Adrian Land

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Adrian Land is an American microbiologist, educator and a senior manager of affairs at Procter & Gamble as of 2022. [1] [2]

Contents

Education and career

Land earned his B.S. in biology at Alcorn State University, and his Ph.D. in microbiology from Indiana University Bloomington. [3] After earning his Ph.D., Land went on to Washington University in St. Louis and spent 3 years doing postdoctoral research. It was also during this time he worked at Belhaven University teaching biology as an adjunct professor. [1] He has also served as an advisor for the biology department of Alcorn University. [4] Before his current position at Procter & Gamble, [5] for 4 years Land worked as a forensic microbiologist for the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. [5] [1] He has been a major contributing member to Microbiology papers, specifically studying pathogens. He has notably done research on Streptococcus pneumoniae while at Indiana University Bloomington, and Staphylococcus aureus [6] while at Washington University in St. Louis. [7] [8]

Other work and accolades

In 2011, the city of Bloomington, Indiana awarded Land, the Outstanding Black Males Leader of Tomorrow award at the cities annual Black History Month gala. [3] This honor was for his contributions to the biology department at IU, as well as various diversity programs at the University, including the Office of Diversity Education. Land was a counselor for the biology department's Lilly Scholars program and the James Holland Summer Enrichment in Biology, [3] the latter's goal being to bring in and provide experience to minority high school students from across the state of Indiana who are interested in science. [4]

For its fourth annual "20 under 40" list in 2021, [4] Indiana University's The College Magazine selected Land among the 20 alumni chosen, from across more than 70 departments and programs. The list, published in the fall issue of the college's magazine, noted Land's work in scientific journals, profile appearances in scientific magazines, including Cell Press , which named him among the most "Inspiring Black Scientists in America". [9] Also noted in the article was his dedication to expanding access to STEM careers for students of color. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Streptococcus</i> Genus of bacteria

Streptococcus is a genus of gram-positive coccus or spherical bacteria that belongs to the family Streptococcaceae, within the order Lactobacillales, in the phylum Bacillota. Cell division in streptococci occurs along a single axis, so as they grow, they tend to form pairs or chains that may appear bent or twisted. This differs from staphylococci, which divide along multiple axes, thereby generating irregular, grape-like clusters of cells. Most streptococci are oxidase-negative and catalase-negative, and many are facultative anaerobes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pneumonia</span> Inflammation of the alveoli of the lungs

Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity of the condition is variable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick Griffith</span> British bacteriologist

Frederick Griffith (1877–1941) was a British bacteriologist whose focus was the epidemiology and pathology of bacterial pneumonia. In January 1928 he reported what is now known as Griffith's Experiment, the first widely accepted demonstrations of bacterial transformation, whereby a bacterium distinctly changes its form and function.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methicillin</span> Antibiotic medication

Methicillin (USAN), also known as meticillin (INN), is a narrow-spectrum β-lactam antibiotic of the penicillin class.

<i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i> Species of bacterium

Streptococcus pneumoniae, or pneumococcus, is a Gram-positive, spherical bacteria, alpha-hemolytic member of the genus Streptococcus. They are usually found in pairs (diplococci) and do not form spores and are non motile. As a significant human pathogenic bacterium S. pneumoniae was recognized as a major cause of pneumonia in the late 19th century, and is the subject of many humoral immunity studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacterial capsule</span> Polysaccharide layer that lies outside the cell envelope in many bacteria

The bacteria capsule is a large structure common to many bacteria. It is a polysaccharide layer that lies outside the cell envelope, and is thus deemed part of the outer envelope of a bacterial cell. It is a well-organized layer, not easily washed off, and it can be the cause of various diseases.

Pneumococcal pneumonia is a type of bacterial pneumonia that is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). It is the most common bacterial pneumonia found in adults, the most common type of community-acquired pneumonia, and one of the common types of pneumococcal infection. The estimated number of Americans with pneumococcal pneumonia is 900,000 annually, with almost 400,000 cases hospitalized and fatalities accounting for 5-7% of these cases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penicillin-binding proteins</span> Class of proteins

Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) are a group of proteins that are characterized by their affinity for and binding of penicillin. They are a normal constituent of many bacteria; the name just reflects the way by which the protein was discovered. All β-lactam antibiotics bind to PBPs, which are essential for bacterial cell wall synthesis. PBPs are members of a subgroup of enzymes called transpeptidases. Specifically, PBPs are DD-transpeptidases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quellung reaction</span> Reaction in which antibodies bind to bacterial capsule

The quellung reaction, also called the Neufeld reaction, is a biochemical reaction in which antibodies bind to the bacterial capsule of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Bacillus anthracis, Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella. The antibody reaction allows these species to be visualized under a microscope. If the reaction is positive, the capsule becomes opaque and appears to enlarge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ceftobiprole</span> Chemical compound

Ceftobiprole (Zevtera/Mabelio) is a fifth-generation cephalosporin for the treatment of hospital-acquired pneumonia and community-acquired pneumonia. It is marketed by Basilea Pharmaceutica in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and Austria under the trade name Zevtera, in France and Italy under the trade name Mabelio. Like other cephalosporins, ceftobiprole exerts its antibacterial activity by binding to important penicillin-binding proteins and inhibiting their transpeptidase activity which is essential for the synthesis of bacterial cell walls. Ceftobiprole has high affinity for penicillin-binding protein 2a of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains and retains its activity against strains that express divergent mecA gene homologues. Ceftobiprole also binds to penicillin-binding protein 2b in Streptococcus pneumoniae (penicillin-intermediate), to penicillin-binding protein 2x in Streptococcus pneumoniae (penicillin-resistant), and to penicillin-binding protein 5 in Enterococcus faecalis.

A pneumococcal infection is an infection caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is also called the pneumococcus. S. pneumoniae is a common member of the bacterial flora colonizing the nose and throat of 5–10% of healthy adults and 20–40% of healthy children. However, it is also a cause of significant disease, being a leading cause of pneumonia, bacterial meningitis, and sepsis. The World Health Organization estimates that in 2005 pneumococcal infections were responsible for the death of 1.6 million children worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pneumolysin</span>

Pneumolysin is a virulence factor of the Gram-positive bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sortase</span> Group of prokaryotic enzymes

Sortase refers to a group of prokaryotic enzymes that modify surface proteins by recognizing and cleaving a carboxyl-terminal sorting signal. For most substrates of sortase enzymes, the recognition signal consists of the motif LPXTG (Leu-Pro-any-Thr-Gly), then a highly hydrophobic transmembrane sequence, followed by a cluster of basic residues such as arginine. Cleavage occurs between the Thr and Gly, with transient attachment through the Thr residue to the active site Cys residue, followed by transpeptidation that attaches the protein covalently to cell wall components. Sortases occur in almost all Gram-positive bacteria and the occasional Gram-negative bacterium or Archaea, where cell wall LPXTG-mediated decoration has not been reported. Although sortase A, the "housekeeping" sortase, typically acts on many protein targets, other forms of sortase recognize variant forms of the cleavage motif, or catalyze the assembly of pilins into pili.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enzybiotics</span> Experimental antibacterial therapy

Enzybiotics are an experimental antibacterial therapy first described by Nelson, Loomis, and Fischetti. The term is derived from a combination of the words “enzyme” and “antibiotics.” Enzymes have been extensively utilized for their antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. Proteolytic enzymes called endolysins have demonstrated particular effectiveness in combating a range of bacteria and are the basis for enzybiotic research. Endolysins are derived from bacteriophages and are highly efficient at lysing bacterial cells. Enzybiotics are being researched largely to address the issue of antibiotic resistance, which has allowed for the proliferation of drug-resistant pathogens posing great risk to animal and human health across the globe.

Elaine I. Tuomanen is an American pediatrician and chair of the Department of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. She is noted for her research on Molecular pathogenesis of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Malcolm Winkler is an American biologist currently at Indiana University, Bloomington and an Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His work has been important on Streptococcus pneumoniae in studying cell structure, metabolism, pathogenesis and stress responses mediated by regulatory mechanisms, signal transduction and supramolecular complexes. His research has been driven by advanced molecular genetics, cell biology, physiology, tissue culture and biochemistry, leading his papers to be highly cited in consecutive years with highs of 719, 369 and 292.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samir Kumar Saha</span> Bangladeshi Scientist

Samir Kumar Saha is an eminent Bangladeshi microbiologist and public health expert. He is the professor, senior consultant and head of the department of Diagnostic Division of Microbiology at the Dhaka Shishu Hospital for children and also the executive director of The Child Health Research Foundation (CHRF) at the Bangladesh Institute of Child Health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colonial morphology</span> Examination of microbial colonies

In microbiology, colonial morphology refers to the visual appearance of bacterial or fungal colonies on an agar plate. Examining colonial morphology is the first step in the identification of an unknown microbe. The systematic assessment of the colonies' appearance, focusing on aspects like size, shape, colour, opacity, and consistency, provides clues to the identity of the organism, allowing microbiologists to select appropriate tests to provide a definitive identification.

Necrotizing pneumonia (NP), also known as cavitary pneumonia or cavitatory necrosis, is a rare but severe complication of lung parenchymal infection. In necrotizing pneumonia, there is a substantial liquefaction following death of the lung tissue, which may lead to gangrene formation in the lung. In most cases patients with NP have fever, cough and bad breath, and those with more indolent infections have weight loss. Often patients clinically present with acute respiratory failure. The most common pathogens responsible for NP are Streptococcus pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae. Diagnosis is usually done by chest imaging, e.g. chest X-ray, CT scan. Among these CT scan is the most sensitive test which shows loss of lung architecture and multiple small thin walled cavities. Often cultures from bronchoalveolar lavage and blood may be done for identification of the causative organism(s). It is primarily managed by supportive care along with appropriate antibiotics. However, if patient develops severe complications like sepsis or fails to medical therapy, surgical resection is a reasonable option for saving life.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bradley, Mary (2020). "Career Exploration Talk: Dr. Adrian Land, Regulatory Affairs". The Pipette Gazette. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  2. ↑ "Impacting Lives Through Science: Spotlight on Dr. Adrian Land". ASM.org.
  3. 1 2 3 "Three Department of Biology students honored". Department of Biology. Biology Alumni Newsletter: Summer 2011. June 13, 2011. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "The College's 20 Under 40: 2021". The College Magazine. 2021. Archived from the original on 2022-12-25. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  5. 1 2 Pain, Elisabeth (4 Nov 2020). "A day in the life of a scientific regulatory affairs manager". Science. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  6. ↑ Land, Adrian D.; Hogan, Patrick; Fritz, Stephanie; Levin, Petra Anne (2015-06-22). "Phenotypic Variation Is Almost Entirely Independent of the Host-Pathogen Relationship in Clinical Isolates of S. aureus". PLOS ONE. 10 (6): e0129670. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1029670L. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129670 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   4476556 . PMID   26098551.
  7. ↑ Land, Adrian D.; Winkler, Malcolm E. (August 2011). "The requirement for pneumococcal MreC and MreD is relieved by inactivation of the gene encoding PBP1a". Journal of Bacteriology. 193 (16): 4166–4179. doi:10.1128/JB.05245-11. ISSN   1098-5530. PMC   3147673 . PMID   21685290.
  8. ↑ Land, Adrian D.; Tsui, Ho-Ching T.; Kocaoglu, Ozden; Vella, Stephen A.; Shaw, Sidney L.; Keen, Susan K.; Sham, Lok-To; Carlson, Erin E.; Winkler, Malcolm E. (Dec 2013). "Requirement of essential Pbp2x and GpsB for septal ring closure in Streptococcus pneumoniae D39: Essential role of GpsB in pneumococcal division". Molecular Microbiology. 90 (5): 939–955. doi:10.1111/mmi.12408. PMC   4120849 . PMID   24118410.
  9. ↑ "1,000 inspiring Black scientists in America". Cell Mentor. Cell Press & Cell Signaling Technology. 28 Dec 2020. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
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