Frederick Blattner

Position title: Emeritus Professor

Phone: 608-251-9284

Address:
Genetics

Education: Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins University, 1968, Postdoctoral Research: McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin
Department: Genetics

Research Description:
We are interested in the genomics of bacteria. Having sequenced E. coli K-12 we have now turned to large scale functional genomics of E. coli through DNA chip analysis of global gene expression and by phenotypic analysis of conditional knock-out mutations.

We are also interested in hypothesis driven comparative and evolutionary genomics by sequencing strains closely related to K-12. The first strain sequenced for comparison is E. coli 0157:H7, the “hamburger strain.” Future studies include enteropathogenic, enterotoxigenic, enteroaggregative and uropathogenic strains of E. coli, as well E. coli K1, a cause of neonatal sepsis and miningitis. We are also planning to sequence Yersinia Pestis (plague), Shigella flexneri (dysentary), and Salmonella typhi (typhoid fever). It turns out that many virulence determinants of the different pathogens are similar pathogens, so this approach will allow identification of a “pathosphere” of the virulence genes that make up the pathogenic potential of these bacteria. Other lab interests include bioinformatics, technology development, and genetic engineering/re-engineering of bacterial genomes.

Dr. Blattner is no longer accepting graduate students.

Representative Publications:
Search PubMed for more publications by Frederick Blattner

Hensel, M., J. E. Shea, A. J. Baumler, C. Gleeson, F. Blattner and D. W. Holden. 1997. Analysis of the boundaries of Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 and the corresponding chromosomal region of Escherichia coli K-12. J Bacteriol 179:1105-11.

Blattner, F.R., G.R. Plunkett, C. A. Bloch, N. T. Perna, V. Burland, M. RIley, J. Collado-Vides, J. D. Glasner, C. K. Rode, G. F. Mayhew, et al. 1997. The complete genome sequence of Escherichia coli K-12 science 277:1453-74.

Fernandez, D.E., Heck, G.R., Perry, S.E., Patterson, S.E., Bleecker, A.B., and S Fang. (2000) The embryo MADS domain factor AGL15 acts post-embryonically: inhibition of perianth senescence and abscission via constitutive expression. Plant Cell 12:183-19.