Illuminating the inner-workings of bacterial and viral pathogens by cryo-electron microscopy

Daniel Parrell, Ph.D.

Position title: Postdoctoral Research Associate

Email: dparrell@wisc.edu

Daniel (He/Him/His) is a post-doctoral research associate working in the Wright lab since 2019. He received his undergraduate degree in Microbiology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and his PhD in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Michigan State University (MSU). At MSU he worked in the lab of Dr. Lee Kroos studying bacterial genetics and cell biology using sporulation in Bacillus subtilis as a model. His work advanced the understanding of intramembrane metallo-proteases which cleave transmembrane segments of proteins, typically resulting in the activation of alternative sigma factors. Daniel’s work in the Wright lab is for a project with the Great Lakes Bioenegy Research Center (GLBRC). He is using cryo-electron tomography to study membrane structures produced by Rhodobacter sphaeroides isolates which over produce extracellular lipids. In another project, he is developing the use of CRISPRi in Vibrio vulnificus in order to study the production of outer membrane vesicles. Daniel is excited to be a part of the Wright lab and is looking forward to the advancements cryo-electron microscopy will enable in understanding bacterial physiology.