Jenny Wachter
Bacterial Vaccine Development Group
Dr. Jenny Wachter completed her PhD at Northern Illinois University in 2016 where she studied the pilE antigenic variation system in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. She then completed her post-doctoral training at Rocky Mountain Laboratories, part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, in Hamilton, MT from 2016-2022. Jenny combines bioinformatics with molecular and microbiological techniques to uncover the contributions of genes and non-coding or small RNAs within pathogenic bacteria. She joined VIDO as a Research Scientist in 2022 to build a research program focused on uncovering the roles of genes and phage in the pathogenicity of Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of Lyme disease. The Wachter lab seeks to provide a better understanding of Borrelia pathogenesis that will advance the understanding, prevention, and treatment of Lyme disease.
Research Interests:
- Identification of genes and small RNAs important for virulence of bacterial pathogens
- The regulation of antigenic variation and bacterial persistence
- Determining the role of bacteriophage in horizontal gene transfer contributing to bacterial persistence in endemic populations
- Exploring the importance of bacteriophage in protective immunity