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Belisle Lab

Dr. John Belisle’s research focuses on the biochemistry of bacterial pathogens (in particular Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium leprae and Borrelia burgdorferi) and the diseases they cause: tuberculosis, leprosy and Lyme disease. He has a particular interest in how disease-causing bacteria and their hosts respond to one another at a biochemical level.

Research activities in Dr. Belisle’s laboratory have included the purification and characterization of bacterial proteins (including enzymes), lipids, and glycolconjugates; elucidation of biochemical processes; discovery of diagnostic and vaccine antigens; and the definition of specific molecular interactions involving the innate immune response. Most recently, Dr. Belisle has investigated host metabolic responses to identify biochemical pathways altered in response to bacterial infection and disease, and to apply this approach to identify novel biomarkers and biosignatures of disease progression and treatment outcome.

Dr. Belisle is co-director of the Center for Metabolism of Infectious Diseases, and the Belisle Lab is a part of the Mycobacteria Research Laboratories.

research project

The Study of Host-Pathogen Interactions in Leprosy

The pathogen Mycobacterium leprae is responsible for ~200,000 new cases of leprosy annually. The Belisle laboratory is studying how the metabolism of this obligate intracellular pathogen and the human host are entwined and drive the neuropathology of leprosy. The laboratory also studies how M. leprae products stimulate immune responses.

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research project

Metabolic Responses to Tuberculosis and Tuberculosis Treatment

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections are responsible for one of the globe’s most common infectious diseases, tuberculosis. Through the application of metabolomics and other research tools, the Belisle laboratory is studying the metabolic response in tuberculosis to develop prognostic markers of disease progression and treatment response, and to further understanding of this pathogen's success.

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research project

Host Metabolic Biosignatures for the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Lyme Disease

Dr. Belisle’s laboratory is investigating the use of metabolomics and host metabolic biosignatures to develop novel diagnostics and prognostics tools for Lyme disease. Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. Diagnosis of early Lyme disease remains difficult and delay in treatment can result in Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome.

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research project

The Center for Metabolism of Infectious Diseases

Along with Dr. Rushika Perera, Dr. Belisle is the co-director of the Center for Metabolism of Infectious Diseases. The center brings together the expertise of over 15 CSU research laboratories to enable development of new treatments, preventions, and diagnostics for infectious diseases by resolving host-vector-pathogen-environment interactions at a metabolic level.

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Publications

Drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains have altered cell envelope hydrophobicity that influences infection outcomes in human macrophages.
Schami A, Islam MN, Wall M, Hicks A, Meredith R, Kreiswirth B, Mathema B, Belisle JT, Torrelles JB. Sci Rep. 2024 Dec 28;14(1):30840. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-81457-0. PMID: 39730579

Adenosine A_2A receptor as a potential regulator of Mycobacterium leprae survival mechanisms: new insights into leprosy neural damage.
Dos Santos PMF, Díaz Acosta CC, Rosa TLSA, Ishiba MH, Dias AA, Pereira AMR, Gutierres LD, Pereira MP, da Silva Rocha M, Rosa PS, Bertoluci DFF, Meyer-Fernandes JR, da Mota Ramalho Costa F, Marques MAM, Belisle JT, Pinheiro RO, Rodrigues LS, Pessolani MCV, Berrêdo-Pinho M. Front Pharmacol. 2024 Jun 28;15:1399363. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1399363. eCollection 2024. PMID: 39005937

Baseline and end-of-treatment host serum biomarkers predict relapse in adults with pulmonary tuberculosis.
Mutavhatsindi H, Manyelo CM, Snyders CI, Van Rensburg I, Kidd M, Stanley K, Tromp G, Dietze R, Thiel B, van Helden PD, Belisle JT, Johnson JL, Boom WH, Walzl G, Chegou NN. J Infect. 2024 Jul;89(1):106173. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2024.106173. Epub 2024 May 9. PMID: 38734311

Whole blood transcriptomics reveals the enrichment of neutrophil activation pathways during erythema nodosum leprosum reaction.
Rosa TLSA, Leal-Calvo T, Tavares IF, Mendes MA, Dias AA, Piauy MHDS, Barboza MFDS, Kapuscinski M, Costa FDMR, Marques MAM, Belone AFF, Sales AM, Hacker MA, Moreira MBP, Belisle JT, Moraes MO, Pessolani MCV, Schmitz V. Front Immunol. 2024 Apr 23;15:1366125. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1366125. eCollection 2024. PMID: 38715615

Drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: cell envelope profiles and interactions with the host.
Schami A, Islam MN, Belisle JT, Torrelles JB. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2023 Oct 27;13:1274175. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1274175. eCollection 2023. PMID: 38029252

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People

John Belisle, Ph.D.

Lab Principal Investigator
Professor
Co-Director, Center for Metabolism of Infectious Diseases (C4MInD.org)

Marisa Harton

Research Associate IV
Lab Manager

Linda Fischbacher

Research Associate I

Zaithun Mohamed Rafeeldeen

Graduate Research Assistant

John Albo

Student Researcher

Lina Alvarez

Student Researcher

Cice Kim

Student Researcher

Rianne Lambrecht

Student Researcher

Machenzie Wernsman

Student Researcher

2022 Belisle Lab in front of the Research Innovation Center (RIC)

news and updates view all

December 2, 2020 Five research teams selected for Catalyst for Innovative Partnership funding

The Center for Metabolism of Infectious Diseases (C4MInD) co-led by John Belisle and Rushika Perera, enables the development of new treatments, preventions, and diagnostics for infectious diseases by resolving host-vector-pathogen-environment interactions at a metabolic level.

December 31, 2018 CO-Labs: 2018 Governor’s Awards for High-Impact Research winner: CDC & CSU [Video]

Awarded a 2018 Colorado Governor’s Award for High-Impact Research, CDC & CSU principal investigators explain their proof-of-concept study that can be applied to develop an innovative diagnostic test for early Lyme disease.

October 29, 2018 CDC-CSU team wins governor’s award for research

A team of researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Colorado State University was recognized with one of the 2018 CO-LABS Governor’s Awards for High-Impact Research for identifying a way to distinguish Lyme disease from similar illnesses.

contact information

Office: Research Innovation Center room D111

Lab: Research Innovation Center room D139

(970) 491-8905

[email protected]