University of Maryland-College Park · BiologyThe Mucus Defense Initiative
Margaret Adele Scull · College Park, Maryland
Research Focus
Dr. Margaret Scull's lab at the University of Maryland investigates how the mucus lining of the lungs defends against respiratory viruses. They focus on the role of glycans—sugar molecules attached to proteins—in the structure of mucus and how these affect the mucus's ability to trap and clear viruses like influenza and rhinovirus. By manipulating mucus properties in lab models, they aim to uncover important mechanisms that impact lung health and disease prevention.
mucus barrierrespiratory virusesglycansinfluenza A virusmucociliary clearance
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate how mucin-associated glycans influence mucus structure and function.
AIM 02Determine the impact of secreted mucins on virus trapping dynamics.
AIM 03Examine the role of mucus in protecting against different respiratory viruses.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturegenetically-modified modelsbiophysical assaysmolecular biology techniquesviral infection dynamics
Output against the department
Publications66bottom 17% of dept.852nd of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations3.2kbottom 24% of dept.785th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.