Clare Smith, PhD

Assistant Professor

271 Jones Building
Box 3054
Durham, NC 27710
Phone: (919) 613-6378
Fax: (919) 684-2790
clare.m.smith@duke.edu

 

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The Smith Lab are interested in host genetic diversity, bacterial variation, and how these host-pathogen genetic interactions drive tuberculosis disease states.

Systems Genetics of Tuberculosis: We leverage host diversity in mice and macrophages from wild-derived mouse strains and diverse mouse panels, including the Collaborative Cross and BXD mammalian resources. In parallel, we define the bacterial genetic requirements for growth and adaptation across these diverse host environments through new mycobacterial genetic approaches, including saturated libraries of transposon mutants (TnSeq), CRISPRi and knockouts generated through ORBIT (“oligonucleotide-mediated recombineering followed by Bxb1 integrase targeting”). These combined host and bacterial genome-wide approaches allows the interrogation of each host-pathogen interaction underlying TB.

Want to learn more?

Check out how we combine diverse Mammalian and Mycobacterial genetics to map the host-interacting with pathogen loci (hipQTL) across the genome. Read about our new hipQTL preprint here!

Leveraging the Collaborative Cross mouse panel we have identified new models of distinct TB disease states and protective immunity. Check out how we identified a causal host variant here.

We leverage this dual host-pathogen system to understand how vaccines alter disease outcome in diverse hosts. Read about how host genetic background underlies BCG vaccine efficacy here.