For additional information see:
http://www.uwlax.edu/microbiology/taylor.htm
or e-mail
taylor.bern@uwlax.edu.
Michael R. Winfrey
Professor and Chair of Microbiology
My research interests involve the biogeochemical cycling of mercury by
bacteria, molecular microbial ecology, and microbial diversity. Current
projects involve examining expression of mercury resistance genes (mer)
in natural environments, characterization of novel mer operons, and
potential use of mercury resistant bacteria in bioremediation.
immunologic tests for the sea otter (a threatened species in
California). For additional information see:
http://www.uwlax.edu/microbiology/winfrey.htm
or e-mail
winfrey.mich@uwlax.edu .
