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The inhabitants of Earth are mostly microbes, and their activities are central to human welfare. Microbes can cause disease, but a properly functioning microbiome is essential for health. Microbes spoil food, but drive many forms of food production. Microbes mediate organismic decay, but catalyze numerous geochemical processes essential for life on Earth.
Research in the Penn Microbiology Department focuses on infectious agents that threaten global health, with an emphasis on understanding molecular mechanisms and developing key new methods. Areas of focus include SARS-CoV-2, HIV, pathogenic bacteria of the airway and gut, cancer causing viruses, emerging infectious diseases, and the human microbiome. On the host side, faculty study many areas of immunology related to infection, including innate and adaptive immunity, tumor immunology and vaccine development.
Penn Micro on Bluesky
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Wednesday, January 28, 2026
NO Microbiology Seminar 🔬 on Wednesday 2-4-26
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Friday, January 23, 2026
Virology Seminar 💉 Tuesday 1/27/26 12-1 PM 209 Johnson Pavilion Join Tamanna Srivastava from the Cherry Lab
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Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Microbiology Seminar 🔬 Wednesday 1/21/26 12-1PM CRB Austrian Auditorium Sam Sternberg, PhD "RNA-guided and RNA-templated antiviral immunity" www.sternberglab.org
Departmental Events
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Prokaryotic Seminar
Monday, Februrary 2: 4pm in 209 Johnson Pavilion
Stephen Cole, VMD, Penn Vet
“Pets and the Hidden Pathways of Antimicrobial Resistance”
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Virology Seminar
Tuesday, February 3: 4pm in 209 Johnson Pavilion
Angela Corrigan, Betts Lab. :: Sydney Gang, Hensley Lab
“In vivo reprogramming of cytotoxic effector CD8+ T cells via fractalkine-conjugated mRNA LNP for HIV cure strategies”
"Immune history shapes birth year-dependent susceptibility to emerging influenza H3 mutations"
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Microbiology Seminar
Wednesday, February 11th: 12pm in CRB Austrian Auditorium
Sabra Klein, PhD :: Johns Hopkins
“SeXX matters for respiratory virus pathogenesis”