Faculty & Staff

Headshot of Dr.Laura  Runyen-Janecky

Dr. Laura Runyen-Janecky

Professor of Biology, Coston Family Fellow in Molecular Biology
Curriculum Vitae

  • Profile

    Dr. R-J’s research program seeks to identify and characterize the physiological processes that are important for bacteria to survive and multiply within the constraints of particular environments. Current research in the lab uses the bacterium Sodalis glossinidius, a symbiont of the tsetse fly, a as model system.  Additionally, new projects that explore fermented food as interesting environments are currently being developed.

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  • Publications
    Journal Articles

    *= undergraduate co-author

    Runyen-Janecky LJ, Scheutzow JD*, Farsin R*, Cabo LF*, Wall KE*, Kuhn KM*, Amador R*, D'Souza SJ*, Vigneron A, Weiss BL. Heme-induced genes facilitate endosymbiont (Sodalis glossinidius) colonization of the tsetse fly (Glossina morsitans) midgut. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2022 Nov 28;16(11):e0010833. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010833. eCollection 2022 Nov.PMID: 36441823.

    Roma JS, D'Souza S*, Somers PJ*, Cabo LF*, Farsin R*, Aksoy S, Runyen-Janecky LJ, Weiss BL. Thermal stress responses of Sodalis glossinidius, an indigenous bacterial symbiont of hematophagous tsetse flies. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2019 Nov 18;13(11):e0007464. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007464. eCollection 2019 Nov.PMID: 31738754.

     

    Runyen-Janecky, L. 2016. Microbe Mentor: Career Activities at ASM Microbe 2016. Microbe, 11:223-225.

    Hrusa, G*., W. Farmer*, B.L. Weiss, T. Applebaum*, J. Roma*, L. Szeto*, S. Aksoy, and L.J. Runyen-Janecky.  2015.  TonB-dependent heme iron acquisition in the tsetse fly symbiont Sodalis glossinidius. App. Environ. Microbiol. 81:2900-2909.

    Waddell, C.D., Walter, T.J*., Pacheco, S.A., Purdy, G.E., and L.J. Runyen-Janecky. 2014. NtrBC and Nac contribute to efficient Shigella flexneri intracellular replication. J. Bacteriol. 196:2578-2586.

    Runyen-Janecky, Laura. 2013. Role and regulation of heme iron acquisition in gram-negative pathogens. Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol., 3:55. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2013.00055.

    Smith, C*., B. Weiss, S. Aksoy, and L. Runyen-Janecky. 2013.  Characterization of the Achromobactin Iron Acquisition Operon in Sodalis glossinidius.  App. Environ. Microbiol., 79:2872-2881.

    Runyen-Janecky, L. 2014. Transduction of Environmental Signals by Prokaryotic Two Component Regulatory Systems. In: Bell E., Bond J., Klinman J., Masters B., Wells R.(Ed.) Molecular Life Sciences: An Encyclopedic Reference: Springer Reference (www.springerreference.com). Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

    Richardson, C.*, M. Hill, C. Marks, L. Runyen-Janecky, and A. Hill. 2012. Experimental manipulation of sponge:bacterial symbiont community composition with antibiotics: sponge cell aggregates as a unique tool to study animal:microbe symbiosis. In press. FEMS Microb. Ecol.

    Daugherty, A.*, A. E. Suvarnapunya, and L.J. Runyen-Janecky. 2012. The Role of OxyR and SoxRS in oxidative stress survival in Shigella flexneri.  Microbiol. Res. 167: 238-245.

    Runyen-Janecky, L.J., A.N. Brown*, Ott, B*. Tujuba, H.G. *, and R.V.M. Rio. 2010. Regulation of high-affinity iron acquisition homologues in the tsetse fly symbiont, Sodalis glossinidius.  J. Bacteriol.192:3780-3787. 

    Snyder, A.K., J.W. DeBerry*, L. Runyen-Janecky and R.V.M. Rio. 2010. Nutrient provisioning facilitates homeostasis between tsetse fly (Diptera: Glossinidae) symbionts. Proc. R. Soc. B. 277:2389-2397.

    Runyen-Janecky, L. J., A. Daugherty*, B. Lloyd*, C. Wellington*, H. Eskandarian*, and M. Sagransky*. 2007. Role and regulation of iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis genes in Shigella flexneri virulence. Infect. Immun. 76: 1083-1092.

    Runyen-Janecky, L.J., E. Dazenski*, S. Hawkins*, and L. Warner*. 2006. Role and Regulation of the Shigella flexneri Sit and MntH Systems. Infect. Immun. 74: 4666-4672.2007

    Kanack, K.J., L.J. Runyen-Janecky, E.P. Ferrell, S-J Suh, and S. E. H. West. 2006. Characterization of DNA binding specificity and analysis of binding sites of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa global regulator, Vfr, a homologue of the Escherichia coli cAMP receptor protein. Microbiology, 152: 3485-3496.

    Runyen-Janecky, L.J. 2005. Bioinformatics in a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Curriculum. Enzymatic. 2: 11-13.

    Runyen-Janecky. L.J., A. Boyle*, A. Kizzee*, L. Liefer*, and S.M. Payne. 2005. Role of the Pst system in Plaque Formation by the Intracellular Pathogen Shigella flexneri. Infection and Immunity. 73: 1404-1410.

    Runyen-Janecky. L.J., S.A. Reeves, E.G. Gonzales and S.M. Payne. 2003. Contribution of the Shigella flexneri Sit, luc, and Feo iron acquisition systems to iron acquisition in vitro and in cultured cells. Infection and Immunity. 71: 1919-1928.

    Wei, J.M., B. Goldberg, V. Burland, M.M. Venkatesan, W. Deng, G. Fournier, G.F. Mayhew, G. Plunkett III, D.J. Rose, A. Darling, B. Mau, N.T. Perna, S.M. Payne, L.J. Runyen-Janecky, S. Zhou, D.C. Schwartz, and F.R. Blattner. 2003. Complete Genome Sequence and Comparative Genomics of Shigella flexneri Serotype 2a Strain 2457T. Infection and Immunity. 71: 2775-2786.

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