Traci Ness
Traci Ness
Professor
PhD, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology – University of Florida
Office: SC 1012 (Armstrong)
Phone: (912) 344-3265
E-mail: tness@georgiasouthern.edu
Teaching
Principles of Biology I, Micro-organisms and Disease, Medical Microbiology, Cell and Molecular Biology Lab, Virology, Immunology, Research
Research Interests
A major focus of research in my lab is the Identification of genes involved in sea turtle immunity. We are working to construct a cDNA library using blood samples collected from loggerhead sea turtles by the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. From this library, we hope to identify, clone, and sequence genes involved in sea turtle immunity. We also conduct research on the identification and characterization of immune receptors that recognize fungal infections in the mouth. Dr. Ronald Garner (Mercer University School of Medicine) and I have begun a collaboration to investigate the recognition of the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans by PRRs (pattern recognition receptors ) in oral epithelial cells. These studies will provide us with a better understanding of oral immunity and may have applications in the treatment of oral diseases including those caused be microbes and oral cancers. We use a variety of molecular biology techniques: DNA/RNA purification, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), gel electrophoresis, mammalian cell culture, western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), flow cytometry, and fluorescence microscopy.
Last updated: 12/19/2023
