Summer/Fall 2008:  When I have an actual picture and a roster, I'll put them in.  But in the meantime, this is as good a representation of our group as I could come up with!!. 

Welcome to our lab homepage at the College of William & Mary. Browse around and learn a
         little bit about who we are and what we are accomplishing. We hope you enjoy!

     Our research foci are each centered on the examination of the mechanisms by which bacterial pathogens cause disease.  The experimental model system we utilize most extensively in our laboratory is the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.  This human gastric pathogen, infects the stomachs of nearly 50% of the world's population ( i.e. 3 BILLION people!!!).  This bacterium is the etiologic agent of gastric and duodenal ulcers, and infection with this bacterium is a very strong predisposing factor for the development of gastric cancers.

       One area of intense study in the lab are the mechanisms of how H. pylori senses its environment and alters its gene expression to respond to changing conditions.  Our lab uses mutant strains of H. pylori which have been "blinded" to features of their environment by destroying individual genes responsible for the sensory process.  We have identified several genes whose responses are altered in these mutants and students in the lab are currently examining the means of transcriptional regulation being used in these fascinating sensory and response networks.

      Another aspect of H. pylori pathogenesis that is a major focus of the lab and that is the evolution of the H. pylori chromosome.  Two strains of this bacterium have had their chromosomes sequenced in total and there are striking differences between them.  Work in our lab is aimed at an examination of how H. pylori became a pathogenic bacterium rather than remaining a harmless commensal resident of the human gastrointestinal tract as hundreds of other bacterial species have done.

    We are also involved in collaborative research with Dr. Daniel Cristol  here at William & Mary involving the role of keratin degrading bacteria, specifically, Bacillus licheniformis, in the degradation of feathers on wild birds.  Projects here are a wonderful intersection between classic field biology studies and molecular microbiology investigations.

                                                         Mark H. Forsyth Ph.D. 
                                               Associate Professor of Biology
                                                   Office - Room 214 Millington Hall
                                                    Lab - Room 203 Millington Hall            
                                                     Telephone - (757) 221-2489

updated May 4, 2008.    Website Design: Joshua D. Hall W&M Class of 2002!