Research
Overview
Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of nosocomial infections in the United States, causing more than 450,000 cases and 20,000 deaths per year. The CDC has designated C. difficile an urgent antibiotic resistance threat because its infections typically occur following antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis. The symptoms of C. difficile infection (CDI) range from diarrhea to colitis to even death, with one of the most significant problems associated with CDI being its high rate of recurrence (~20%), which becomes more frequent with each subsequent recurrence.
The Dong lab is interested in identifying the fitness factors that promote C. difficile gut colonization and determining how phenotypic heterogeneity (variable phenotypes within a bacterial population) impacts C. difficile colonization and virulence. We apply interdisciplinary approaches, including genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, molecular microbiology, microscopy and pathogenesis studies to address these questions. With a better understanding of C. difficile physiology and the molecular basis of its colonization and pathogenicity, the Dong lab studies facilitate the development of more targeted and efficient diagnostics and therapeutics for combating CDI.
Circular infographic summarizing Dong Lab research on Clostridioides difficile, highlighting interconnected themes including gut colonization fitness factors, phenotypic heterogeneity, virulence/pathogenesis, host–microbiome interactions, and multi-omics approaches.
Major questions:
- What genetic programs enable successful colonization?
- How does phenotypic heterogeneity shape infection outcomes?
- Does C. difficile influence colorectal tumor progression?
- Can we design mechanism-based microbiome therapies?