Providing a rich, collaborative environment engaged in advancing the field of microbial biology
Our department focuses on emerging and neglected diseases and the study of microbial-host interactions with the goal of improving human health.
“Microbiology remains a key discipline of modern biomedical science. Apart from causing infectious diseases, microbes and microbial communities play critical roles in human health and evolution. The domestication of microbes for medical and scientific purposes promises to have a profound impact on health and medicine. These topics are well-represented throughout the Washington University community, and I view the Department of Molecular Microbiology as providing a central home for the broader Washington University microbiology community”
Sean Whelan, PhD
Marvin A. Brennecke Distinguished Professor
Department Head
Meet our faculty
Beverley Lab Website
Caparon Lab Website
Ding Lab Website
Feldman Lab Website
Hultgren Lab Website
Khader Lab Website
Kutluay Lab Website
Lopez Lab Website
Sibley Lab Website
Stallings Lab Website
Vogel Lab Website
Wang Lab Website
Learn more about Dr. Whelan
News
Bridging the COVID-19 funding gap (Links to an external site)
In this Q&A, virologist Sean Whelan, PhD, and business leader Andrew M. Bursky explain how faculty members and donors swiftly came together to advance critical COVID-19 research.
Virus that causes COVID-19 can find alternate route to infect cells (Links to an external site)
Children hospitalized with breathing problems due to infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are likely to get sicker and remain hospitalized if they have high levels of defective copies of the virus, according to a new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Study predicts which kids hospitalized with RSV likely to worsen (Links to an external site)
Children hospitalized with breathing problems due to infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are likely to get sicker and remain hospitalized if they have high levels of defective copies of the virus, according to a new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Nobel awarded to Charles Rice for hepatitis C discoveries at Washington University School of Medicine (Links to an external site)
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to three scientists for groundbreaking research that led to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus, an insidious and deadly blood-borne virus. One of those scientists – virologist Charles M. Rice, PhD – conducted his seminal work while on the faculty of Washington University School of Medicine.