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Unit of Microbial Pathogenesis
Monday, October 20, 2008
We study the molecular mechanisms underlying intracellular survival and replication of the bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila. Within infected cells L. pneumophila establishes a replication vacuole by exploiting host cell protein and vesicle transport processes. An essential aspect of intracellular bacterial survival is the delivery of a large repertoire of L. pneumophila effector proteins into the host cell. Our main goal is to determine the molecular function of these translocated effectors and to identify the host cell pathways modulated by these proteins.
DIR Home
Ten research programs comprised of roughly 102 units and sections constitute the Division of Intramural Research (DIR) of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and include a total of 85 tenured and tenure-track investigators, with a total administrative and staff complement of approximately 1275.
To ensure the birth of healthy babies, to ensure the health of infants who develop into adulthood, and to optimize the health of women, the DIR focuses its research effort on the acquisition of information that will enhance our understanding of the biology of development and reproduction. The research program emphasizes the importance of fundamental investigations into the physics, chemistry, and biology of cells, their component parts, and the processes that govern and regulate their function. As part of their investigative focus, the scientific researchers of the DIR accord primary importance to the transmission of new information to future generations of scientists.
Location
The majority of the DIR laboratories are located on the NIH campus in Bethesda, and nearby in Rockville, Maryland. An additional research facility is located in Poolesville, Maryland. The research program in Perinatal Research and Obstetrics is based in Detroit, Michigan.
