MISSION STATEMENT

Program in Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunity

The Program in Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunity (PMPI) was established within the Departments of Veterinary Pathobiology (School of Veterinary Medicine) and Molecular Microbiology and Immunology (School of Medicine) with the overall scientific objective to investigate the molecular determinants of virulence and the host response to important microbial pathogens of humans and food animals. It is anticipated that this knowledge will be utilized to develop vaccines and diagnostic tools for agents of significant health and economic importance.

Three specific interests within this thrust were targeted:

  1. To enhance basic research efforts to characterize the molecular determinants of virulence and their contribution to the pathogenesis of respiratory and enteric pathogens which initiate disease at mucosal sites.
  2. To strengthen basic research in the understanding of host response to these pathogens, microbial immunity and vaccine development.
  3. To translate scientific findings in these areas into the development of effective vaccines and diagnostic tools.

The interdisciplinary PMPI program was recognized this past spring by the MU Life Sciences Mission Enhancement Committee as a program of excellence worthy of support in the form of new faculty hires and infrastructure funding. Three new faculty positions in microbial pathogenesis and host response to invading pathogens will be recruited over the next three years. These positions will be coupled with other faculty lines in the participating departments, including an endowed professorship in microbial pathogenesis, giving PMPI the critical mass to make significant contributions to national and international research efforts in microbial pathobiology.

The complete Mission Statement Document is available in PDF format.