Support Our Research | The Microbiology department harbors a collaborative scientific community whose members share a passion for microbes and scientific exploration. We are uncovering the mechanisms used by diverse microbes to survive in nature and to interact with host organisms. Our research ranges from understanding fundamental biological mechanisms to addressing specific infectious disease challenges that are critical for human health. |
Upcoming Events: | |
| Microbiology Tuesday Seminar |
| Microbiology Monday Talks |
| Microbiology Monday Talks |
| Microbiology Tuesday Seminar |
| Sophie Helaine receives Dorothy Ornitz FellowshipCongratulations to Sophie Helaine for being the inaugural recipient of the Dorothy Ornitz Fellowship at Harvard Medical School. The Ornitz Fellowship is awarded to support bold, imaginative, and highly intuitive research with the potential to transform medicine in profound ways. |
| Philip J. Kranzusch will receive the 2026 NAS Award in Molecular BiologyPhilip's research investigates how cells detect and respond to viral pathogens and how these signaling pathways can be harnessed to develop new therapies to treat infections, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. |
| Researchers Now Understand How a New Class of Antivirals WorksJonathan Abraham worked with co-author Joseph Loparo using structural biology and imaging techniques to explore the biophysical mechanisms at play as the new drugs bind to and inactivate a critical enzyme in the life cycle of herpes simplex virus. |
| What We Need To Know To Stop a Listeria OutbreakDarren Higgins, professor of microbiology in the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, has been studying listeria and other intracellular bacteria for decades |
 | “I'm Worried About the Future of Virology”Grant Yang is a PhD student who studies viruses |
 | “I Am Determined to Carry On This Vital Work”David Knipe studies how to prevent, combat, and make use of a virus that infects most people in the world |
 | “I Never Imagined I Could Be a Scientist”Suzanne Walker studies how to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria |
