Jackson Lab

The Jackson laboratory, as part of the Mycobacteria Research Laboratories  and NTM Basic and Translational Research Center, investigates the structure, biosynthesis and transport of cell envelope lipids and (lipo)polysaccharides playing important roles in the physiology and pathogenicity of mycobacteria.

Our laboratory also studies Mycobacterium leprae and emerging non-tuberculous mycobacterial pathogens, the strategies used by these organisms to persist in the environment, and their molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity and resistance to biocides.

Another aspect of our research concerns the development of anti-mycobacterial drugs and the study of their mechanism of action.

research project

Mycobacterial cell envelope (lipo)polysaccharides

Together with immunologists in the MRL and synthetic chemists outside of the University, the Jackson lab investigates how Mycobacterium tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) synthesize their unique cell envelope polysaccharides and how they alter the structure of these glycans to promote their persistence in the infected host.

research project

Inhibition of mycolic acid biosynthesis

Mycolic acids are major constituents of the outer membrane of mycobacteria and are essential for growth. The Jackson lab is leading international, multidisciplinary, research projects whose objectives are to understand how mycolic acids are synthesized and transported to the outer membrane and to design inhibitors capable of blocking outer membrane assembly.

Publications

Next-generation rifamycins for the treatment of mycobacterial infections.
Dartois V, Lan T, Ganapathy US, Wong CF, Sarathy JP, Jimenez DC, Alshiraihi IM, Lam H, Rodriguez S, Xie M, Soto-Ojeda M, Jackson M, Wheat W, Dillman NC, Kostenkova K, Schmitt J, Mann L, Richter A, Imming P, Sarathy J, Kaya F, Paruchuri S, Tatek B, Folvar C, Proietto J, Zimmerman M, Gonzalez-Juarrero M, Aldrich CC, Dick T. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 May 6;122(18):e2423842122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2423842122. Epub 2025 May 1. PMID: 40310456

C3HeB/FeJ mice with chronic Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary infection exhibit impaired respiratory function but not necrotising granulomatous disease.
Shaw TD, Pearce CM, Lam H, Alshiraihi IM, Dutt T, Obregon-Henao A, Henao-Tamayo M, Jackson M, Gonzalez-Juarrero M. Mycobacteria. 2025;1(1):4. doi: 10.1186/s44350-025-00004-7. Epub 2025 May 15. PMID: 40386578

The DosR regulon of Mycobacterium avium and adaptation to hypoxia.
Belardinelli JM, Avanzi C, Martin KE, Lam H, Dragset MS, Wheat WH, Podell BK, Gonzalez-Juarrero M, Jackson M. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2025 Feb 18;15:1545856. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1545856. eCollection 2025. PMID: 40041152

Cell envelope polysaccharide modifications alter the surface properties and interactions of Mycobacterium abscessus with innate immune cells in a morphotype-dependent manner
Lian E, Belardinelli JM, De K, Pandurangan AP, Angala SK, Palčeková Z, Grzegorzewicz AE, Bryant JM, Blundell TL, Parkhill J, Floto RA, Wheat WH, Jackson M.
mBio2025 Mar 14;:e0032225doi: 10.1128/mbio.00322-25. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 40084888.

Mycobacterium leprae in Nine-Banded Armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus), Ecuador
Romero-Alvarez D, Calvopiña M, Cisneros-Vásquez E, Garzon-Chavez D, Warren AK, Bennett LS, Janapati RR, Bastidas-Caldes C, Cabezas-Moreno M, de Waard JH, Silva-Martinod D, Schaub R, Jackson M, Peterson AT, Avanzi C.
Emerg Infect Dis2024 Dec;30(12):2629-2632doi: 10.3201/eid3012.231143. PubMed PMID: 39592404; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11616649.

more publications

People

Mary Jackson
Mary Jackson, Ph.D.

Lab Principal Investigator [PI]
Professor

Juan Bellardinelli
Juan Belardinelli, Ph.D.

Research Scientist III

Shiva Kumar Angala Headshot
Shiva Kumar Angala, Ph.D.

Research Scientist II

Anna Grzegorzewicz
Anna Grzegorzewicz, Ph.D.

Research Scientist II

Wei Lei Headshot
Wei Li, Ph.D.

Research Scientist II

Bill Wheat
Bill Wheat, Ph.D.

Research Scientist II

Kavita De
Kavita De, Ph.D.

Research Scientist I

Elena Lian

Graduate Researcher

Kelsey Martin headshot
Kelsey Martin

Graduate Research Assistant

Briana Henry headshot
Briana Henry

Student Researcher

Samantha Lakoski

Student Researcher

Sydney Wootton headshot
Sydney Wootton

Student Researcher

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contact information

Lab: Microbiology rooms B425, B426, B427

Office: Microbiology room B423A

(970) 491-4067