Aimee Shen, Ph.D.
- Title
- Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology & Microbiology
- Department
- Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences
- Institution
- Tufts University School of Medicine
- Address
- M&V 409, 136 Harrison Ave
- City, State, ZIP
- Boston, MA 02111
- Phone
- (617) 636-3792
- [email protected]
- Website
- http://sackler.tufts.edu/Faculty-and-Research/Faculty-Profiles/Aimee-Shen-Profile
- Research field
- Microbiology
- Award year
- 2012
Research
My laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms that regulate bacterial spore germination, the transformation of hardy spores into vegetative cells. Although germination is essential for many bacterial pathogens to disseminate, little is known about its molecular underpinnings. We are studying this remarkable developmental process in Clostridium difficile, the leading cause of nosocomial-acquired diarrhea worldwide, because the spores of C. difficile are responsible for its transmission and resistance to antibiotic treatment. Using proteomics and activity-based protein profiling, we are globally identifying germination-regulated proteins. We are also interrogating the function of these proteins using complementary genetic, biochemical, structural and cell biological approaches. Our long-term goals are to (1) create a functional map of C. difficile spore germination and (2) identify new targets for therapeutic intervention and diagnostic tests.
Scholar Keywords
2012 Search Pew Scholars
- Dinu F. Albeanu, Ph.D.
- Peter V. Cornish, Ph.D.
- Maximiliano A. D'Angelo, Ph.D.
- David A. Drummond, Ph.D.
- Nels C. Elde, Ph.D.
- Don Fox, Ph.D.
- Robert C. Froemke, Ph.D.
- Wolfram Goessling, M.D., Ph.D.
- Xue Han, Ph.D.
- Salil A. Lachke, Ph.D.
- Saskia B. Neher, Ph.D.
- Lorin E. Olson, Ph.D.
- Kevin K. Park, Ph.D.
- Sohini Ramachandran, Ph.D.
- Vanessa Ruta, Ph.D.
- Aimee Shen, Ph.D.
- Alexander Sher, Ph.D.
- Alexander V. Statsyuk, Ph.D.
- Kathryn E. Wellen, Ph.D.
- Mee-Ngan F. Yap, Ph.D.
- Wenjun Zhang, Ph.D.