Lab Members

Blythe Janowiak, Ph.D. (Fall 2010 - present)

Associate Professor of Biology

Co-Leader of SLU Institute for Drug and Biotherapeutic Innovation (IDBI) 

Keystone Symposia Fellow (Class of 2011-2012)

Postdoctoral Fellowship (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics) Harvard Medical School, 2010

Ph.D. (Biochemistry) Medical College of Wisconsin, 2006

B.A. (Chemistry and Biological Sciences) DePauw University, 2000

https://www.slu.edu/arts-and-sciences/biology/faculty/janowiak-blythe.php

Gwendalyn Krekeler, B.S. 

Fall 2021 – Present

Ph.D. graduate student, expected graduation – August 2025

B.S. in Biology, Truman State University – Kirksville, 2018

Dissertation Proposal Title: "The role of glutathione synthesis in Streptococcus agalactiae infection and host response"

Deja Campbell

Summer 2025 as part of Harris Stowe State University and Saint Louis University REU pilot program

Pursuing Biology B.S. at Harris Stowe State University

Expected graduation - May 2026 

Project in the lab: "Visualization of glutathione-dependent phagocytosis of Group B Streptococcus in mouse macrophages"

Alexandria Diefenbach

Summer 2025

Pursuing Biology B.S. with a concentration in Biological Sciences

Expected graduation - August 2025

Project in the lab: "Novel Antibiotic Discovery with Unknown Microbes"

Karim Elbeshbeshy

Fall 2024 - Present

Pursuing Biology B.S. with a concentration in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Biology; minor in Political Science

Expected graduation - May 2027 

Project in the lab: "Putative antibiotic screening against mutidrug resistant ESKAPE pathogens"

Meghana Gangireddy

Spring 2025-Present

Pursuing Biology and Health Management double major on pre-med track

Expected Graduation- May 2027

Project in the lab: "Evaluation of CRISPR/Cas knockdown of glutathione-dependent genes in Group B Streptococcus"

Elora Koski

Spring 2025-Present

Pursuing Biology B.S. with a minor in Business Administration & Management 

Expected Graduation- May 2026

Project in the lab: "Putative antibiotic screening against mutidrug resistant ESKAPE pathogens"

Nathan Krugman

Fall 2024-Present

Pursuing Biology B.S. with a concentration in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Biology

Expected Graduation- May 2026

Project in the lab: "Discovery of novel antibiotics against mutidrug resistant ESKAPE pathogens using environmental isolates"

Rocky Meadows

Summer 2025 - present

Pursuing Biology B.S. & Neuroscience B.S. with a minor in French

Expected Graduation- May 2027

Project: "Putative antibiotic screening against mutidrug resistant ESKAPE pathogens"

Krista Miller

Summer 2025

Pursuing Biology B.S. with concentration in biological sciences

Expected Graduation- May 2026

Project: "Antibiotic screening against multidrug resistant ESKAPE pathogens"

Lalitha Nair

Fall 2023-Present

Pursuing Neuroscience and Biology major with a minor in Computer Science

Expected Graduation- May 2026

Project: "Evaluation of CRISPR/Cas knockdown of glutathione-dependent genes in Group B Streptococcus"