Sumby Lab

• Focus on using genetic, genomic and transcriptomic approaches to discover molecular explanations for observed GAS-serotype disease-phenotype associations.
• Studying how GAS regulates gene expression in a disease-specific manner.
• Aiming to develop novel therapeutic and/or preventative regimes via translational research approaches.

Paul Sumby, Ph.D., professor of Microbiology and Immunology, has been studying the relationship between group A Streptococcus and disease for more than 16 years. GAS causes around 700 million human infections, leading to roughly 550,000 deaths, each year. GAS has a remarkable ability to cause a variety of human diseases including strep throat, pyoderma, puerperal sepsis, toxic shock syndrome and necrotizing fasciitis. Through understanding how GAS regulates virulence factor expression, the Sumby Lab aims to develop novel therapeutic and preventative targets.

• Recent focus on puerperal sepsis, a life-threatening disease that originates in the reproductive tract of women ante- or post-partum and that causes morbidity in ~10% of new mothers globally.
• Most cases of GAS puerperal sepsis are caused by serotype M28 isolates, a serotype that uniquely harbors a 36 kb piece of DNA within its genome.
• Identified that this DNA is a pathogenicity island, enhancing the ability of M28 isolates to bind vaginal epithelial cells and colonize the female reproductive tract, amongst other phenotypes.
• Data is consistent with the association of M28 isolates with puerperal sepsis cases being driven by the acquisition of this mobile pathogenicity island.

• Agilent TapeStation 4150: Low-throughput automated electrophoresis platform for nucleic acid sample quality control.

1. A Novel Regulatory System Promotes Group A Streptococcus Survival in Human Blood.
   • Award: R21AI163230
   • Funding organization: National Institute of Health (NIH) - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)