Possible Rotation Projects:
- High-throughput screening for virulence factors using a group B Streptococcus CRISPRi library
- Mapping GBS-host interaction networks in neonatal immune cells using RNA-seq and bacterial mutants
- Characterizing strain-specific and gene-specific contributions to GBS pathogenicity in models of chorioamnionitis
Training Technologies Used:
CRISPR-based gene repression, transposon mutagenesis (Tn-seq), RNA-seq, bacterial culture and molecular cloning, host-pathogen co-culture models, microbiome sequencing, and neonatal infection models.
- BA, Psychology, Yale University, 2001
- Post-Baccalaureate Studies, University of Maryland, 2003
- MD, Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, 2007
- Residency & Chief Residency, Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, 2011
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Neonatology/Microbiology, Columbia University & Pediatric Scientist Development Program, 2017
Dammann AN et al., “Genome-wide fitness analysis of group B Streptococcus in human amniotic fluid reveals a transcription factor that controls multiple virulence traits.” PLOS Pathogens, 2021.
Gopalakrishna KP et al., “Group B Streptococcus Cas9 variants for programmable gene repression.” Communications Biology, 2023.
Hooven TA et al., “The Streptococcus agalactiae stringent response enhances virulence and persistence in human blood.” Infection and Immunity, 2017.
Keith MF et al., “Nitric oxide production and effects in group B Streptococcus chorioamnionitis.” Pathogens, 2022.
Bhavana VH et al., “A group B Streptococcus indexed transposon mutant library…” Microbiology Spectrum, 2023.
Megli CJ et al., “Diet influences community dynamics following vaginal group B Streptococcus colonization.” Microbiology Spectrum, 2024.
Firestone K et al., “A CRISPRi library screen in group B Streptococcus identifies surface immunogenic protein (Sip)...” Infection and Immunity, 2025.
Lin YC, Salleb-Aouissi A, Hooven TA. “Interpretable prediction of necrotizing enterocolitis from machine learning analysis...” BMC Bioinformatics, 2022.
Hooven TA et al., “A counterselectable sucrose sensitivity marker for mutagenesis in Streptococcus agalactiae.” Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2019.
Randis TM et al., “Group B Streptococcus β-hemolysin/cytolysin breaches maternal-fetal barriers…” Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2014.
Our research focuses on Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus or GBS), a leading cause of sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis in newborns. The overarching aim of our work is to elucidate how GBS transitions from a benign colonizer of the maternal genitourinary tract to a lethal invasive pathogen in neonates. To do this, we integrate molecular genetics, high-throughput mutant library screening, transcriptomics, and host-pathogen interaction studies using both in vitro and in vivo models.
A particular area of interest is the identification of bacterial genes that are essential for survival in the neonatal host. Our lab has created the first publicly available indexed GBS transposon mutant library, enabling large-scale fitness screens in complex environments like human amniotic fluid. Additionally, we are applying CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) to modulate gene expression and dissect the function of key virulence determinants. We are also deeply interested in how neonatal immunity and placental defense systems interact with bacterial invaders, and how these interactions are shaped by the maternal microbiome and inflammatory signaling.
Ultimately, our work seeks to develop novel preventive and therapeutic strategies to protect vulnerable neonatal populations from GBS and other perinatal infections. We collaborate widely and maintain active projects that cross boundaries between microbiology, immunology, and perinatal medicine.
