Matthew Chapman

Amyloid plaques are insoluble protein aggregations that underlie many neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and the prion diseases. Very little is known about amyloid fiber polymerization. Our lab seeks to understand amyloid formation by studying the biogenesis of an amyloid fiber produced by bacteria called curli. Curli fibers produced by E. coli and other enterobacteriaceae members are important determinants of biofilm formation and are proposed to be virulence factors. Our lab uses a variety of biochemical, microscopic, and genetic techniques to elucidate how E. coli assembles these biologically fascinating fibers.

We are also interested in the native function of curli fibers. Curli have been shown to be an integral part of a complex stationary phase developmental pathway in E. coli and Salmonella. This pathway has clear implications for the ability of these bacteria to both survive in nature and to cause disease in humans. Therefore, we are investing the role of curli in coordinating distinct developmental pathways using in vitro and in vivo methods.

Dr. Chapman received his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1999. He was a Keck and NIH Fellow at Washington University in St. Louis from 1999-2003.

Field(s) of Study

• Structure, Function and Biogenesis of Bacterial Amyloid Fibers

Areas of Focus

• Biochemistry
• Microbiology