University of Nebraska Medical Center · BiologyAcid Survival Project
Stacey D Gilk · Omaha, Nebraska
Research Focus
Dr. Stacey Gilk's lab focuses on understanding how the bacterium Coxiella burnetii survives and thrives in acidic environments within infected human cells. This research is crucial for developing new treatments for Q fever, a disease caused by this pathogen, which can lead to severe health issues. By investigating the mechanisms that allow this bacteria to regulate its internal pH and survive under stress, the lab aims to identify potential new therapeutic targets for chronic infections.
Coxiella burnetiiQ feverintracellular bacteriapH homeostasistherapeutic targetsacid stresspathogen survivalchronic infection
Research Aims
3AIM 01Identify host and pathogen factors that maintain bacterial cytoplasmic pH.
AIM 02Determine how C. burnetii protects against acid stress through metabolic processes.
AIM 03Investigate how C. burnetii manipulates host lysosomal biogenesis to regulate pH in its vacuole.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturePCRanimal modelsmolecular cloningprotein assaysWestern blottingmicroscopybioinformaticsquantitative PCR
Output against the department
Publications58bottom 14% of dept.882nd of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations1.9kbottom 12% of dept.905th 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.