Clemson researcher’s mini-review featured in ‘Early-Career Scientist’ series

CLEMSON – Clemson scientist Emily Rosowski’s research on zebrafish larvae has been featured in a major journal as part of a series titled “Early-Career Scientists Shaping the New Microbiology.”

Rosowski’s mini-review, “Illuminating Macrophage Contributions to Host-Pathogen Interactions In Vivo: the Power of Zebrafish,” appeared in Infection and Immunity, a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Society for Microbiology. The article discusses using zebrafish larvae to study the interaction between pathogens and the immune system, especially with macrophages, one type of immune cell.

“Zebrafish larvae are a powerful tool to investigate the role of different immune cells and pathways since they are small and transparent, and we can directly image immune responses in a whole infected animal,” said Rosowski, an assistant professor in the College of Science’s department of biological sciences and the Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center (EPIC).

Rosowski’s research uses the larval zebrafish model to study host-pathogen interactions. Currently, her lab focuses on understanding immune mechanisms that protect humans from the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Rosowski is especially interested in how macrophages take up this fungus and prevent its growth.

“It’s exciting to be included in this Early Career Scientists series and to be able to promote my research using the larval zebrafish model to understand host-pathogen interactions,” Rosowski said.