Dr. John Mekalanos

Biography

John Mekalanos is a distinguished member of the faculty at Harvard University, where he holds the title of Adele Lehman Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. His research laboratory is dedicated to the analysis of bacterial virulence and functional genomics, focusing on understanding how pathogenic bacteria grow, evade the host immune system, and ultimately cause disease. His investigations cover a variety of organisms, with a particular emphasis on Vibrio species and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. His work encompasses several topics, including how bacteria sense their environment and modulate the expression of virulence genes, the mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer and the evolution of pathogenic strains, and the genomic information used to identify virulence factors and essential gene products for cell growth. Furthermore, Mekalanos studies the ecological factors that control the emergence of epidemic properties in bacterial pathogens. Employing an array of techniques, including genetic, genomic, proteomic, biochemical, structural, and imaging approaches, he aims to apply the knowledge gained from his studies to the development of effective vaccines and small molecule therapeutics.

Research Interests

Experience