Biruk Tesfaye Birhanu

I have been involved and run projects on bacterial agents related to the respiratory system, mastitis, and diarrhea in domestic animals. These studies include (1) Optimizing antibiotics to restrict bacterial resistance (zoonotic pathogen, Salmonella Typhimurium), (2) Identifying potential drug targets by using genomics/proteomics approach in Actinobacillus spp, (3) Quorum-sensing inhibitors against Salmonella Typhimurium, (4) inhibitory activity of phytochemicals against bacterial adhesion, invasion, and intracellular survival, and (5) chemicals and drug analysis based on their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics activity. These researches further heighten my interest in studying host-pathogen interaction including, their pathogenetic mechanisms and drug-resistant microbes. I am interested in studying microbial pathogenesis and host interactions, especially, against bacteria that acquire antibiotic resistance genes and have an antibiotic avoidance mechanism, which could further extend into microbiota and host interaction. Furthermore, I have an interest to work in the inhibition of the efflux pump of bacterial agents, which are significant in increasing drug-resistance.