University of Illinois Chicago · Microbiology & ImmunologyStaphylococcus Aureus Pathogenesis Lab
Francis Alonzo · Chicago, Illinois
Research Focus
Dr. Francis Alonzo's lab at the University of Illinois at Chicago studies how Staphylococcus aureus, a dangerous bacterium that causes many infections, survives in our bodies. They explore how the bacterium uses certain nutrients and lipids to evade the immune system and persist during infections. By understanding these processes, the lab aims to discover new ways to combat bacterial infections and improve treatment options.
Staphylococcus aureuspathogenesisimmune evasionlipasesmetabolic adaptation
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate how S. aureus uses lipoic acid to enhance its infection capabilities.
AIM 02Determine the role of bacterial lipases in circumventing immune responses.
AIM 03Study the alterations in bacterial cell wall to understand its impact on immune recognition.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemouse modelsWestern blottingPCRlipid extraction
Output against the department
Publications75bottom 23% of dept.372nd of 486
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations3.8kbottom 29% of dept.347th of 486
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.