University of Illinois Chicago · Biomedical EngineeringEddington Lab
David Eddington · Chicago, Illinois
Research Focus
David Eddington's lab focuses on understanding how the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, a major cause of pneumonia and meningitis, acquires antibiotic resistance through genetic transformation. The lab utilizes microfluidics technology to study bacteria in small environments, enabling detailed examination of how genetic material is exchanged between bacterial cells. By investigating these mechanisms, the lab aims to develop better strategies for combating bacterial infections that have become increasingly resistant to current treatment methods.
antibiotic resistancegenetic transformationhorizontal gene transfermicrofluidicsStreptococcus pneumoniaebacterial pathogensgene exchangepublic healthdisease mechanisms
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer in Streptococcus pneumoniae.
AIM 02Characterize macro-recombination events in bacterial cells.
AIM 03Develop microfluidic devices to study bacterial interactions.
AIM 04Identify gene exchange events at high resolution.
AIM 05Assess the implications of gene transfer on antibiotic resistance.
Skills the Lab Values
microfluidicsDNA extractioncell culturegenomic sequencinggenetic recombinationmolecular biology techniquesdata analysisexperimental designbacterial culture techniques
Output against the department
Publications193bottom 45% of dept.327th of 595
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations5.1kbottom 39% of dept.362nd of 595
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.