The Allen Lab at Loyola University Chicago Health Science Campus

Welcome to our lab! We study healthcare-associated bacterial pathogens, focusing on the urgent global challenge of antimicrobial resistance. To combat these increasingly drug-resistant threats, we investigate the fundamental mechanistic biology of these pathogens, aiming to unlock insights that could inform novel therapeutic approaches.

(1) Bacterial Pathogenesis & Vulnerabilities. We integrate functional genomics with diverse infection models to map how pathogens colonize host tissues and evade immunity. By dissecting the essential mechanisms of infection, we aim to pinpoint critical pathogen vulnerabilities, their “Achilles’ heels”, that can be targeted therapeutically.

(2) Interbacterial Warfare & Antimicrobial Discovery. Bacteria have evolved sophisticated molecular systems to kill competing microbes. We investigate the mechanisms and targets of the potent toxins used in interbacterial competition, leveraging nature’s own toolkit to discover novel antimicrobial compounds with translational therapeutic potential.

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