Participating Faculty
Guy Palmer

Professor
Veterinary Microbiology & Pathology
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-7040

Ph.D., 1984
Washington State University

Phone: 509-335-6033
Email: gpalmer@wsu.edu
Website: http://research.wsu.edu/national_academy/palmer.html

 

 

Research Interests:

Pathogen antigenic variation and dynamics of pathogen emergence; Vaccine development.

Research Summary:
Dr. Palmer's current research is focused in understanding antigenic variation of vector-borne pathogens at the in-host and population levels. Genome sequencing approaches have progressed from completion of individual strains of the rickettsial Anaplasma marginale to examining large numbers of strains to better understand flow of strains under conditions of high trasmission. These studies are designed to better understand how new pathogens emerge and are transmitted. In addition, Dr. Plamer's laboratory conducts research on improving vaccine efficacy to prevent transmission of pathogens including those transmitted from animals to humans.

Dr. Palmer currently serves as Chair of the Graduate Studies Program in the Deparment of Veterinary Microbiology (http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/graduate/VMP/), which provides MS and PhD level training; and as Director of the NIH Immunology Training Program (http://vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vmp/itp/), which recruits post-DVM and post-PhD fellows for mentored laboratory training in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the School of Molecular Biosciences. Additional training opportunities are available through the NIGH Biotechnology Training Program (http://molecular.biosciences.wsu.edu/biotech.html).

Representative Publications:

Brayton, K.A., Knowles, D.P., McGuire, T.C., and Palmer, G.H.: Efficient use of a small genome to generate antigenic diversity in tick-borne ehrlichial pathogens. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 98:4130-4135, 2001.

Florin-Christensen, J., Suarez, C.E., Florin-Christiansen, M., Brown, W.C., McElwain, T.F., and Palmer, G.H.: A unique phospholipid organization in bovine erythrocyte membranes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 98:7736-7741, 2001.

Brayton, K.A., Kappmeyer, L.S., Herndon, D.R., Dark, M.J., Tibbals, D.L., Palmer, G.H., McGuire, T.C., and Knowles, D.P.: Complete genome sequencing of Anaplasma marginale reveals that the surface is skewed to two superfamilies of outer membrane proteins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 102: 844-849, 2005.

Futse, J.E., Brayton, K.A., Knowles, D.P., and Palmer, G.H.: Structural basis for segmental gene conversion in generation of Anaplasma marginale outer membrane protein variants. Molecular Microbiology, 57:212-221, 2005.

Mwangi, W., Brown, W.C., Splitter, G.A., Zhuang, Y., Kegerreis, K., and Palmer, G.H. Enhancement of antigen acquisition by dendritic cells and MHC class II-restricted epitope presentation to CD4+ T-cells using VP22 DNA vaccine vectors that promote intercellular spreading following initial transfection. Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 78:401-411, 2005.

Palmer, G.H., Futse, J.E., Leverich, C.K., Knowles, D.P., Rurangirwa, F.R., and Brayton, K.A. Selection for simple MSP2 variants during Anaplasma marginale transmission to immunologically naïve animals. Infection and Immunity, 75:1502-1506, 2007.

Mwangi, W., Brown, W.C., Splitter, G.A., Davies, C.J., Howard, C.J., Hope, J.C., Aida, Y., Zhuang, Y., Hunter, B.J., and Palmer, G.H. Priming immune responses in outbred animals using a single DNA vaccination. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, 14:304-311, 2007.