University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee · BiologyBacteriophage Resistance Research Unit
Alita Burmeister · Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Research Focus
Dr. Alita Burmeister's lab at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee focuses on understanding how bacteria evolve resistance to treatments, particularly using bacteriophages as an alternative to antibiotics. The lab studies the costs and benefits of different resistance mechanisms, such as mucoidy, which can both protect bacteria from phage attacks and affect their virulence. This research not only aims to find ways to use phages effectively in treating bacterial infections but also provides valuable hands-on research experience for undergraduates.
bacteriophagesantibiotic resistancemucoidybacterial evolutionpathogen virulence
Research Aims
3AIM 01Determine how bacterial strain affects the evolution of mucoidy-based phage resistance.
AIM 02Investigate the relationship between mucoidy, antibiotic resistance, and motility in bacteria.
AIM 03Explore how environmental factors influence the evolution of mucoidy in bacterial populations.
Skills the Lab Values
bacterial culturephage isolationmolecular cloninggenetic manipulationfitness assaysmicroscopic imaging
Output against the department
Publications36bottom 6% of dept.973rd of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations1.0kbottom 5% of dept.981st of 1,033
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.