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

Shen S, Miskolci V, Dewey CN, Sauer JD, Huttenlocher A. Infection induced inflammation impairs wound healing through IL-1β signaling. iScience. 2024 Mar 19;27(4):109532. PMCID: PMC10993181

Smith, H.B., Lee, K., Freeman, M.J., Stevenson, D.M., Amador-Noguez, D., Sauer, JD. Listeria monocytogenes requires DHNA-dependent intracellular redox homeostasis facilitated by Ndh2 for survival and virulence. Infection and Immunity 2023  Oct 17;91(10) PMCID: PMC10580952

Leasure, C.S.*, Grunenwald, C.M.*, Choby, J.E., , Sauer, JD*,  Skaar E.P.* Maintenance of heme homeostasis in 1 Staphylococcus aureus through posttranslational regulation of glutamyl-tRNA reductase Journal of Bacteriology 2023 Sep 26;205(9) PMCID: PMC10521356

West, K.H.J, Ma, S.V, Pensinger, D.A., Tucholski, T., Tiambeng, T.T., Eisenbraun, E.L., Yehuda, A., Hayouka, Z., Ge, Y., Sauer, JD, Blackwell, H.E. A native autoinducing peptide reveals highly efficacious synthetic inhibitors and activators of Listeria monocytogenes quorum sensing and biofilm formation. Biochemistry 2023 Oct 3;62(19):2878-2892  PMCID: PMC10676741

Morrow, Z.T. and Sauer, JD. Type I Interferon Signaling on Antigen-Presenting Cells Blunts Cell-Mediated Immunity Toward Listeria monocytogenes. Infection and Immunity 2023 Jul 18;91(7). PMCID: PMC10353425

Recent News

Congratulations to the Sauer Lab and our collaborators in the Bugni Lab, Safdar Lab, Rose Lab, O'Leary Lab and Peters Lab on the funding of our Research Forward Proposal titled "Host-pathogen interactions as a new paradigm for infectious disease therapy"!

We are excited to welcome Delanie Arend as a new Research Specialist and Lab Manager in the Sauer Lab!

Congratulations to Sauer Lab Undergraduate Researcher Noah Eral on his recent Hilldale Undergraduate Research Fellowship Award!

Congratulations to Sauer Lab Research Specialist and Lab Manager Kijeong Lee on his decision to attend Harvard University for his PhD in fall of 2024!

Congratulations to Sauer Lab PREP Scholar Grace Semaan on her decision to attend Michigan State University for her PhD in fall of 2024!

Congratulations to Simone Shen and our collaborators in the Dewey Lab and Huttenlocher Lab on their recent publication in iScience!

Congratulations to Dr. Jessica Kelliher on starting her new position as an Assistant Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin!

Congratulations to Dr. Hans Smith, Kijeong Lee, Matt Freeman and our collaborators in the Amador-Noguez Lab on their recent publication in Infection and Immunity!

Congratulations to Dr. Caroline Grunenwald and our collaborators in the Skaar Lab on their recent publication in the Journal of Bacteriology!

Congratulations to Dr. Dan Pensinger and our collaborators in the Blackwell Lab on their recent publication in Biochemistry!

Congratulations to Dr. Zach Morrow on his recent publication in Infection and Immunity!