Disease-causing bacteria that have become resistant to drug therapy are an increasing cause of life threatening infections with many traditional antimicrobial agents becoming ineffective. The problem of multidrug-resistant (MDR)-bacterial infections has driven researchers to examine other alternative anti-bacterial strategies. Among these potential therapies is the use of biological control agents, such as predatory bacteria. Bdellovibrio spp. and Micavibrio spp. are both Gram-negative bacteria ubiquitous in many natural environments. Unlike most bacteria, these organisms are obligatory predators that survive by feeding on other Gram-negative bacteria. The long-term goal of our research is to evaluate the possibility of using predatory bacteria as an alternative to traditional antibiotics.
 
About the Speaker:

Daniel Kadouri received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Agriculture from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1996, a Master of Science degree in Virology in 1998 and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the same institution in 2003. He received his postdoctoral training in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, N.H. Daniel joined the Department of Oral Biology at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine in 2006, where he is an Associate Professor and a member of the Executive Council. He has given over 40 lectures at conferences and academic institutions since 2004. 
                   
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