Dr. Laura Runyen-Janecky

Assistant Professor of Biology
B-204 Gottwald Science Center
Office: (804) 287-6390
Fax: (804) 289-8233

http://facultystaff.richmond.edu/~lrunyenj/

Research:
The long-term research goal in the lab is to identify and characterize the physiological processes that are important for intracellular bacteria to survive and multiply within eukaryotic cells. Current research in the lab uses Shigella flexneri, a human intracellular pathogen, and Sodalis glossinidius, an intracellular symbiont of the tsetse fly, as model systems.

Education:
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin

Selected Publications:

Runyen-Janecky, L. J., A. Daugherty*, B. Lloyd*, C. Wellington*, H. Eskandarian*, and M. Sagransky*. 2007. Role and regulation of iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis genes in Shigella flexneri virulence. Infect. Immun. 76: 1083-1092. 

Runyen-Janecky, L.J., E. Dazenski*, S. Hawkins*, and L. Warner*. 2006. Role and Regulation of the Shigella flexneri Sit and MntH Systems. Infect. Immun. 74: 4666-4672.

Kanack, K.J., L.J. Runyen-Janecky, E.P. Ferrell, S-J Suh, and S. E. H. West. 2006. Characterization of DNA binding specificity and analysis of binding sites of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa global regulator, Vfr, a homologue of the Escherichia coli cAMP receptor protein. Microbiology, 152: 3485-3496.

Runyen-Janecky. L.J., A. Boyle*, A. Kizzee*, L. Liefer*, and S.M. Payne. 2005. Role of the Pst system in Plaque Formation by the Intracellular Pathogen Shigella flexneri. Infection and Immunity. 73: 1404-1410

Runyen-Janecky, L.J. 2005. Bioinformatics in a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Curriculum. Enzymatic. 2: 11-13.

Wei, J.M., B. Goldberg, V. Burland, M.M. Venkatesan, W. Deng, G. Fournier, G.F. Mayhew, G. Plunkett III, D.J. Rose, A. Darling, B. Mau, N.T. Perna, S.M. Payne, L.J. Runyen-Janecky, S. Zhou, D.C. Schwartz, and F.R. Blattner. 2003. Complete Genome Sequence and Comparative Genomics of Shigella flexneri Serotype 2a Strain 2457T. Infection and Immunity. 71: 2775-2786.

Runyen-Janecky. L.J., S.A. Reeves, E.G. Gonzales and S.M. Payne. 2003. Contribution of the Shigella flexneri Sit, luc, and Feo iron acquisition systems to iron acquisition in vitro and in cultured cells. Infection and Immunity. 71: 1919-1928.

Runyen-Janecky. L.J. and S.M. Payne. 2002. Identification of chromosomal Shigella flexneri genes induced by the eukaryotic intracellular environment. Infection and Immunity. 70: 4379-4388
*undergraduate authors

Awards:

National Institutes of Health Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15)

Thomas F. Jeffress and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust Award