Joseph Zackular, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Microbial cooperation enhances Clostridioides difficile pathogenesis

Clostridioides difficile is the most commonly reported nosocomial pathogen in the United States and an urgent public health threat worldwide. The primary risk factor for C. difficile infection of the gastrointestinal tract is antibiotic use, which reduces colonization resistance to C. difficile by perturbing the resident gut microbiota. Despite the well-established link between the gut microbiota and susceptibility to C. difficile infection, the impact of polymicrobial interactions on C. difficile pathogenesis is not well understood.  In this talk, we will explore the effect of microbial cooperation on C. difficile virulence and investigate the molecular mechanisms of cross talk between C. difficile and the gut microbiota.