Microbial Pathogenesis of Oral Organisms

The human body is home to trillions of bacteria. While most of these bacteria are commensals that exist in a beneficial relationship with their human host, others are pathogens which can cause severe and life-threatening disease. Research efforts on microbial pathogenesis in the Department of Oral Biology are focused on understanding the molecular basis of the mechanisms by which these bacteria cause disease, and the defense response of the human host.