Dhritiman Samanta, Ph.D.

Samanta Lab in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology studies the molecular mechanisms of various aspects of the intracellular pathogenesis of the bacterium Coxiella burnetii . Coxiella is a gram-negative bacterium and the causative agent of human Q fever. In nature, Coxiella transmits from livestock animals to humans via direct contact or via contaminated aerosols. Veterinarians, farmers, and slaughterhouse personnel are considered at the highest risk of developing Q fever. While acute Q fever commonly manifests as a non-specific febrile illness, it could lead to life-threatening endocarditis in chronic cases. Patients at the highest risk of developing chronic Q fever are those with pre-existing cardiac valve defects, immunocompromised patients, and pregnant women. Generally, the diagnosis of chronic Q fever is difficult and treatment requires at least 18 months of antibiotic combination therapy and there is currently no licensed vaccine available in the United States. The lack of effective antibiotics for chronic Q fever or a vaccine warrants further research into Coxiella pathogenesis. within human cells, Coxiella heavily manipulates the development and maturation of cellular vesicles such as endosomes and lysosomes for survival (Samanta et. al., 2019, PLOS Pathogens). Therefore, in the Samanta lab, we focus on the following three projects:

Project 1: Identification of molecular mechanisms of Coxiella 's regulation of endosomal maturation

Project 2: Analyzing Coxiella's role in regulating recycling endosomes

Project 3: Analyzing the bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects of Short-Chain Fatty Acids as anti- Coxiella therapeutics



See 'Research' section below for details on each of these projects and if you are interested in getting involved in our research, contact me at dsaman@midwestern.edu.