Microbiome, Microbes & Infectious Diseases (MMID)

Models to Medicine Center

Molecular, Cellular and Community-Level Approaches to Treat Infectious Diseases

The Microbiome, Microbes & Infectious Diseases (MMID) theme consists of an interdisciplinary group of 20 investigators from nine Departments: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biology, Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Food Science, Mathematics and Statistics, Microbiology and Veterinary and Animal Science. The overarching goal of MMID is to understand, manipulate and design microbial systems at the molecular, cellular and community levels for translational applications in human health and disease. To achieve this goal, MMID faculty combine expertise in genomics, microbiology, synthetic and systems biology, host-microbe interactions, infectious diseases, biocolloids, surface science and computational modeling.

Through extensive collaborations within MMID, these capabilities have been integrated to seek innovative solutions to unsolved problems in human health and disease. Our primary location in the Life Science Laboratories (LSL) has fostered new collaborations within the Institute for Applied Life Sciences, across campus and with the UMass Medical School. Approximately 50% of MMID faculty are located within LSL, while the remaining faculty are spread across five buildings on campus.

Contact Information
Michele Klingbeil, Department of Microbiology

Interdisciplinary Science & Applications at the Cell Surface

Fact Sheet

The Membranes Team is an interdisciplinary group of faculty focusing on key aspects of cellular and biomimetic model membranes through studies that encompass fundamental advances, medical applications, and emergent technologies

M2M Research Theme

Host-microbe Interactions

Host-microbe interactions: We are developing in vitro and in vivo model systems to understand how microbes interact with their hosts to promote health and disease states. Target areas include gut-microbe interactions, vector-borne diseases, bacterial cancer therapies, antimicrobial resistance and discovery, and infectious disease dynamics.

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M2M Research Theme

Microbial Communities

Microbial Communities: We seek to understand naturally occurring communities and design synthetic model consortia for applications in human health and disease. Target areas include the human gut microbiome, pathogenic soil communities, deleterious multispecies biofilms, anti-biofouling strategies and engineered biofilm communities.

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M2M Research Theme

Microbial Systems Engineering

Microbial Systems Engineering: We are developing scalable technologies for single species and community engineering to advance human health and wellness. Target areas include cellular engineering, intercellular and interspecies communication and synthetic biofilm communities.

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