East Texas A&M University · BiologySorg Lab
Joe Sorg · Commerce, Texas
Research Focus
Dr. Joe Sorg's lab at Texas A&M University focuses on understanding the resilient spores of Clostridioides difficile, a major cause of hospital infections. The lab studies small acid soluble proteins (SASPs) that protect these spores from damage, particularly from UV light and harmful chemicals. By uncovering how these proteins work, the lab aims to develop strategies to combat C. difficile contamination in healthcare settings and improve patient outcomes.
Clostridioides difficilespore physiologysmall acid soluble proteinsUV resistancehealthcare contamination
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate how SspA & SspB contribute to spore formation.
AIM 02Analyze the mechanisms by which SASPs protect the C. difficile genome from UV damage.
AIM 03Study the regulation of proteases that degrade SASPs during germination.
Skills the Lab Values
PCRcell culturemicroscopyDNA sequence analysisprotein purification
Output against the department
Publications3bottom 1% of dept.1,027th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations1bottom 1% of dept.1,027th 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.