Journal of Bacteriology & Parasitology

Hui Wu

Hui Wu
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry
The University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA

Biography

July 1991 - July 1994-Research Associate. Institute of Plant Physiology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai. P. R. China
January 1995 - May 1999-Graduate Research Assistant. Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
August - December 1994-Research Assistant. Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
August 1999 – May 2004-Research Associate: Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VTbr /> July 2002 – May 2004-Research Associate. Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
June 2004- September 2008-Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), School of Dentistry, Birmingham, AL
June 2005-present-Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Pathology. Departments of Microbiology and Pathology, UAB School of Medicine and Dentistry, Birmingham, AL
October 2008-present Associate Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, UAB School of Dentistry, Birmingham, AL

Research Interest

Bacterial biofilm development is crucial for numerous persistent and chronic bacterial infections in humans. We study molecular mechanisms governing bacterial biofilm formation using oral bacteria as model systems. They are particularly interested in glycosylation and biogenesis of serine-rich repeat adhesins that are widespread in oral streptococci and many pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. Their study is aimed to uncover new and conserved bacterial glycosylation and secretion pathways that are amenable to therapeutic strategy to control bacterial colonization and pathogenesis. We also study the interactions between bacterial biofilms and hosts, and how the biofilm formation modulates vegetation in infective endocarditis and bone remodeling dynamics in periodontal disease. In collaboration with chemists, we are developing small molecule inhibitors that block biofilm formation of oral pathogens and osteoclastogenesis, which may have therapeutic potentials for treatment of oral infectious diseases and other resorption related bone disorders.