Our mission is to understand the role of oral pathogens in oral disease severity and their influence in systemic disease progression.
Our focus is on bacterial cell biology and the host response.
The themes of the laboratory are organized as presented above.
- Treponema denticola Cytoplasmic filaments involvement in pathogenicity (CFPA). The objectives are to understand the implication of this intracellular structure in the pathogenicity of the bacteria at the infection site.
- Architecture and motility of Treponemes (FLA). To further our understanding of the cell architecture in dissemination we are examining the bacteria in its 3-dimensions, using tomography.
- Human Oral Microbiome Database (HOMD). We are providing a comprehensive data set of the genetic potential and phylogenetic diversity of oral bacteria to sustain the world research efforts on fastidious pathogens.
- Genome survey of underrepresented oral bacteria (HOMD). The objective is to make available the genetic potential of fastidious pathogen and commensal oral bacteria.
- Oral treponemes and Alzheimer's disease. The objective is to understand the influence of treponemes in the inflammatory process associated with Alzheimer's disease.
- Oral infection and risk factors for pancreatic cancer. We are investigating the importance of oral infection as a risk factor in patients with pancreatic cancer.
-
Forsyth Intitute's mission is to lead the discovery, communication, and application of breakthroughs in oral health and disease prevention that will significantly improve the health and well-being of our nation and the world.