Dr Tim Bull.

Dr. Timothy Bull.
Senior Research Fellow
St. George's University Hospital Medical School,
London, England.

Tim Bull has a Masters Degree in Bacteriology, a further Masters in Virology, and a PhD (Thesis : Mycobacterial phylogenetics) from The University of London, UK. His current position is Senior Research Fellow in Dept. Cardiovascular Medicine - Surgery, St George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK. His field of research involves the investigation of molecular mechanisms associated with the virulence of bacterial infection in animals and humans, with particular interest in the relationship to pathogenicity, phenotype and virulence of transposable Insertion Elements and unique mycobacterial associated proteins. His previous studies have identified and described new mycobacterial species (Mycobacterium celatum and Mycobacterium mageritense) and novel mycobacterial insertion sequences (IS1407, IS1511, IS1512, IS1612, IS1613). He has developed sensitive methods that have enabled accurate and rapid detection of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) in gut tissue from animals with Johne's disease and humans with Crohn's disease. Further work has developed novel DNA based systems for the rapid typing and effective epidemiological study of MAP infection in animals and humans. Recent studies include the characterisation of genes in MAP with associations to pathogenicity and mapping of IS900 insertions in the MAP genome. He is also involved in work constructing specific mycobacterial gene knockouts for use in differential expression analysis of the MAP transcriptome and generation of attenuated MAP strains for possible use in animal vaccination. Current work involves the design and development of anti-MAP vaccines based on MAP specific cell wall antigens using a recombinant vaccinia viral delivery system. This is aimed at therapeutic use, acting to stimulate immune recognition and elimination of chronic MAP infection.

Dr Salec A Naser.

Dr. Saleh A. Naser.
Assistant Professor
Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology
University of Central Florida. U.S.A.

WWW : http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~nasers

Dr. Naser is a microbiologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida. He has a particular interest in research into the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease and drug discovery for treatment of multiple drug resistant pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Staphylococcus aureus. He teaches Advanced Clinical Chemistry and Infectious Process. Dr. Naser is Co-author of a Clinical Chemistry Laboratory Manual.

His twelve published papers all relate to some aspect of mycobacteria. One of his recently published papers describes the discovery of MAP in the breast milk of lactating Crohn's patients. (S. A. Naser, I. Shafran, D. Swartz. Isolation of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis from Breast Milk of Crohn's Disease Patients.)

Dr John Belisle.

Dr. John T. Belisle.
Assistant Professor
College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences,
Colorado State University,
Fort Collins, CO. U.S.A.

WWW : http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/microbiology/belisle.htm

Dr. Belisle: "My research focuses on two areas of mycobacterial genetics and physiology. (1) The cellular envelope of Mycobacterium spp. is comprised of several unique glycolipids, polysaccharides and long chain fatty acids. We are currently working to identify the genes encoding the biosynthesis of these structures so that their roles in pathogenesis can be evaluated and to provide tools for the rational design of new antimycobacterial drugs. This work is being conducted in collaboration with Drs. Patrick Brennan, Julie Inamine, Gurdyal Besra, Delphi Chatterjee and Mike McNeil. (2) Protein antigens of M. tuberculosis are the primary target of the protective immune response against this organism and the contributions of these molecules to pathogenesis are now being realized. We are currently focusing our efforts on defining unique glycoproteins of M. tuberculosis and the implication of these post-translational modifications on immunogenicity and bacterial physiology. Additionally, unique proteins present only in clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis are being evaluated for their immunological characteristics and physiological function.

Dr Roderick Chiodini.

Dr. Rodrick J. Chiodini.

Rehoboth, MA

WWW : http://www.paratuberculosis.org/members/chiodini.htm

Dr. Chiodini received his Ph.D. in Bacteriology from the University of Connecticut with a specialty in Mycobacteriology. His primary research focus and Ph.D. thesis subject was paratuberculosis in cattle. In the late 1970's and early 1980's, Dr. Chiodini made the transition from animal disease to human disease and began to investigate the relationship between mycobacteria and Crohn's Disease in humans. His early pioneering efforts provided the first documentation and evidence that M. paratuberculosis was associated with Crohn's Disease, and caused the suspicion to become a credible theory of the cause of Crohn's Disease. Throughout most of the 1980's, Dr. Chiodini was in the forefront of investigation related to mycobacteria and Crohn's Disease, and led the research community into this controversial subject. Even today, much research relating to M. paratuberculosis in Crohn's Disease is derived from the infrastructure and backbone created by Dr. Chiodini. After over 20 years of effort in this area, no-one understands the implications or politics of Crohn's Disease and mycobacteria better than Dr. Chiodini. PARA is fortunate to have a scientist on its advisory council who provides the unique perspective of having been present on the ground floor of this controversial issue.

Dr. Chiodini was the co-founder and past-president of the International Association for Paratuberculosis, and has published over one hundred articles related to M. paratuberculosis and Crohn's Disease.

Dr Michael T Collins.

Dr. Michael T. Collins.
Professor of Microbiology
School of Veterinary Medicine.
University of Wisconsin at Madison, U.S.A.

WWW : http://www.johnes.org

As a veterinarian and a microbiologist, Dr. Collins approaches study of MAP with two primary interests: 1) diagnosis and control of the infection in animals, and 2) understanding the biology of this unusual pathogen. His research publications span a wide variety of subjects, from cost-benefit analysis of a test and slaughter control program in dairy herds to laboratory studies on thermal tolerance of the organism to help understand survival characteristics of this bacterium in pasteurized foods.

Most recently, Dr. Collins has turned his interest in paratuberculosis diagnostics toward the human species. In addition to his teaching and research as part of his job as Professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Collins serves on the National (USA) Johne's Working Group, (NJWG) and is President of the International Association for Paratuberculosis.

Dr Norman Pace.

Dr. Norman R. Pace.
Director, Pace Laboratory
Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology
University of Colorado at Boulder, U.S.A.

WWW : http://mcdb.colorado.edu/faculty/pace99.html

Current research interests revolve about the synthesis, structure and function of RNA; and the application of molecular biological tools to problems in environmental microbial biology.

A main effort of the laboratory is on the study of RNase P, an RNA processing enzyme responsible for removing the 5' termini of tRNA precursors during their maturation. This is a particularly interesting enzyme because the catalytic element is itself an RNA; RNase P is a ribozyme. Studies underway include analyses of the structure of the RNase P RNA, the nature of its interaction with tRNA precursors and other substrates, and the mechanism of the RNA-catalyzed reaction.
A second emphasis is on developing methods for analyzing phylogenetic and quantitative aspects of natural microbial populations without the necessity for laboratory cultivation. The methods rely on cloning and sequencing ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes for phylogenetic analyses, and the use of rRNA-based hybridization probes for various studies of microbial ecosystems. Investigations are broadly directed, for instance toward high-temperature environments, unusual symbioses, environmental bioremediation and selected human diseases.