Brian Coombes

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WELCOME TO THE

COOMBES LAB

DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY & BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

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THE LAB

OUR LAB

Dr. Brian K. Coombes’ laboratory is in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University. We are affiliated with the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, a full-service research and teaching hospital located on the McMaster University campus. The McMaster campus is situated on 300 acres of property nestled in the Niagara escarpment. Hamilton is 45 minutes from Toronto.

The Center for Microbial Chemical Biology is a full-service high-throughput screening facility.

Dr. Brian K. Coombes’ laboratory is in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University. We are affiliated with the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, a full-service research and teaching hospital located on the McMaster University campus. The McMaster campus is situated on 300 acres of property nestled in the Niagara escarpment. Hamilton is 45 minutes from Toronto.

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OUR RESEARCH IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY:

OUR RESEARCH

OUR RESEARCH

INTERACTIONS

HARNESSING IMMUNITY TO

COMBAT SUPERBUGS

PUBLICATIONS

SELECTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS

2023

Deep learning-guided discovery of an antibiotic targeting Acinetobacter baumannii

Nature Chemical Biology

G. Liu, D.B. Catacutan, K. Rathod, K. Swanson, W. Jin, J.C. Mohammed, A. Chiappino-Pepe, S.A. Syed, M. Fragis, K. Rachwalski, J. Magolan, M. G. Surette, B.K. Coombes, T. Jaakola, R. Barzilay, J.J. Collins, J.M. Stokes

2023

Characterizing the Pathogenic Potential of Crohn's Disease-Associated Adherent-Invasive Escherichia coli

EcoSal Plus (ASM Press)

M. T. Zangara, L. Dawish, B.K. Coombes

2023

Distinct molecular features of NleG Type 3 Secreted effectors allow for distinct roles during Citrobacter rodentium infection in mice

Infection and Immunity

G. Popov, A. Fiebig, L. Syriste, D.J. Little, T. Skarina, P.J. Stogios, S. Birstonas, B.K. Coombes, A. Savchenko

2022

Genetic and chemical screening reveals targets and compounds to potentiate Gram-Positive antibiotics against Gram-Negative bacteria

ACS Infectious Diseases

K. Klobucar, E. Jardine, M. Farha, M. MacKinnon, M. Fragis, B. Nkonge, T. Bhando, L. Borrillo, C. Tsai, W. Johnson, B. Coombes, J. Magolan, E. Brown

2022

Screening under infection-relevant conditions reveals chemical sensitivity in multidrug resistant invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS)

bioRxiv

C. Tsai, M.A. Massicotte, C. MacNair, J. Perry, E. Brown, B. Coombes

2021

Psychological stress impairs IL22-driven protective gut mucosal immunity against colonising pathobionts

Nature Communications

C.R. Shaler, A. Parco, W. Elhenawy, J. Dourka, J. Jury, E. F. Verdu, B. Coombes

2021

High-throughput fitness screening and transcriptomics identify a role for a type IV secretion system in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease-associated Escherichia coli

Nature Communications

W. Elhenawy, S. Hordienko, S. Gould, A. Oberc, C. Tsai, T. Hubbard, M. Waldor, B. Coombes

2021

Emergence of invasive Salmonella in Africa

Nature Microbiology

C. Tsai, B. Coombes

2021

(p)ppGpp-Dependent Regulation of the Nucleotide Hydrolase PpnN Confers Complement Resistance in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium

Infection and Immunity

E. Chau, D. Perez-Morales, W. Elhenawy, V. Bustamante, Y. Zhang, B. Coombes

2020

Targeting two-component systems uncovers a small-molecule inhibitor of Salmonella virulence

Cell Chemical Biology

C. Tsai, C MacNair, M. Cao, J. Magolan, E. Brown, B. Coombes

2020

Evolution-guided discovery of antibiotics that inhibit peptidoglycan remodelling

Nature

E. Culp, N. Waglechner, A. Fiebig-Comyn, Y. Hsu, K. Koteva, D. Synchantha, B. Coombes, M. van Nieuwenhze, Y. Brun, G. Wright

2020

Mimicking the human environment in mice reveals that inhibiting biotin synthesis is effective against antibiotic-resistant pathogens

Nature Microbiology

L. Carfrae, C. MacNair, C. Brown, C. Tsai, B. Weber, S. Zlitni, V. Rao, J. Chun, M. Junop, B. Coombes, E. Brown

2019

The Unique Lifestyle of Crohn's Disease-Associated Adherent-Invasive Escherichia coli

Journal of Molecular Biology

C. Shaler, W. Elhenawy, B. Coombes

2019

Duodenal bacterial proteolytic activity determines sensitivity to dietary antigen through protease-activated receptor-2

Nature Communications, 10(1): 1198

A. Caminero, et al.

2019

Endocytosis of commensal antigens by intestinal epithelial cells regulates mucosal T cell homeostasis

Science, 8:363

M.S. Ladinsky, et al.

2019

Host-Specific Adaptive Diversification of Crohn’s Disease-Associated Adherent-Invasive Escherichia coli

Cell Host & Microbe

W. Elhenawy, C. Tsai, B. Coombes

2019

A macrophage-based screen identifies antibacterial compounds selective for intracellular SalmonellaTyphimurium

Nature Communications, 10:197

M. Ellis, C. Tsai, J. Johnson, S. French, W. Elhenawy, S. Porwollik, H. Andrews-Polymenis, M. McClelland, J. Magolan, B. Coombes, E. Brown

2018

Regulatory Evolution Drives Evasion of Host Inflammasomes by Salmonella Typhimurium

Cell Reports

B. Ilyas, D. Mulder, D. Little, W. Elhenawy, M. Branda, D. Perez-Morales, C. Tsai, N YE Chau, V. Bustamante, B. Coombes

2018

Molecular basis for CesT recognition of type 3 secretion effectors in enteropathogenic E. coli

PLoS Pathogens

D. Little, B. Coombes

2018

Functional diversification of the NleG effector family in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA

D. Valleau, D. Little, D. Borek, T. Skarina, A. Quaile, R. Di Leo, S. Houliston, A. Lemak, C. Arrowsmith, B. Coombes, A. Savchenko

2017

Pentamidine sensitizes Gram-negative pathogens to antibiotics and overcomes acquired colistin resistance

Nature Microbiology

J. Stokes, C. MacNair, B. Ilyas, S. French, J. Cote, C. Bouwman, M. Farha, A. Sieron, C. Whitfield, B. Coombes, E. Brown

2016

Acute infectious gastroenteritis potentiates a Crohn's disease pathobiont to fuel ongoing inflammation in the post-infectious period

PLoS Pathogens

C. Small, L. Xing, J. McPhee, H. Law, B. Coombes

2014

Aspergillomarasmine A overcomes metallo-beta-lactamase antibiotic resistance

Nature

A. King, S. Reid-Yu, W. Wang, D. King, G. De Pascale, N. Stranadka, T. Walsh, B. Coombes, G. Wright

2013

Persistent infection with Crohn’s disease-associated adherent-invasive Escherichia coli leads to chronic inflammation and intestinal fibrosis

Nature Communications

C. Small, S. Reid-Yu, J. McPhee, B. Coombes

A complete listing of the lab's publications can be found on PubMed

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