Vanderbilt Institute for Infection Immunology and Inflammation (VI4)

June 10, 2020

C. diff captures blood cell cofactor to build defensive shield

Vanderbilt University Medical Center scientists have identified a C. diff protein system that senses and captures heme (part of hemoglobin) to build a protective shield that fends off threats from our immune system and antibiotics.

By Leigh MacMillan
May 14, 2020

The adaptable anthrax bacterium

Vanderbilt researchers discover how anthrax bacterium defends itself against structural damage and resists the toxicity of the antimicrobial drug targocil.

By Leigh MacMillan
Richard Locksley, MD, right, spoke about his allergic diseases research during his recent Flexner Discovery Lecture. Here, he poses for a photo with VUMC’s Eric Skaar, PhD, MPH.
February 27, 2020

Locksley’s Discovery Lecture

Richard Locksley, MD, spoke about his allergic diseases research during his recent Flexner Discovery Lecture. Here, he poses for a photo with VUMC’s Eric Skaar, PhD, MPH.

By VUMC News and Communications
January 13, 2020

Zinc uptake by a deadly pathogen

The increasingly antibiotic-resistant bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii requires zinc to cause infection, and Vanderbilt researchers have identified the zinc uptake system it uses.

By Leigh MacMillan
December 12, 2019

Wexler receives Helen Hay Whitney Foundation Fellowship

Aaron Wexler, PhD, a research fellow in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, has received a Helen Hay Whitney Foundation Fellowship.

By Leigh MacMillan
October 31, 2019

Imaging host-pathogen battle for metal

An unprecedented view of bacterial products within infected tissues opens new opportunities to explore infection biology and devise novel therapeutic strategies.

By Leigh MacMillan
October 8, 2019

New leadership appointments for Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

By Bill Snyder
April 11, 2019

How bugs overcome host defenses

Vanderbilt researchers led by Eric Skaar are probing the mechanisms bacteria use when faced with nutrient starvation — a host defense strategy called “nutritional immunity.”
By Leigh MacMillan
June 28, 2018

New staph virulence factor

Jun. 28, 2018—The new factor, an enzyme involved in host-pathogen interactions, may be a viable target for treating staph infections.
By Leigh MacMillan
March 15, 2018

New imaging approach offers unprecedented views of staph infection

A new integrated imaging approach makes it possible to probe the molecules involved in invasive infections and can be broadly applied to any health or disease state.
By Leigh MacMillan
January 11, 2018

Lighting up iron levels

A new probe enables iron imaging in living animals, providing a unique tool for studying iron’s contributions to health and disease.
By Leigh MacMillan
September 21, 2017

Excess dietary manganese increases risk of staph infection in heart

Too much dietary manganese — an essential trace mineral found in leafy green vegetables, fruits and nuts — promotes infection of the heart by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (“staph”).
By Leigh MacMillan
July 27, 2017

Investigators use light to kill microbial ‘vampires’

On July 24 Vanderbilt scientist Eric Skaar, Ph.D., MPH, summarized his group’s latest paper in a tweet: “If S. aureus is going to drink our blood like a vampire, let's kill it with sunlight.”
By Bill Snyder
1 2 3 4 5