Molecular Microbial Persistance and Pathogenesis

描述(申请人提供)：21世纪初的标志是认识到世界范围内传染病的威胁越来越大，以及微生物抗生素耐药性、微生物抗原变异、遗传潜伏期和新出现的传染病病原体构成的严峻挑战。微生物进化出了一系列令人困惑的持久性机制，以避免宿主防御导致既定的感染，从而导致疾病或死亡。为了解决这些复杂的问题，在分子水平上定义微生物进化、持久性和致病机理的机制是至关重要的，这些研究需要跨学科和协作的研究努力。因此，我们在这里描述了一个面向博士后和博士后学员的大学范围内的跨学科培训计划，该计划针对博士后和博士后学员，结合了由匹兹堡大学医学院、公共卫生研究生院和文理学院的30名教师导师组成的高度互动的团队提供的优秀培训资源和机会。MMPP培训计划的基本原理是，博士后和博士后学员沉浸在不同病毒、细菌和原生动物分子机制研究的跨学科计划中，将为未来微生物持久性和发病机制的关键研究提供最有效的基础，以获得全面的专业知识和经验。MMPP培训计划旨在吸引最优秀和最聪明的学员，为与微生物持久性和致病机理相关的教学和研究培训创造独特的机会和环境，加强不同大学单位之间的研究合作，并优化研究和培训资源的利用。因此，MMPP培训计划的目标是培养具有独特跨学科视角和协作研究培训的新一代独立研究人员，以在分子水平上阐明微生物持久性和发病机制，并利用这些信息开发新的有效预防和治疗传染病的策略。

Description (provided by applicant): The beginning of the 21st Century is marked by a realization of the increasing threat of infectious diseases worldwide and the formidable challenges posed by microbial antibiotic resistance, microbial antigenic variation, genetic latency, and emerging infectious agents. Microorganisms have evolved a confounding array of persistence mechanisms to avoid host defenses leading to established infections that result in disease or death. To address these complex problems it is essential to define at the molecular level the mechanisms underlying microbial evolution, persistence, and pathogenesis, studies that require interdisciplinary and collaborative research efforts. Thus, we describe here a university-wide interdisciplinary training program in "Molecular Microbial Persistence and Pathogenesis" (MMPP) for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees that combines outstanding training resources and opportunities provided by a highly interactive team of 30 faculty mentors in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Graduate School of Public Health, and Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The rationale for the MMPP Training Program is that the immersion of predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees into an interdisciplinary program of molecular mechanistic studies of diverse viruses, bacteria, and protozoa will provide the most effective foundation to gain comprehensive expertise and experience for future critical studies of microbial persistence and pathogenesis. The MMPP training Program is designed to attract the best and the brightest trainees, create unique opportunities and environment for didactic and research training relevant to microbial persistence and pathogenesis, to enhance research collaborations among different university units, and to optimize the utilization of research and training resources. Thus, the goal of the MMPP Training Program is to produce the next generation of independent investigators with unique perspective of interdisciplinary and collaborative research training required to elucidate at the molecular level the mechanisms of microbial persistence and pathogenesis and to use this information to develop new and effective prevention and treatment strategies for infectious diseases.