Education

• Cornell University, MS/PhD in Environmental Engineering, Ithaca, NY                                      
• Montana State University, BS in Chemical and Biological Engineering, Bozeman, MT
• University of Washington, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Microbiology, Seattle, WA

Courses Taught

BIOM 410 Microbial Genetics. The molecular genetics of prokaryotic organisms including: structure and replication of the prokaryotic chromosome; gene expression; mutagenesis and DNA repair; plasmids and other tools of genetic engineering; transmission of genetic material and recombination in prokaryotes; regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes; recombinant DNA and biotechnology.

Research Interests

• Bacterial pathogenesis
• Antibiotic resistance
• Biofilm polysaccharides
• Antibacterial therapeutics
• Bacterial epigenetics

Projects

Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections are a global public health threat.  Our research aims to change that. 

The Jennings Lab studies bacterial factors that impact infection outcomes. Our research has two primary focus areas: 1) Unraveling the influence of biofilm polysaccharides on pathogenesis and vaccine escape, and 2) Epigenetics and programmed heterogeneity in drug-resistant bacteria. Our goal is to leverage insights from these areas to develop innovative approaches to combat bacterial infections. Jennings Lab Website 

Selected Publications

For a complete list of publications, please see Laura K. Jennings on Google Scholar (link).

de Mattos CD, Faith DR, Nemudryi AA, Schmidt AK, Bublitz DC, Hammond L, Kinnersley MA, Schwartzkopf  CM, Robinson AJ, Joyce A, Michaels LA, Brzozowski RS, Coluccio A, Xing DD, Uchiyama J, Jennings LK, Eswara P, Wiedenheft B, Secor PR. Polyamines and linear DNA mediate bacterial threat assessment of bacteriophage infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2023;120(9):e2216430120. doi: doi:10.1073/pnas.2216430120.

Jennings LK, Secor PR, Evans J, inventors. Antibacterial carbohydrate vaccine. 2023. United States Patent App. 17/781, 187. 

Secor PR, Michaels LA, Bublitz DC, Jennings LK, Singh PK. The depletion mechanism actuates bacterial aggregation by exopolysaccharides and determines species distribution & composition in bacterial aggregates. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 2022:797.

Schmidt AK, Fitzpatrick AD, Schwartzkopf CM, Faith DR, Jennings LK, Coluccio A, Hunt DJ, Michaels LA, Hargil A, Chen Q, Bollyky PL, Dorward DW, Wachter J, Rosa PA, Maxwell KL, Secor PR. A filamentous bacteriophage protein inhibits type IV pili to prevent superinfection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. mBio. 2022;13(1):e02441-21. doi: doi:10.1128/mbio.02441-21.

Almblad H, Randall TE, Liu F, Leblanc K, Groves RA, Kittichotirat W, Winsor GL, Fournier N, Au E, Groizeleau J, Rich JD, Lou Y, Granton E, Jennings LK, Singletary LA, Winstone TML, Good NM, Bumgarner RE, Hynes MF, Singh M, Stietz MS, Brinkman FSL, Kumar A, Brassinga AKC, Parsek MR, Tseng BS, Lewis IA, Yipp BG, MacCallum JL, Harrison JJ. Bacterial cyclic diguanylate signaling networks sense temperature. Nature Communications. 2021;12(1):1986. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22176-2.

Jennings LK, Dreifus JE, Reichhardt C, Storek KM, Secor PR, Wozniak DJ, Hisert KB, Parsek MR. Pseudomonas aeruginosa aggregates in cystic fibrosis sputum produce exopolysaccharides that likely impede current therapies. Cell Reports. 2021;34(8).

Secor PR, Burgener EB, Kinnersley M, Jennings LK, Roman-Cruz V, Popescu M, Van Belleghem JD, Haddock N, Copeland C, Michaels LA, de Vries CR, Chen Q, Pourtois J, Wheeler TJ, Milla CE, Bollyky PL. Pf bacteriophage and their impact on Pseudomonas virulence, mammalian immunity, and chronic infections. Frontiers in Immunology. 2020;11:244.

Burgener EB, Sweere JM, Bach MS, Secor PR, Haddock N, Jennings LK, Marvig RL, Johansen HK, Rossi E, Cao X, Tian L, Nedelec L, Molin S, Bollyky PL, Milla CE. Filamentous bacteriophages are associated with chronic Pseudomonas lung infections and antibiotic resistance in cystic fibrosis. Science Translational Medicine. 2019;11(488).

Secor PR, Michaels LA, Ratjen A, Jennings LK, Singh PK. 2018. Entropically driven aggregation of bacteria by host polymers promotes antibiotic tolerance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Proc Natl Acad Sci 28:201806005.

Secor, PR, Michaels, LA, Smigiel, KS, Rohani, MG, Jennings, LK, Hisert, KB, Arrigoni, A, Braun, KR, Birkland, TP, Hallstrand, TS, Lai, Y, Bollyky, PL, Singh, PK, Parks, WC. 2017. Filamentous bacteriophage produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa alters the inflammatory response and promotes non-invasive infection in vivo. Infection and Immunity 85(1), e00648-16. *Featured on journal cover

Baker P, Hill PJ, Snarr BD, Alnabelseya N, Pestrak MJ, Lee MJ, Jennings LK, Tam J, Melnyk RA, Parsek MR, Sheppard DC, Wozniak DJ, Howell PL. Exopolysaccharide biosynthetic glycoside hydrolases can be utilized to disrupt and prevent Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Science Advances. 2016;2(5):e1501632.

Jennings LK, Storek KM, Ledvina HE, Coulon C, Marmont LS, Sadovskaya I, Secor PR, Tseng BS, Scian M, Filloux A, Wozniak DJ, Howell PL, Parsek MR. 2015. Pel is a cationic exopolysaccharide that cross-links extracellular DNA in the Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm matrix. Proc Natl Acad Sci 112:11353-11358. 

Secor PR, Jennings LK, Michaels LA, Sweere JM, Singh PK, Parks WC, Bollyky PL. 2015. Biofilm assembly becomes crystal clear–filamentous bacteriophage organize the Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm matrix into a liquid crystal. Microbial Cell 3:49-52.

Jones CJ, Newsom D, Kelly B, Irie Y, Jennings LK, Xu B, Limoli DH, Harrison JJ, Parsek MR, White P, Wozniak DJ. 2014. ChIP-seq and RNA-Seq reveal an amrZ-mediated mechanism for cyclic di-GMP synthesis and biofilm development by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PLoS Pathogens 10:e1003984.

Field EK, Gerlach R, Viamajala S, Jennings LK, Peyton BM, Apel WA. 2013. Hexavalent chromium reduction by Cellulomonas sp. strain ES6: the influence of carbon source, iron minerals, and electron shuttling compounds. Biodegradation 24:437-450.

Jennings LK, Giddings CG, Gossett JM, Spain JC. 2013. Bioaugmentation for aerobic degradation of cis-1,2-dichloroethene, p 199-217, Bioaugmentation for Groundwater Remediation. Springer, New York.

Secor PR*, Jennings LK*, James GA, Kirker KR, Pulcini Ed, McInnerney K, Gerlach R, Livinghouse T, Hilmer JK, Bothner B, Fleckman P, Olerud JE, Stewart PS. 2012. Phevalin (aureusimine B) production by Staphylococcus aureus biofilm and impacts on human keratinocyte gene expression. PLoS ONE 7:e40973. *co-first author

Giddings CG, Jennings LK, Gossett JM. 2010. Microcosm assessment of a DNA probe applied to aerobic degradation of cis-1,2 dichloroethene by Polaromonas sp. strain JS666. Groundwater Monitoring & Remediation 30:97-105.

Jennings LK, Chartrand MM, Lacrampe-Couloume G, Lollar BS, Spain JC, Gossett JM. 2009. Proteomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal genes upregulated by cis-dichloroethene in Polaromonas sp. strain JS666. Appl Environ Microbiol 75:3733-3744.

Affiliations

Affiliate Faculty Member for the Center for Translational Medicine (CTM)

Honors / Awards

• ASCEND Innovation Award
• American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
• Characklis Award for Outstanding PhD Student
• IGERT NSF Fellowship
• Goldwater Scholarship
• MSU Presidential Scholarship