Professor Gary Dunny

The Dunny lab studies the genetic basis for the ability of the bacterium Enterococcus faecalis to colonize the intestinal tract as a harmless commensal organism and to cause opportunistic infection in persons with impaired immunity or who have been heavily treated with antibiotics. The researchers make extensive use of Illumina sequencing for analyzing gene expression, comparing competitive fitness of large numbers of mutants, and for identification of spontaneous changes in genome sequences under selective pressures.

This group's work was featured on the MSI website in:  

• June 2019: Fighting Side Effects in Treatment for Acute Leukemia
• October 2015: Understanding Pathogens and Biofilms