IRFP: Characterizing the Function of Leptospiral Proteins in the Biology of the Genus Leptospira

国际研究奖学金项目使美国科学家和工程师能够在国外进行9至24个月的研究。该计划的奖励为联合研究提供了机会，并利用独特或互补的设施、专业知识和国外的实验条件。该奖项将支持来自纽约普切斯曼哈顿维尔学院的Christopher Pappas博士获得为期24个月的奖学金，与法国巴黎巴斯德研究所螺旋体生物学部门的Mathieu Picardeau博士一起工作。为了帮助钩端螺旋体属的生理研究，研究人员正在开发一个诱导系统，将用于工程钩端螺旋体必需基因的条件突变。此外，研究人员正在详细探索先前鉴定的转座子突变体的表型，这些转座子突变体是使用先前在宿主实验室中开发的Himar1 mariner转座子系统创建的。钩端螺旋体病是由钩端螺旋体属引起的一种新发传染病。这是一种在哺乳动物宿主中维持的人畜共患感染。传播给人类可导致严重的疾病表现，导致全世界10%以上的病例死亡。拟议的项目将有助于描述钩端螺旋体的生理特征，从而使人们更好地了解钩端螺旋体的生物学。此外，该奖学金有助于钩端螺旋体的研究超越国界。该奖学金在曼哈顿维尔学院的克里斯托弗·帕帕斯博士和巴斯德研究所的马修·皮卡多博士以及其他同事之间建立了一个国际合作；一个以促进生物科学和公共卫生为重点的设施，由在国际一级进行合作的研究人员组成。

The International Research Fellowship Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct nine to twenty-four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad.This award will support a 24-month fellowship for Dr. Christopher Pappas from Manhattanville College located in Purchase, New York, to work with Dr. Mathieu Picardeau within the Biology of Spirochetes Unit at the Institut Pasteur located in Paris, France.To aid in the physiologic study of the genus Leptospira, the investigators are developing an inducible system which will be used to engineer conditional mutants of essential genes in Leptospira spp.. Further, the investigators are exploring in detail the phenotypes of previously identified transposon mutants created using the Himar1 mariner transposon system which has previously been developed within the host laboratory.Leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease caused by the genus Leptospira. It is a zoonotic infection which is maintained within a mammalian reservoir. Transmission to humans can lead to severe disease manifestations, which results in fatality in over 10% of cases worldwide. The proposed projects will aid in the characterization of the physiological aspects of Leptospira spp. and thus allow greater understanding of the biology of leptospires.Further, this fellowship aids the study of leptospires to transcend national borders. The fellowship creates an international collaboration between Dr. Christopher Pappas of Manhattanville College and Dr. Mathieu Picardeau and other colleagues at the Institut Pasteur; a facility focused on the advancement of biological sciences and public health comprised of researchers who collaborate at the international level.