Johns Hopkins University · BiologyBhabha Pathogen Lab
Gira Bhabha · Baltimore, Maryland
Research Focus
Dr. Gira Bhabha's lab at Johns Hopkins University focuses on understanding how certain pathogens, like the bacteria that cause tuberculosis and specialized parasitic fungi, invade human cells and transport essential nutrients. By studying the structures and mechanisms of these transport systems, the lab aims to uncover new strategies for combating diseases such as tuberculosis and microsporidiosis, which affect vulnerable populations. Through innovative techniques like cryo-electron microscopy, the lab investigates the intricate biology of these pathogens and their interactions with host cells.
tuberculosismicrosporidiacell invasionprotein transportstructural biologypathogen biologynutrient uptakecry-electron microscopyvirulence factors
Research Aims
5AIM 01Characterize the structure of MCE transport systems in Mycobacterium tuberculosis to understand nutrient transport mechanisms.
AIM 02Investigate the complex assembly of polar tube proteins in microsporidia to explore host cell invasion strategies.
AIM 03Utilize cryo-electron microscopy to capture real-time dynamics of pathogen entry into host cells.
AIM 04Define biochemical pathways crucial for the survival and replication of tuberculosis bacteria inside host cells.
AIM 05Study the interactions between transport proteins and their substrates to identify potential drug targets.
Skills the Lab Values
cry-electron microscopyX-ray crystallographybiochemical assaysprotein-protein interaction assayslive-cell optical microscopyelectron tomographymass spectrometrystructural characterizationcell culture techniques
Output against the department
Publications225top 28% of dept.285th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.2ktop 50% of dept.519th 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.