UW-Madison Dept of Bacteriology

Research Description

One area of research in the Kaspar laboratory focuses on understanding the emergence of pathogenic strains of E. coli, particularly enterohemorrhagic strains like serotype O157:H7. We are defining microbial factors that contribute to competitive fitness in the bovine host or facilitate environmental dissemination. Acid tolerance is one characteristic that has been identified and studied. This information is used to develop intervention strategies that decrease or eliminate this human pathogen from the bovine host. Studies of acid tolerance have expanded to include acidophilic archea and fungi.  There is an emphasis on identifying and defining the function of proteins that afford protection to key biomolecules.  Our research employs a number of molecular approaches to study key proteins and characterize the overall fitness of organisms within the intestinal tract and environment.