Blaine Beaman
Professor of Medical Microbiology and Immunology

email: blbeaman@ucdavis.edu

Specialty:

• Electron Microscopy; Confocal Microscopy, Flow cytometry, and cell sorting; Infectious Diseases; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis; and Gamma Delta T cell responses in tissue repair.

Undergraduate Education:

• Utah State University
  Logan Utah

Other School:

• University of Kansas
  Lawrence, Kansas
  Ph. D.

Internships:

• NYU School of Medicine
  New York, NY
  Post Doctoral

Professional Memberships:

• Member, ASM., AAM., Editorial Board: Infection and Immunity, and Managing editor, Frontiers in Biosciences

Fellowships:

• Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology

The underlying theme our basic research is the understanding of the mechanisms of pathogenesis of the important but poorly studied pathogen Nocardia asteroides which has focused on a study of the mechanisms of selective invasion of the lungs and brain by Nocardia as a model for studying general mechanisms of bacterial invasion of host cells and microbial pathogenesis. Also we are studying the role of gamma delta T lymphocytes in the immunobiology of the lung in response to Mycolic acid containing pathogens (such as Mycobacterium and Nocardia) as compared to non-infectious forms of pulmonary injury (such as ozone). Our work includes studies on apoptosis, PMN function, and cytokines using both animal models as well as tissue culture systems.

Selected Publications: 2000 Beaman, B.L., D. Canfield, J. Anderson, B. Pate, and D. Calne. Site Specific invasion of the basal ganglia by Nocardia asteroides GUH-2. Medical Microbiology and Immunology 188:161-168.

2000 Ferrick, D.A., King, D.P., Jackson, K.A., Braun, R.K., Tam, S., Hyde, D.M., and Beaman, B.L. Intraepithelial gamma delta T lymphocytes: sentinel cells at mucosal barriers. Springer Seminars in Immunopathology. 22(3):283-296.

2000 Serrano, J.A., Beaman, B.L., and Boiron, P. Relationship of body temperature to localization of mycetomas caused by Nocardia brasilensis in a murine model. Journal de Mycologie Medicale, 10(N4):210-215.

2001 Tam, S., D. King, and B.L. Beaman. Increase of gd T lymphocytes in murine lungs occurs during recovery from pulmonary infection by Nocardia asteroides. Infection and Immunity 69:6165-6171.

2001 Pujic, P. and B. L. Beaman. Actinomyces and Nocardia In: M. Sussman,(Ed.) Molecular Medical Microbiology Academic Press (Chap. 43) pp. 937-960.

2002 Beaman, B.L. Nocardiae and agents of actinomycosis. In Manual of Clinical Laboratory Immunology, 6th Edition. ASM Publications . (Chapt. 55) pp. 511-515.

2002 Fernandez, K.R., L.M. Hansen, P. Vandamme, B.L. Beaman and J.V. Solnick. Captive Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta) are Commonly Infected with Helicobacter cinaedi . Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 40:1908-1912.

2002 Ellis, T.N. and B.L. Beaman. Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils are Activated to Produce Interferon-g in Response to Pulmonary Infection with Nocardia asteroides. Leukocyte Biology. 72:373-381.

2002. Tam, S. D. Barry, L. Beaman and B.L. Beaman. Neuroinvasive Nocardia asteroides GUH-2 induces apoptosis in the substantia nigra in vivo and dopaminergic cells in vitro, Experimental Neurology. 177:453-460

2003. Lopez, F.A, F. Johnson, D.M. Novosad, B.L. Beaman, and M. Holodniy. Successful Management of Disseminated Nocardia transvalensis Infection in a Heart Transplant Patient After Development of Sulfonamide Resistance: Case Report and Review. Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. 22:492-497.

2003. Camp, D.M., D.A. Loeffler, B.A. Razoky, S. Tam, B.L. Beaman, and P.A. LeWitt. Nocardia asteroides Culture Filtrates Cause Dopamine Depletion and Cytotoxicity in PC12 Cells. Neurochemical Research. 28:1359-1367.