Microbiology and immunology research and training in the MCDB Department focuses on the study of mechanisms of regulation of gene expression and function in microorganisms including bacteria and ciliates, cultured animal cells, and animal models of infectious disease. Host interactions with microbial and viral pathogens, the molecular bases of pathogenesis, and mechanisms of innate and adaptive immunity that confer protection from infectious disease are some of the areas of investigation by MCDB faculty and their students and postgraduate fellows. Interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches spanning biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, genomics and bioinformatics are utilized in studies of microbiological processes and structures with potential applications that include disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
