Adel M Talaat
Department of Pathobiological Sciences
Office: 337A
Education
- 1998-2002 Post doctoral training
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX.
1998 Ph.D. Univeristy of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
1990 M.V.Sc. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo Univeristy, Egypt.
1986 B.V.Sc. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo Univeristy, Egypt.
Research
-Mycobacterial Pathogenesis
-Vaccine Development
-Evolution of Bacterial Genomes
The research in my laboratory involves the use of innovative approaches to understand the basics of mycobacterial pathogenesis and evolution of bacterial genomes. Currently, we are exploiting the transcriptome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis, the causative agent of human and animal tuberculosis, to better understand the critical stages of persistent infection. In particular, we use gene-targeted mutational analysis alongside cellular, biochemical and molecular techniques to determine the role of a novel genomic island expressed only during infection (iVEGI) in mycobacterial survival. Some of these mutants are currently developed into effective vaccines against human and animal tuberculosis.
Other members of the laboratory investigate the pathogenesis and evolution of M. avium ss. paratuberculosis (M. ap), the causative agent of Johne’s disease in cattle. In particular, we address questions related to the very early stages (few hours) of intestinal invasion by M. ap bacilli as well as virulence factors associated with chronic infection. With the availability of the genome sequences of members of M. avium complex, we are currently reconstructing the evolutionary history of M. avium complex. We are determined to develop a better vaccine than the current inactivated vaccine to control Johne’s disease in sheep, goat flocks and cattle dairy herds.
Patents:
-Inventor: Adel M. Talaat, Bassam Abomoelak and Sarah K. Ward. Immunogenic Compositions Against Tuberculosis. US 8,367,055 B2. (Issued)
-Inventor: Adel M. Talaat. Vaccine Candidates Against Johne’s Disease. WARF: P05446US (Pending)
-Inventor: Adel M. Talaat. RNA Biomarkers for Early Diagnosis of Mycobacterial Infections. WARF: P130075US01 (Pending)
Wisconsin Center for Tuberculosis System Biology
Responsibilities
-Consultant, King AbdelAziz City of Science and Technology, 2010-presnt
-Associate Editor, Frontiers in Microbiology, 2010-present
-Associate Editor, Bacteriology ISRN, 2013-present
-Graduate student advisory committee for at least 20 students in Pathology, Microbiology and Comparative Biomedical Sciences graduate programs, 2002-present
-Biology Major, Faculty Member, 2006-present
-Senator, University of Wisconsin Faculty Senate, 2004-present
-Teaching “Molecular Biology Techniques”, PBS500, 3 credit hrs from 2004-present, Average 40 students
Graduate Training
During the past decade, I have mentored 8 undergraduate, 6 graduate students and 5 post-doctoral fellows in my laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Recent Publications
Hsu, C.Y., Wu, C.W, Talaat, A.M.* Genome-wide sequence variations among Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis: A better understanding of Johne’s disease transmission dynamics. Front. Microbiol. 2011. 2:236.
Ward, S.K., Abomoelak, B., Hoye, E.H., Steinberg, H. and Talaat, A.M.* CtpV: A copper exporter required for full virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Mol. Microbiol. 2010. 77: 1096-1110.
Wu, C-W, Glasner, J., Collins, M. T., Naser, S., and Talaat, A. M. Whole Genome Plasticity among Mycobacterium avium subspecies: Insights from Comparative Genomic Hybridizations. J.Bacteriol. 2006. 188: 711. 723.
Shin, S. J., Wu, C-W, Steinberg, H., and Talaat, A. M. Identification of Novel Virulence Determinants in Mycobacterium paratuberculosis by Screening a Library of Insertional Mutants. Infec.Immun. 2006. 74:3825-3833.
Talaat, A. M., Lyons, R., Howard, S. T., and Johnston, S. A. The temporal expression profile of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in mice. Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci U.S.A. 2004. 101: 4602. 4607.