Education | Laboratory Personnel | General Research Interest | Selected Research Projects
Research and Clinical Interests | Major Specialized Equipment Items Available | Selected Publications
TCSVM Faculty

Giovanni Widmer
Professor
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Infectious Diseases
Phone: 508-839-7944
Fax: 508-839-7911
Email: giovanni.widmer@tufts.edu
Dept. URL: http://www.tufts.edu/vet/dbs/infectious_diseases/
Lab URL: Giardia, Cryptosporidium Testing Services

Education
PhD - London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine - 1986

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General Research Interest
Molecular biology of protozoan parasites
Waterborne pathogens

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Research Sponsor Interest
Privately Funded Research
Federally Funded Research

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Selected Research Projects

  1. Genetics of Cryptosporidium parvum
  2. Functional genomics of Cryptosporidium parvum
  3. Cryptosporidium muris genome sequencing
  4. High-throuhput screening for compounds which perturb Giardia lamblia trophozoite growth.
  5. Detection and genotyping of Cryptospordium oocysts and Giardia cysts in water.
  6. Testing of drugs against Cryptosporidium and giardia in culture and in animal models.

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Selected Publications

  1. Faghiri Z, Bonilla Santiago R, Wu Z, Widmer G (2011) High-throughput screening in sub-optimal growth conditions identifies agonists of Giardia lamblia proliferation. Parasitology, 138, 194-200.

  2. Widmer G, Lee Y. (2010) Comparison of single- and multi-locus genetic diversity in the protozoan parasites Cryptosporidium parvum and C. hominis. Appl Environ Microbiol. 76,6639-44. PMID: 20709840.

  3. Widmer G, Lee Y. Comparison of single- and multi-locus genetic diversity in the protozoan parasites Cryptosporidium parvum and C. hominis. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2010 Aug 13. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 20709840.

  4. Faghiri Z, Santiago RB, Wu Z, Widmer G. High-throughput screening in suboptimal growth conditions identifies agonists of Giardia lamblia proliferation. Parasitology. 2010 Aug 10:1-7. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 20696097.

  5. Yang YL, Buck GA, Widmer G (2010) Cell sorting-assisted microarray profiling of host cell response to Cryptosporidium parvum infection. Infect Immun 78(3):1040-8. PubMed PMID: 20038534.

  6. Widmer G, Akiyoshi D. (2010) Host specific segregation of ribosomal nucleotide sequence diversity in the microsporidian Enterocytozoon bieneusi. Infect Genet Evol 10(1):122-8 PMID:19931647.

  7. Widmer G (2009) Meta-analysis of a polymorphic surface glycoprotein of the parasitic protozoa Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis.  Epidemiol. Infect. 137,1800-8. PMID: 19527551.

  8. Zhang L, Sheoran AS, Widmer G (2009) Cryptosporidium parvum DNA replication in cell-free culture. J. Parasitol. May 23:1. PMID:19463037.

  9. Yang YL, Serrano MG, Sheoran AS, Manque PA, Buck GA and Widmer G (2009) Over-expression and localization of a host protein on the membrane of Cryptosporidium parvum infected epithelial cells. Molec Biochem Parasitol, 168, 95–101. PMID:19631240.

  10. Ge, G, Cowen L, Feng X, Widmer G (2008) Protein coding gene nucleotide substitution pattern in the apicomplexan protozoa Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis. Comp Funct Genomics doi:10.1155/2008/879023.

  11. Grinberg A, Learmonth J, Kwan E, Pomroy W, Lopes Villalobos N, Gibson I, Widmer G (2008) Genetic diversity and zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium parvum causing foal diarrhea. J Clin Microbiol 46,2396-8.

  12. Santiago RB, Wu Z, Zhang L, Widmer G (2008) Identification of growth inhibiting compounds in a Giardia lamblia high-throughput screen. Molec Biochem Parasitol DOI 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2008.08.005.

  13. Tanriverdi S, Grinberg A, Chalmers RM, Hunter PR, Petrovic Z, Akiyoshi DE, London E, Zhang L, Tzipori S, Tumwine JK and Widmer G. (2008) Inferences on the global population structure of the protozoan pathogens Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis. Appl Environ Microbiol 74,7227-34.

  14. Tanriverdi S, Blain JC, Deng B, Ferdig M, Widmer G (2007) Genetic crosses in the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum define recombination parameters. Mol. Microbiol. 63,1432-9.

  15. Grinberg A, Lopez-Villalobos N, Pomroy W, Widmer G, Smith HW, Tait A. (2007) Host-shaped segregation of the Cryptosporidium parvum multilocus genotype repertoire. Epidemiol Infect 136,273-8.

  16. Tanrιverdi S, Blain JC, Deng B, Ferdig M, Widmer G (2007) Genetic crosses in the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum define recombination parameters. Molec. Microbiol. 63,1432-9.

  17. Bean CL, Hansen JJ, Margolin AB, Balkin H, Batzer G, Widmer G (2007) Class B alkaline stabilization to achieve pathogen inactivation. Int. J. Environ. Res. Publ. Health 4,53-60.

  18. Widmer G, Klein P, Bonilla R (2007) Adaptation of Cryptosporidium oocysts to different excystation conditions. Parasitology 134,1583-8.

  19. Feng X, Akiyoshi DE, Widmer G, Tzipori S (2007) Characterization of subtilase protease in Cryptosporidium parvum and C. hominis. J. Parasitol. 93,319-26.

 

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