Biology Seminar Series: Paul Turner
By: TAMU Biology
TAMU Biology is pleased to announce that Dr. Paul Turner, the Rachel Carson Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University and a Microbiology faculty member at Yale School of Medicine, will be the guest speaker at our upcoming seminar. The event will take place on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at 4:00 PM in BSBE 115, hosted by Dr. Jolene Ramsey.
Dr. Turner will present his talk titled “Developing Phage Therapy Against Antimicrobial Resistant Bacterial Infections.” This seminar will delve into the innovative use of bacteriophages to combat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, a critical issue in modern medicine.
About Dr. Paul Turner:
Dr. Turner is renowned for his research in the evolutionary genetics of viruses, particularly phages that infect bacterial pathogens and RNA viruses transmitted by arthropods. His work focuses on using phages to treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial diseases. Dr. Turner obtained his BA in Biology from the University of Rochester and his PhD in Microbial Evolution from Michigan State University. He completed postdoctoral research at the National Institutes of Health, the University of Valencia in Spain, and the University of Maryland-College Park before joining Yale in 2001.
In addition to his research, Dr. Turner is actively involved in science communication outreach and collaborates with K-12 teachers to improve STEMM education in underserved public schools. His service includes participation in the National Science Foundation’s Bio Advisory Committee, and he has been honored with fellowships in the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and American Academy of Microbiology.
Seminar Abstract:
The rise of antibiotic resistance necessitates exploring novel approaches to address difficult-to-treat bacterial infections. Phage therapy, an older technology that harnesses bacteria-specific viruses (bacteriophages) to target and kill infecting bacteria, offers a promising solution. Dr. Turner will discuss how naturally occurring phages can be used to kill target bacteria while steering them to evolve phage resistance that coincides with reduced bacterial pathogenicity. This approach utilizes evolutionary trade-offs, where bacteria evolve resistance to phages by modifying virulence factors, potentially reducing their pathogenicity and increasing antibiotic sensitivity. The seminar will highlight examples of phages that utilize bacterial lipopolysaccharides, efflux pump proteins, and pili as binding sites, and will compare in vitro observations with phenotypic, genetic, and metagenomics analyses from patient samples before, during, and after emergency phage therapy treatments. Dr. Turner will emphasize the importance of evolutionary medicine approaches and collaborations among scientists, clinicians, and physicians in developing biotechnologies to address the antibiotic resistance crisis.
Join us for this insightful seminar to learn more about the cutting-edge research in phage therapy and its potential to revolutionize the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections!
