Teaching
Research
Publications
Educational Background
Schedule
Office Hours


 College of Natural and Social Sciences

Biological Sciences, Department of

Edith  Porter
Full-time Faculty

Office: ASCL 355
Phone: (323) 343-6353
FAX: (323) 343-6451
Email: eporter@calstatela.edu

TEACHING INTERESTS

Courses taught: MICR 201 (Microbiology for Health Related Sciences); MICR 300 (formerly MICR 200AB, General Microbiology); MICR 301 (General Medical Microbiology, Lab); MICR 302 (Pathogenic Bacteriology, Lab); MICR 304 (Immunology & Serology); MICR 450 (Innate Immunity); MICR 454L (Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases); BIOL 520 (Advanced Immunology). Teaching goals: To introduce concepts and provide fact knowledge; to enhance critical thinking; to demonstrate how current textbook knowledge is derived from research; to increase students' skills to apply knowledge gained from related course work; to promote peer interaction; to ignite passion for microbiology and immunology; to achieve that students exit class with a knowledge lasting beyond the finals.

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RESEARCH INTERESTS

Our primary research is focused on innate immunity, the base line host defense that is functional at birth and widely conserved in nature. Key players of innate immunity include antimicrobial (poly)peptides, which are relatively small natural peptide antibiotics, for example human defensins (HD) and lysozyme. We have a particular interest in the expression and processing of antimicrobial (poly)peptides in the genital and intestinal tract, the interaction between antimicrobial (poly)peptides and microbial pathogens and in the discovery of novel mediators of innate immunity. Established research that has resulted in previous and current publications addresses HD5 expression and processing in sexually transmitted diseases (Collaboration with Dr. A. Quayle, LSU, New Orleans) and its role in HIV transmission (Collaboration with Dr. Theresa Chang, Mount Sinai Medical College, New York), HD5 expression in the intestine (Collaboration with Dr. C. Bevins, UC Davis); and the down-regulation of antimicrobial peptides in mouse small intestine upon infection with Salmonella enteritidis serovar Typhimurium wild type (Collaboration with Dr. N. Salzman, Medical College Wisconsin). New Research explores the role of lipids in innate immunity with a multidisciplinary approach.

COMPLETE LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

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PUBLICATIONS

Publication Title Publication Date
Nuding, S., Zabel, L.T., Enders, C., Porter, E., Fellermann, K., Wehkamp, J., Mueller, H.A.G., and Stange, E.F. (2009) Antibacterial activity of human defensins on anaerobic intestinal bacterial species: a major role of HBD-3. Microbes Infect. 11: 384-393  2009 
8. Martinez, J.G., Waldon, M., Alvarez, S., Oren, A., Du, M., Zhou, F., Zenz, A., Lohner, K., Desharnais, R., and Porter, E. (2009) Membrane-Targeted Synergistic Activity of Docosahexaenoic Acid and Lysozyme against P. aeruginosa. Biochem. J. 419:193-200.  2009 
Aisling S.D., Maginnis, M.S., Jordan, J.A., Gasparovic, M.L., Manley, K., Page, R., Williams, G., Porter, E., O'Hara, B.A., and Atwood, W.J. (2008) Human alpha-defensins inhibit BK virus infection by aggregating virions and blocking binding to host cells. J. Biol. Chem. 283:31125-32.   2008 
Do, T.Q., Moshkani, S., Castillo, P., Anunta, S., Pogosyan, A., Cheung, A., Marbois, B., Faull, K.F., Ernst, W., Chiang, S.M., Fujii, G., Clarke, C.F., Foster, K., and Porter, E. (2008) Lipids Including Cholesteryl Linoleate and Cholesteryl Arachidonate Contribute to the Inherent Antibacterial Activity of Human Nasal Fluid. J Immunol. 181:4177-87.  2008 
Klotman, M.E., Rapista, A., Teleshova, A., Benito, B., Micsenyi, A., Jarvis, G.A., Lu, W., Porter, E., and Chang, T.L. (2008) Neisseria gonorrhoeae-induced human defensins 5 and 6 increase HIV infectivity: role in enhanced transmission. J. Immunology. 180:6176-85.  2008 

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EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

MD Medicine 1989
 University of Mainz
 Germany

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COURSE LIST

MICR 304 02 Immunology & Serology  TR 11:15 - 1:45 PM Spring 2009 ASCL 242 
MICR 304 01 Immunology & Serology  TR 9:50 - 11:05 AM Spring 2009 BS 246 
MICR300 01 General Microbiology  MW 11:40 - 12:55 PM Spring 2009 BS 244 

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OFFICE HOURS

Day Time
MONDAY 10:00-11:20 am 
TUESDAY  
WEDNESDAY 1:30 - 3:30 pm 
THURSDAY  
FRIDAY  
SATURDAY  

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This document was last updated on 3/27/09