University of Maryland - Baltimore
Robert (Bob) K. Ernst, Ph.D., is the Dr. Paul and Mrs. Jean Corcoran Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbial Pathogenesis in the School of Dentistry. He is also a University of Maryland, Baltimore Distinguished University Professor.
The focus of his laboratory has been at the forefront of innovative research studying the molecular basis and adaptive significance of modifications to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structure. He specifically focuses on elucidating the molecular basis by which Gram-negative bacteria modify the lipid A component of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and how these alterations affect or circumvent normal host innate immune system responses. In the context of CF, his laboratory investigates how Pseudomonas aeruginosa adapts within cystic fibrosis airways, focusing on unique lipid A modifications and their impact on chronic infection and airway inflammation in CF patients. He has also developed the bacterial enzymatic combinatorial chemistry (BECC) that can be used to engineer functionally diverse lipid A molecules for use as vaccine adjuvants and for the rapid identification of pathogens directly from complex biological fluids, such as blood and urine, without the need for ex vivo amplification using mass spectrometry.
S14--Molecular Basis of Persistent Infection
Friday, October 24, 2025
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM PDT