Lauren King, PhD

Education

  • BS, Biology, The University of the South
  • BS, English, The University of the South
  • MS, Biomedical Sciences, The University of Mississippi Medical Center
  • PhD, Microbiology, The University of Mississippi Medical Center
  • Postdoctoral Study, Microbiology and Immunology, Wake Forest School of Medicine

Research Interests

Dr. King’s research program has two primary focuses, the interaction of bacterial pathogens with the innate immune system and the development of novel therapeutics to treat multidrug resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens. Her current projects aim to elucidate the efficacy of antimicrobial peptides against the MDR nosocomial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii and the biological activity of novel triazolium salt derivatives against A. baumannii and other ESKAPE pathogens.

Selected Publications

  • Wilson JA, Lin ZJ, Rodriguez I, Ta T, Martz L, Fico D, Johnson SS, Gorden JD, Shelton KL, King LB. Synthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial activity of lipophilic N,N’-bis-substituted triazolium salts. Journal of heterocyclic chemistry. Forthcoming. doi: 10.1002/jhet.4403.
  • Spencer JJ, Pitts RE, Pearson RA, King LB. The effects of antimicrobial peptides WAM-1 and LL-37 on multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Pathog Dis. 2018 Mar 1;76(2). doi: 10.1093/femspd/fty007.
  • Murrah KA, Pang B, Richardson S, Perez A, Reimche J, King L, Wren J, Swords WE. Nonencapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae causes otitis media during single-species infection and during polymicrobial infection with nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae. Pathog Dis. 2015 Jul;73(5). doi: 10.1093/femspd/ftu011. Epub 2014 Dec 4. PubMed PMID: 26014114; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4849347. PubMed PMID: 29370365.
  • Murrah KA, Turner RL, Pang B, Perez AC, Reimche JL, King LB, Wren J, Gandhi U, Swords WE, Ornelles DA. Replication of type 5 adenovirus promotes middle ear infection by Streptococcus pneumoniae in the chinchilla model of otitis media. Pathog Dis. 2015 Mar;73(2):1-8. doi: 10.1111/2049-632X.12216. Epub 2015 Feb 26. PubMed PMID: 25251686; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4344901.
  • Wren JT, Blevins LK, Pang B, King LB, Perez AC, Murrah KA, Reimche JL, Alexander-Miller MA, Swords WE. Influenza A virus alters pneumococcal nasal colonization and middle ear infection independently of phase variation. Infect Immun. 2014 Nov;82(11):4802-12. doi: 10.1128/IAI.01856-14. Epub 2014 Aug 25. PubMed PMID: 25156728; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4249341.
  • Perez AC, Pang B, King LB, Tan L, Murrah KA, Reimche JL, Wren JT, Richardson SH, Ghandi U, Swords WE. Residence of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Moraxella catarrhalis within polymicrobial biofilm promotes antibiotic resistance and bacterial persistence in vivo. Pathog Dis. 2014 Apr;70(3):280-8. doi: 10.1111/2049-632X.12129. Epub 2014 Feb 3. PubMed PMID: 24391058; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3984603.
  • King LB, Pang B, Perez AC, Reimche JL, Kirse DJ, Whigham AS, Evans AK, Swords E. Observation of viable nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae bacteria within neutrophil extracellular traps in clinical samples from chronic otitis media. Otolaryngology. 2013 October; 3(4):145. doi: 10.4172/2161-119X.1000145.
  • King LB, Pangburn MK, McDaniel LS. Serine protease PKF of Acinetobacter baumannii results in serum resistance and suppression of biofilm formation. J Infect Dis. 2013 Apr;207(7):1128-34. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jis939. Epub 2013 Jan 9. PubMed PMID: 23303803.
  • Sanders ME, Taylor S, Tullos N, Norcross EW, Moore QC 3rd, Thompson H, King LB, Marquart ME. Passive immunization with Pneumovax® 23 and pneumolysin in combination with vancomycin for pneumococcal endophthalmitis. BMC Ophthalmol. 2013 Mar 11;13:8. doi: 10.1186/1471-2415-13-8. PubMed PMID: 23496928; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3605314.
  • King LB, Swiatlo E, Swiatlo A, McDaniel LS. Serum resistance and biofilm formation in clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 2009 Apr;55(3):414-21. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-695X.2009.00538.x. Epub 2009 Feb 11. PubMed PMID: 19220466.

Click here to see the full list of Dr. King’s work.

Professional Involvement

  • American Society for Microbiology
  • Association of Southeastern Biologists

Contact Dr. Lauren King

king_lb@mercer.edu