Anisia Silva-Benitez, Ph.D., Research Instructor
| | Anisia Silva-Benitez, Ph.D.
Research Instructor, Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Immunology
Morehouse School of Medicine
B.S., University of Havana School of Biochemistry and Pharmacy
Ph.D., University of Havana College of Biological Sciences
E-mail: asilva-benitez@msm.edu
Office Phone: (404) 752-6660
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Research Interests Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of Asiatic cholera, colonizes the human small bowel and causes a potentially life-threatening watery diarrhea. V. cholerae of serogroups O1 and O139 continues to cause seasonal cholera outbreaks that affect highly populated regions in Asia, Africa and Latin America. We are studying the mechanisms by which the bacterium colonizes the small intestine and cause disease. To this end we are using genetic and genomic approaches to study the role of several global regulators in the survival of V. cholerae in the human host and the environment. These studies will facilitate the development of improved vaccines to prevent cholera. We have shown that V. cholerae live attenuated vaccines can be used as antigen delivery vectors to induce protective immunity against other pathogens. We are working to improve current cholera vaccines by expressing foreign antigens that could afford cross protection to other diseases that share similar geographic and socioeconomic pattern. Selected Publicatoins 1. Hazra, Anupam, Anisia J. Silva and Jorge A. Benitez 2007. Expression of foreign proteins in a Vibrio cholerae vaccine strain using the stationary phase hemagglutinin/protease promoter. Biotechnol. Letters [Epub ahead of print]. 2. Adaska, J.M., A. J. Silva, A.C. B. Berge, and W.M. Sischo. Genetic and phenotypic variability in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolated from California dairy cattle and humans. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 6632-6637, 2006. 3. Jahid, I.K., A.J. Silva and J.A. Benitez. Polyphosphate stores enhance the ability of Vibrio cholerae to overcome environmental stresses in a low phosphate environment. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 7043-7049, 2006. 4. Silva, A.J. Leitch, G.J., Camilli, A. and J.A. Benitez. Contribution of hemagglutinin/protease and motility to the pathogenesis of El Tor biotype cholera. Infect. Immun. 74: 2072-2079, 2006. 5. Silva, A.J. and J.A. Benitez. A Vibrio cholerae relaxed (relA) mutant expressed major virulence factors, biofilm, motility and colonized the suckling mouse intestine J. Bacteriol. 188: 794-800, 2006 |
