Sauer Lab  

Research Focus

The focus of our lab revolves around understanding host pathogen interactions.  Specifically we are interested in four separate but related questions:

1. How do intracellular pathogens parasitize their host cells?

2. How can we take advantage of pathogen virulence strategies to develop novel antimicrobials?

3. How does the host recognize and respond to infection by intracellular pathogens? 

4. How does recognition of intracellular pathogens by the innate immune system drive adaptive immune responses?

Recent Publications

Freeman, M.J., Eral, N.J., and Sauer, JD Listeria monocytogenes Requires Phosphotransferase Systems to Facilitate Intracellular Growth and Virulence. PloS Pathogens 2025 Apr 15;21(4):e1012492. PMCID:Pending

Siletti, C., Freeman, M.J., Dang , H.H., Tu, Z., Stevenson, D.M., Amador-Noguez , D., Sauer , JD,  Huynh, T. C-di-AMP accumulation disrupts glutathione metabolism in Listeria monocytogenes. Infection and Immunity. 2024 Dec 10;92(12):e0044024. PMCID: PMC11629612

Giese, M. Ramakrishnan, G., Dovan, J., Steenberge, L.H., Sauer, JD, and Huttenlocher, A.. Staphylococcus aureus lipid factors modulate melanoma clustering and invasion in zebrafish. Disease Models and Mechanisms. 2024 Sep 1;17(9):dmm050770.PMCID:PMC11423913

Recent News

Dec. 2025 - We are excited to welcome Kira Ruiz-Houston as a new graduate student!

We are excited to welcome Allia Taamallah and Nolan Doherty as our new undergraduate students!

Congratulations to Matt Freeman for defending his thesis!

Congratulations to Matt Freeman and Noah Eral on their recent publication in PLoS Pathogens!

We are excited to welcome Dr. Kevin Parducho as a new postdoctoral fellow!

We are excited to welcome Abby DeBrine as a new graduate student! 

Congratulations to Matt Freeman and our collaborators in the Huynh Lab on their recent publication in Infection and Immunity!

We are excited to welcome Dr. Alyssa Brokaw as a new postdoctoral fellow!

We are excited to announce that we have received a new R21 from NIAID titled The role of Prostaglandin E2 in Listeria monocytogenes induced CD8+ T-cell priming!