Paul E. Orndorff

My students and I work in two main areas both of which center on trying to discern the basis of bacterial pathogenesis. The first project involves an examination of host resistance and bacterial virulence of Bordetella avium, an upper respiratory tract pathogen of birds, particularly turkeys. The second project involves host predisposition to disease as examined in listeriosis in the pregnant mouse

First project: Bordetella avium is a gram negative aerobic bacterium that causes Bordetellosis in commercial turkey. This disease results from infection of the upper respiratory tract and can be severe. Also, infection by B. avium predisposes birds to a variety of life threatening complicating infections. Methods to control B. avium infection in poultry are unlikely to emerge without a basic appreciation of the avian and bacterial factors required for producing the disease. Currently, there is a poor understanding of the relationship between host susceptibility and B. avium virulence factors in the production of Bordetellosis. Our intent is to better understand the role of both microbial and host factors that influence the course of Bordetellosis in turkeys. We anticipate that our work will lead to fundamental insights into bacterial and host factors involved in disease production. This knowledge will be applied to the elimination of bordetellosis and also the development of B. avium as a premier vaccine delivery platform to protect poultry from a variety of upper airway pathogens.

Second project: Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of listeriosis, a systemic disease contracted by the consumption of contaminated food. Pregnant females are the animals most susceptible to listeriosis, and fetal loss is typically the most severe outcome of the disease. Despite the universality of the problem, very little is known about factors that render the pregnant female more susceptible to listeriosis. In addition, if one considers the comparative dearth of knowledge about factors that effect listeriosis of enteric etiology (as opposed to parenteral experimental inoculation), our understanding of the naturally acquired disease in the most susceptible population is truly rudimentary. Our studies are multidisciplinary and designed to determine the nature of the predisposition of pregnant mice to infection through an intragastric route and the consequences of the infection to embryonic development. Approaches include aspects of microbial genetics, and mouse immunogenetics and embryology. Additionally, we are developing L. monocytogenes mutants as vaccine platforms that combine ease of delivery and safety with the well-documented stimulation of cell mediated immunity associated with these microorganisms

Academic Experience:
Bacaner Basic Science Award, Minnesota Medical Foundation, 1982
Associate Member, NCSU Department of Microbiology, 1985-present
Member, NCSU Graduate Faculty, 1986-present
Member, NCSU Biotechnology Faculty, 1987-present
Member, NIH Bacteria and Mycology Study Section (BM1), 1988-1992
Editorial Board, Infection and Immunity, 1988-1994
Member, NIH Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, 1993-present
Editor, Infection and Immunity, 1995-1999
Pfizer Award for Research Excellence, Pfizer Inc., 1996
Member, NCSU Genomics Sciences Faculty, 1999-present
Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology, 2000-present
President-Elect North Carolina Branch American Society for Microbiology 2003
President North Carolina Branch American Society for Microbiology 2004
Park Scholar Mentor 2004-2005
Member, Southeastern/Canadian Biotechnology Trade Mission Saskatoon, SK; Winnipeg, MB 2005