​​​​NIH 2R01AI132711

NIH R01AI132711

NIH R21AI168781

​NIH R01AI149852

​NIH R21 AI159745

NIH R21 AI113470

NIH R03 DK12004

​NIH K01DK092352

USF Microbiome Award

USF Early-Stage Innovation Award

USF Interdisciplinary Research Award

USF CREATE Awards

​Anthony Gagliardi Foundation

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Industry Contracts 

Relevant Reading

Research Projects

​​​​​​​​​C. difficile infection (CDI) has emerged as a significant public health threat worldwide.

Toxins are major virulent factors of C. difficile. The Sun Lab (See here) focuses on the pathogenesis of C. difficile, host immune responses and development of novel preventive and therapeutic agents against CDI. We have established mouse and hamster models of CDI to support basic and applied research on the pathogenesis of C. difficile. We also use multidisciplinary approaches in our research, including molecular biology/microbiology, immunology, cell biology, protein engineering, genome sequencing and bioinformatics, flow cytometry and nano-particle delivery.

Research Fundings

A novel peptidoglycan hydrolase plays pleiotropic roles in C. difficile pathogenesis

About

Research Interests

TPL2 is  a key re​gulator of  intestinal inflammation in C. difficile infection

Novel Chimeric Protein Vaccines Against C. difficile Infection​​​

Vancomycin resistance

​Oral Vaccines against C. difficile infection

Clostridioides difficile  Research Team

​University of South Florida

​FliW and CsrA Govern Flagellin (FliC) Synthesis and Play Pleiotropic Roles in Virulence and Physiology of C. difficile R20291​​​​​

Clostridioides difficile  (Clostridium difficile)

1) The roles of innate immunity and intestinal microbiome in the pathogenesis of CDI

2) Physiology, virulence and pathogenesis mechanisms of C. difficile 

3) Development of novel therapeutic /preventive agents including vaccines and antimicrobials against C. difficile

4) Antibiotic resistance mechanisms of C. difficile

5) Signaling pathways of pro-inflammatory mediators and CDI