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  4. FDA Grand Rounds: Acquisition of Host Iron by Corynebacterium diphtheriae: Iron-Regulated Surface Factors as Possible Vaccine Candidates - 09/14/2023
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Webcast | Virtual

Event Title
FDA Grand Rounds: Acquisition of Host Iron by Corynebacterium diphtheriae: Iron-Regulated Surface Factors as Possible Vaccine Candidates
September 14, 2023

Date:
September 14, 2023
Time:
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. ET
Image
FDA Grand Rounds

About the Speaker

Michael Schmitt, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator and Lab Chief in the Laboratory of Respiratory and Special Pathogens, Division of Bacterial, Parasitic, and Allergenic Products (DBPAP)
Office of Vaccines Research & Review (OVRR)
Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Dr. Michael Schmitt is a Principal Investigator and Lab Chief in the Laboratory of Respiratory and Special Pathogens, Division of Bacterial, Parasitic, and Allergenic Products in the Office of Vaccines Research & Review.

Dr. Schmitt’s current research is involved in the identification of new vaccine candidates for the bacterial pathogen Corynebacterium diphtheriae; with a focus on surface factors that are required for the acquisition of host-iron sources.

Before joining CBER in 1995, Dr. Schmitt was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Microbiology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD. He received his Ph.D. in Microbiology at The University of Texas at Austin.

About the Presentation

Corynebacterium diphtheriae is a gram-positive bacterium and the cause of the severe respiratory disease diphtheria. Diphtheria toxin, the source for the current diphtheria vaccine, has been extensively investigated; however, factors critical for colonization and survival in the human host have not been well characterized in this important human pathogen.  Recent diphtheria epidemics in several countries across the world emphasize the importance of not only maintaining adequate vaccination but also the development of improved vaccines that inhibit colonization of the bacteria.  This presentation will focus on our current research into the characterization of C. diphtheriae surface proteins that are critical for heme-iron transport and are considered possible candidates for a future diphtheria vaccine.  

Learning Objective

  • Explain the importance of maintaining adequate vaccination coverage against diphtheria.

Event Materials

Activity Announcement for FDA Grand Rounds – September 14, 2023

Webcast Recording

https://fda.zoomgov.com/rec/share/Y1f05i49pOuKMS56Xt-s43Sx0cuamWnu03VNk59oQF-E1_PWcyKS6-9VLMZ0CBHo.CcMfMw5hD_30TLwp

For technical assistance please contact: Rokhsareh.Shahidzadeh@fda.hhs.gov
 

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