Shaun Lee

Kravis Associate Professor of Integrated Science: Molecular Biology and Microbiology

Department

Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences

Areas of Expertise

Molecular Biology

Biography

Shaun Lee's research involves the study of host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions that govern human health, wellness, and disease states, especially in aspects of personalized medicine such as host microbiomes. His current work utilizes biophysical, molecular, and cellular technologies to discover and develop novel bacterial peptides for use as safe anti-infective compounds.

Research and Publications

Hammers DE, Donahue DL, Tucker ZD, Ashfeld BL, Ploplis VA, Castellino FJ, Lee SW. Streptolysin S targets the sodium-bicarbonate cotransporter NBCn1 to induce inflammation and cytotoxicity in human keratinocytes during Group A Streptococcal infection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022 Nov 1;12:1002230. 

Fields FR, Manzo G, Hind CK, Janardhanan J, Foik IP, Carmo Silva PD, Balsara RD, Clifford M, Vu HM, Ross JN, Kalwajtys VR, Gonzalez AJ, Bui TT, Ploplis VA, Castellino FJ, Siryaporn A, Chang M, Sutton JM, Mason AJ, Lee SW.Synthetic antimicrobial peptide tuning permits membrane disruption and interpeptide synergy. ACS Pharm &Transl Sci2020 Jun 12;3(3):418-424. doi: 10.1021/acsptsci.0c00001. 

Higashi DL, Biais  N, Donahue DL, Mayfield JA, Tessier  CR, Rodriguez K, Ashfeld BL, Luchetti J,  Ploplis VA, Castellino FJ, Lee SW. Activation of band 3 mediates group A Streptococcus streptolysin S-based beta-haemolysis. Nature Microbiology. 2016;1:15004.