Roxann Karkhoff-Schweizer

Associate Professor Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology

About Roxann

Interested in biowarfare bacterial agents, like Burkholderia species. Also, the opportunistic pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Overall, I am interested in genetic engineering strategies of Gram negative bacteria. To facilitate the analysis of cloned bacterial genes requires special genetic and molecular tools. I have been involved with the improvement of gene replacement systems to facilitate allelic replacement in Pseudomonas and other Gram negative bacteria. Also, I have been involved with construction of genetic systems that allow single copy insertion into the bacterial chromosome of novel or unique genetic features. This may mean construction of many new engineered plasmids. I have a strong curiosity to understand the genetic mechanisms that give rise to antibiotic resistance in Gram negative bacteria, especially Pseudomonas and Burkholderia species. I have a strong drive to be involved with training undergraduates for careers in research.

Education

PhD, University of North Dakota, 1988BA, Bemidji State University, 1981

Publications

Versatile nourseothricin and streptomycin/spectinomycin resistance gene cassettes and their use in chromosome integration vectors. Lehman SS, Mladinich KM, Boonyakanog A, Mima T, Karkhoff-Schweizer RR, Schweizer HP. J Microbiol Methods. 2016 Oct; 129:8-13. Tn5/7-lux: a versatile tool for the identification and capture of promoters in Gram-negative bacteria. Bruckbauer ST, Kvitko BH, Karkhoff-Schweizer RR, Schweizer HP. BMC Microbiol. 2015 Feb 4; 15:17. High-level pacidamycin resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is mediated by an Opp oligopeptide permease encoded by the opp-fabI operon. Mistry A, Warren MS, Cusick JK, Karkhoff-Schweizer RR, Lomovskaya O, Schweizer HP. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2013 Nov; 57(11):5565-71.