Events
Dr. Katherine Brown, The Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, UT Austin, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, UK
"Emerging Imaging and Modeling Approaches for Emerging Pathogens"
Abstract: A variety of emerging infectious diseases are acquired from interactions with pathogens present in different environmental settings. We are interested in understanding key factors that drive the establishment of pathogens in different environments, from nano to geographic scales, as a means to developing disease-mitigation strategies. In the first part of this presentation, I will describe new imaging studies of biological materials, including bacterial biofilms, using a novel scanning helium-atom microscope (SHeM). The use of helium atoms enables visualization of surface structures at nanoscale resolution without radiation damage. Other advantages include the ability to produce topographic images in the absence of labels or contrast agents at nanoscale resolution with incredibly large fields of view. The second part of the presentation will focus on geospatial modelling studies of emerging infectious diseases, particularly in relation to climate change. I will describe our modelling methodology for identifying the spread of neglected diseases emerging in Texas. This will include a case study of melioidosis, a soil-borne bacterial pathogen associated with a recent outbreak where biofilms were implicated to play a key role in disease spread.
