Helen Wing (Life Sciences) and colleagues from UNLV and the University of Miami in Florida are the authors of a recent publication in the Journal of Bacteriology  The publication reveals new insight into Shigella, a bacterial pathogen that affects roughly 450,000 people in the U.S. annually. The report identified a negative feedback loop within the molecular switch mechanism, which controls the severity of Shigella infections. Researchers believe the loop may also be present in other bacterial pathogens, which could unlock clues to controlling their severity.

All of the research described in the journal article was done in professor Wing’s lab at UNLV. In addition to Wing, the publication includes two former UNLV undergrads, Daniel K. Chan, '17 BS Biology, and Brianda Becerra Larios, '17 BS Biology. The lead author, Joy A. McKenna, '13 BS Biology, '20 PhD Biology, is Wing’s former student who is now at Stanford University for a post-doctoral fellowship.