Grants &
Awards
2004 National Institutes of Health grant AI 054402
for $150,000 to examine microbe-microbe interactions and
the pathogenesis of bacterial vaginosis.
2002 Keck Foundation Grant ($380,000 +
$30,000 institutional supplement), written in conjunction
with biology faculty colleagues James A. Langeland and
D. Blaine Moore. This grant supports the purchase of state-of-the-art
equipment for undergraduate teaching laboratories in molecular
biology, cell biology, microbiology, and neurobiology.
Selected Publications
(* denotes Kalamazoo undergraduate
coauthor)
DeZwaan DC*, Mequio MJ*, Littell JS*, Rossbach S, Pybus
V. Purification and characterization of enterocin
62-6, a two peptide bacteriocin produced by a vaginal
strain of Enterococcus faecium: Potential significance
to bacterial vaginosis. Microbial Ecology in Health and
Disease (in press, June 2007).
Pybus, V. An investment in the national
interest: NSF support for STEM education in the nation’s
select liberal arts colleges. Stories from the Independent
Colleges Office community: Kalamazoo College. 2007: 26-27.
Kelly MC*, Mequio MJ*, Pybus V. 2003.
Inhibition of vaginal lactobacilli by a bacteriocin-like
inhibitor produced by Enterococcus faecium strain
62-6: Potential significance for the establishment and
recurrence of bacterial vaginosis. Infectious Diseases
in Obstetrics and Gynecology 11:147-156.
Pybus V,
Onderdonk AB. 1999. Microbial interactions in the vaginal
ecosystem with emphasis on the pathogenesis of bacterial
vaginosis. Review. Microbes and Infection (formerly Bulletin
of the Pasteur Institute) 1:285-292.
Pybus V,
Onderdonk AB. 1998. A commensal symbiosis between Prevotella
bivia and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius
involves amino acids: potential significance to the pathogenesis
of bacterial vaginosis. FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology
22:317-327.
Pybus V,
Onderdonk AB. 1997. Evidence for a commensal, symbiotic
relationship between Gardnerella vaginalis and
Prevotella bivia involving ammonia: potential
significance to bacterial vaginosis. Journal of Infectious
Diseases 175:406-413.
Pybus V,
Onderdonk AB. 1996. The effect of pH on growth and succinate
production by Prevotella bivia. Microbial Ecology
in Health and Disease 9:19-26.
Conference
- Oral Presentations
(* denotes name of Kalamazoo College undergraduate)
DeZwaan D*, Pybus V.
Purification of a bacteriocin-like inhibitor produced
by Enterococcus faecium strain 62-6 antagonistic
to the growth of vaginal lactobacilli: Potential significance
for the pathogenesis of bacterial vaginosis. PEW Midstates
Science and Mathematics Consortium, Undergraduate Symposium
in the Biological Sciences and Psychology, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, October 29-31, 2004.
DeZwaan D*, Pybus V. Assessment
of the bacteriocinogenic potential of vaginal streptococci
and enterococci against vaginal lactobacilli. Infectious
Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hyannis,
Massachusetts, August 7-9, 2003.
Mequio MJ*, Pybus V. Characterization
and partial purification of a bacteriocin-like inhibitor
produced by Enterococcus faecium strain 62-6.
PEW Midstates Science and Mathematics Consortium, Undergraduate
Symposium in the Biological Sciences and Psychology, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, October 25-27, 2002.
Pybus V, Onderdonk AB.
Evidence for a commensal, symbiotic relationship between
Prevotella bivia and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius
involving amino acids: potential significance to bacterial
vaginosis. Twentieth Conference on Infectious Diseases
and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Las Croabas, Puerto Rico,
August 6-9 1997.
Pybus V, Onderdonk AB.
Microbial interactions and the pathogenesis of bacterial
vaginosis. Twenty-first International Congress on Microbial
Ecology and Disease, Paris, France, 28-30 October 1996.
Pybus V, Onderdonk AB.
Bacterial symbiosis: a contributory factor to bacterial
vaginosis? The World Congress on Anaerobic Bacteria and
Infections, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 5-8 November 1995.
Conference -
Poster Presentations
(* denotes name of Kalamazoo College undergraduate)
Beloglavec, S.* Use of continuous culture
to model the influence of the bacteriocins enterocin 62-6
on the growth of vagina lactobacilli: Significance to
bacterial vaginosis. 107th General Meeting of the American
Society for Microbiology, Toronto, Canada. May 21-25,
2007.
Johnson KM*, Pybus V. The influence
of pH on production of a bacteriocin-like inhibitor by
Enterococcus faecium 62-6: Significance to bacterial
vaginosis. 104th General Meeting of the American Society
for Microbiology, New Orleans, LA. May 23-27, 2004.
Johnson K*, Pybus V. Development
of a continuous culture model to assess production of
a bacteriocin-like inhibitor by Enterococcus faecium
62-6: significance to bacterial vaginosis. Michigan Branch
of the American Society for Microbiology, Fall Meeting,
Kalamazoo, Michigan. October 4, 2003. This poster
presentation won a student prize.
Mequio MJ*, Kelly MC*, Pybus V.
Production of a bacteriocin-like inhibitor by Enterococcus
faecium strain 62-6 antagonistic to the growth of
vaginal lactobacilli: Potential significance to bacterial
vaginosis. Michigan Branch of the American Society for
Microbiology, Spring Meeting, Ann Arbor, Michigan. April
5, 2003. This poster presentation won a student
prize.
Kelly MC*, Pybus V. Production
of a bacteriocin-like inhibitor by Enterococcus faecium
strain 62-6 antagonistic to the growth of vaginal lactobacilli.
Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Banff, Canada, August 8-10, 2002.
Kelly MC*, Pybus V. Production
of a bacteriocin-like inhibitor by Enterococcus faecalis
strain 62-6 antagonistic to the growth of vaginal Lactobacillus
spp. PEW Midstates Science and Mathematics Consortium,
Undergraduate Symposium in the Biological Sciences and
Psychology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri,
November 9-11, 2001.
Pybus V, Onderdonk AB.
The Effect of pH on the vaginal anaerobe, Prevotella
bivia. American Society for Microbiology 95th General
Meeting, Washington, D.C., 21-25 May 1995.
