Vanderbilt Institute for Infection Immunology and Inflammation (VI4)

A C. diff bacterium (green) with iron particles in red, shown in a reconstructed electron tomogram from STEM-EDS. (image courtesy of James McBride)
November 15, 2023

Novel C. diff structures are required for infection, offer new therapeutic targets

Vanderbilt research discovers that iron storage “spheres” inside the bacterium C. diff — the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections — are important for infection in an animal model and could offer new targets for antibacterial drugs.

By Leigh MacMillan
Sage Davis, 4, observes microbial “snakes” and “space bears” (tardigrades) under the microscope with his parents, Corinne and Gerald.
September 29, 2023

Educational event zooms in on complex world of microbes

More than 100 children and their families attended the sixth annual MEGAMicrobe community science recently at Gower Elementary School in Nashville.

By Bill Snyder
Martin Douglass, PhD, is studying how Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), a bacterium that causes diarrhea and colitis, inflammation of the colon, responds to host-mediated immune responses.
September 21, 2023

VUMC postdoctoral researcher selected as HHMI Hanna Gray Fellow

Vanderbilt postdoctoral researcher Martin Douglass, PhD, has been named a 2023 Hanna Gray Fellow by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

By Anthony Czelusniak
Children had a field day on Oct. 19 exploring with Vanderbilt scientists the “great big world of tiny microbes” — bacteria, viruses and other germs. The third annual MEGAMicrobe event, hosted by the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation (VI4), was held at Granbery Elementary School in Brentwood. MEGAMicrobe’s goal is to make science fun and accessible. For more information, go here.
August 23, 2023

Free MEGAMicrobe interactive event set for Sept. 23

MEGAMicrobe, a free exploration of the world of microbes, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at Gower Elementary School.

By Bill Snyder
July 28, 2023

VI4 Artist-in-Residence exhibition opens Aug. 7

The Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation Artist-in-Residence Program (VI4-AiR) invites the public to the opening celebration of its “Molecular Muse” exhibition Aug. 7 at the Vanderbilt Fine Arts Gallery.

By Anthony Czelusniak
The study team includes, from left, Maribeth Nicholson, MD, MPH, Ben Spiller, PhD, Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, Borden Lacy, PhD, Eric Skaar, PhD, MPH, Isaac Thomsen, MD, MSCI, Ivelin Georgiev, PhD, and Danyvid Olivares-Villagomez, PhD.
March 30, 2023

NIH grant launches C. diff vaccine research initiative

Vanderbilt has received an NIH grant to launch the Vanderbilt Antibody and Antigen Discovery for Clostridioides difficile Vaccines, or VANDy-CdV.

By Anthony Czelusniak
September 29, 2022

VUMC lands grant to build top-line biosafety facility

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is set to construct a state-of-the-art BioSafety Level 3 (BSL3) facility for research involving the COVID-19 virus, anthrax and other dangerous microorganisms.
By Bill Snyder
September 22, 2022

MEGAMicrobe event shows children that science can be fun

More than 100 children who attended the “MEGAMicrobe Express” community science fair on Sept. 17 at the Warner Elementary Arts Magnet School in East Nashville.
By Bill Snyder
June 2, 2022

Bacterial battle in 3D

Using imaging mass spectrometry and microscopy, Vanderbilt researchers visualized how staph bacteria modifies lipids in its membrane to evade immune system-mediated killing.
By Bill Snyder
May 17, 2022

Study identifies first cellular “chaperone” for zinc, sheds light on worldwide public health problem of zinc deficiency

A team led by Vanderbilt researchers has described and characterized the first zinc metallochaperone: a protein that puts zinc into other “client” proteins.
By Leigh MacMillan
May 5, 2022

VUMC team discovers how bacterial pathogen survives without water

Vanderbilt researchers are studying a bacterial pathogen that can survive on hospital surfaces — without water — for months, an ability that has helped it become a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections.
By Leigh MacMillan
April 7, 2022

Study advances understanding of bacterial bioterrorism agent

Vanderbilt researchers have identified a critical regulatory factor in the bacterium that causes the disease anthrax and has been used as a biological weapon.
By Leigh MacMillan
January 27, 2022

Impaired neutrophils in autoimmunity

Vanderbilt researchers help answer the question of why patients with autoimmune diseases like lupus are more susceptible to bacterial infections: their neutrophils have impaired antibacterial activity.
By Leigh MacMillan
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