Mowery is a professor of biology at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, N.Y.
My current major area of research involves developing anti-cancer agents that are simplified versions of staurosproine, a molecule made by bacteria. The compounds are designed in collaboration with HWS organic chemist, Prof. Erin Pelkey. The biological results allow us to determine what structural requirements are important for making an effective compound, and we use this information to refine the molecules for increased potency. We have identified numerous promising compounds, and we are now asking how they induce their response and what proteins and/or pathways they target.
My other major area of research has been on the bacterial plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa, which migrates through grapevines causing Pierce's disease, a deadly infection. Motile bacteria use a process known as chemotaxis, which is the movement of organisms towards nutrients or away from noxious compounds. X. fastidiosa has numerous genes that are homologous to chemotaxis genes found in Escherichia coli, the canonical Gram negative chemotaxis system. Disruption of the putative X. fastidiosa chemotaxis genes prevents motility and dramatically limits disease. Our laboratory explored how the chemotaxis genes controlled the movement of X. fastidiosa and how this knowledge can prevent Pierce's disease. We also explored additional genes important for X. fastidiosa-induced disease and potential biocontrols to prevent Pierce’s disease.
Visit Mowery's Hobart and William Smith profile.