Matthew Koci
Professor — Immunology, Virology and Host-Pathogen Interactions
Faculty/EHRA
Scott Hall 363
Area(s) of Expertise
Dr. Koci’s laboratory works to understand the immune mechanisms which allow an animal to recognize, respond, eliminate and develop resistance to pathogens. The lab’s approach involves understanding both cellular and molecular aspects of the host response. Currently there are three primary research projects in the laboratory: 1) understanding the key innate immune responses involved in pathogenesis and disease resolution of astrovirus induced gastroenteritis, a major cause of diarrhea in turkey poults and humans, 2) understanding how genetic polymorphisms in innate immune response genes affect resistance and susceptibility to infection, and 3) understanding how changes in the intestinal microflora affects gut physiology, mucosal immunity and, ultimately, the overall health of the animal.
Publications
- C-Terminal Amination of a Cationic Anti-Inflammatory Peptide Improves Bioavailability and Inhibitory Activity Against LPS-Induced Inflammation, FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY (2021)
- A Novel Cecropin-LL37 Hybrid Peptide Protects Mice Against EHEC Infection-Mediated Changes in Gut Microbiota, Intestinal Inflammation, and Impairment of Mucosal Barrier Functions, FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY (2020)
- Attenuated Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium, Strain NC983, Is Immunogenic, and Protective against Virulent Typhimurium Challenges in Mice, VACCINES (2020)
- Complete Genome Sequences of Lactobacillus Strains C25 and P38, Isolated from Chicken Cecum, Microbiology Resource Announcements (2020)
- Connecting the microbiome to host metabolites: understanding how the microbiome controls immune activity in birds, FASEB JOURNAL (2020)
- Development of a Highly Efficient Hybrid Peptide That Increases Immunomodulatory Activity Via the TLR4-Mediated Nuclear Factor-κB Signaling Pathway, International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2019)
- A Comparison of Current Sequencing Platforms for Compositional Analysis of the Gut, BMC Microbiol (2017)
- An Attenuated
Salmonella enterica
Serovar Typhimurium Strain and Galacto-Oligosaccharides Accelerate Clearance of
Salmonella
Infections in Poultry through Modifications to the Gut Microbiome, Applied and Environmental Microbiology (2017) - Astrovirus, Food Microbiology Series: Laboratory Models for Foodborne Infections (2017)
- Efficacy of Feed Additives to Reduce the Effect of Naturally Occurring Mycotoxins Fed to Turkey Hen Poults Reared to 6 Weeks of Age, Poult. Sci (2017)
Education
B.S., Biology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA (1997)
M.S., Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (1999)
Ph.D., Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (2003)