Photo of Melissa J. Caimano, PhD

Melissa J. Caimano, PhD

Associate Professor
Academic Office Location:
Medicine
UConn Health
263 Farmington Avenue, MC 3715
Farmington, CT 06030-3715
Phone: 860-679-8390
860-679-7312
Email: mcaima@uchc.edu
Website(s):

Spirochete Research Labs

Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Graduate Program
Curriculum Vitae:

Melissa Caimano received a B.S. degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1989. She attended graduate school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham doing her thesis work on the genetic elements involved in Streptococcus pneumoniae capsule biosynthesis. In 1996, Caimano began a post-doctoral fellowship with Dr. Justin Radolf at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, relocating to the University of Connecticut in 1999. Her work has focused primarily on the regulatory pathways and molecular mechanisms underlying mammalian host adaptation and maintenance of Borrelia burgdorferi within its natural enzootic cycle. Most notably, these studies have led to the discovery that the alternate sigma factor RpoS plays a critical role in the down-regulation, as well as up-regulation, of borrelial genes specifically in response to mammalian host signals. She has published more than 46 peer-reviewed articles on microbial pathogenesis and related areas in high impact journals. Her work examining the interaction between the Lyme disease spirochete and its arthropod vector is supported by grants awarded to her by the National Research Fund for Tick-Borne Diseases (NRFTD) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH/NIAID). Caimano currently is an Assistant Professor in the UConn Health Department of Medicine and holds a secondary appointments in the Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Biology and Biophysics. She has served on the Editorial Board of Infection and Immunity since 2006 and PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases since 2015.

Education
DegreeInstitutionMajor
BSUniversity of Rhode IslandMicrobiology
PhDUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamMicrobiology

Post-Graduate Training
TrainingInstitutionSpecialty
PostdoctoralUT Southwestern Medical CenterPost-doctoral fellow
Name & DescriptionCategoryRoleTypeScopeStart YearEnd Year
NIH/NIAID Bacterial Pathogenesis Study Section (BACP); Feb 2020Study SectionAd Hoc reviewerExternalNational2020
PLoS Neglected Tropical DiseasesEditorial BoardDeputy EditorExternalInternational20192021
Biomedical Sciences PhD Program Graduate Admissions CommitteeAdvisory CommitteeChair/C-ChairUConn HealthUniversity20192020
PLoS Neglected Tropical DiseasesEditorial BoardDeputy EditorExternalInternational2019
Graduate Program Admissions CommitteeAdvisory CommitteeChairUConn HealthUniversity20192020
Medical Student CoachingEducation CommitteeCoachUConn HealthUniversity2019
NIH/NIAID Special Emphasis Panel ZRG1 IDM-B (March, 2019)Study SectionAd Hoc reviewerExternalNational20192019
NIH/NIAID P01 Special Emphasis Panel (SEP)Study SectionReviewerExternalNational20182019
Cellular SignalingEditorial BoardEditorial Board MemberExternalInternational2018
BMC Infectious DiseasesEditorial BoardAssociate EditorExternalInternational2018
NIH/NIAID Special Emphasis Panel ZRG1 IDM-BStudy SectionMemberExternalNational2018
Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (Mar, 2019)Workshop/ConferenceOral Presentation JudgeExternalRegional20172019
NIH/NIAID, Special Emphasis Panel ZRG1 IDM-B(81)Study SectionReviewerExternalNational20172017
PLoS Neglected Tropical DiseasesEditorial BoardAssociate EditorExternalInternational2017
Cellular Microbiology - special issueEditorial BoardGuest EditorExternalInternational20172018
National Science FoundationStudy SectionAd hoc reviewerExternalInternational20172017
Frontiers in Immunology - Research Topic: Spirochetes and immune evasion: infection, persistence and clearance.Editorial BoardSpecial Topic Co-EditorExternalInternational20162017
Frontiers in Microbiology, section Microbial ImmunologyEditorial BoardGuest EditorExternalInternational20162017
Frontiers in Microbiology - Research Topic: Borrelia Pathogenesis, Immunity and Vaccines.Editorial BoardSpecial Topic Co-EditorExternalInternational20162018
Czech Science FoundationStudy SectionAd hoc grant reviewerExternalInternational20162017
Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL), SLAC National Accelerator LaboratoryStudy SectionAd hoc grant reviewerExternalRegional20162016
Committee on BiohazardsResearch CommitteeVice-ChairUConn HealthUniversity2015
IACUCResearch CommitteeMemberUConn HealthLocal2010
Infection and ImmunityEditorial BoardAssociate EditorExternalInternational20062020
ASMProfessional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational1993

Her work has focused primarily on the regulatory pathways and molecular mechanisms underlying mammalian host adaptation and maintenance of Borrelia burgdorferi within its natural enzootic cycle. Most notably, these studies have led to the discovery that the alternate sigma factor RpoS plays a critical role in the down-regulation, as well as up-regulation, of borrelial genes specifically in response to mammalian host signals. More recently, Dr. Caimano has identified a central role for the small nucleotide second messenger, c-di-GMP, for maintenance of B. burgdorferi in its arthropod vector. She has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles on microbial pathogenesis and related areas in high impact journals


Accepting Lab Rotation Students: Fall Block 2024, Spring 1 and 2 Block 2025

Journal Articles

Book Chapters

  • Gene Regulation and Transcriptomics.
    Samuels, D Scott; Lybecker, Meghan C; Yang, X Frank; Ouyang, Zhiming; Bourret, Travis J; Boyle, William K; Stevenson, Brian; Drecktrah, Dan; Caimano, Melissa J Current issues in molecular biology 2020 Dec;223-266
  • Generation of mammalian host-adapted Borrelia burgdorferi by cultivation in in dialysis membrane chamber implantation in rats.
    Caimano, M.J. Methods in Molecular Biology. Borrelia burgdorferi: Methods and Protocols. 2017 Mar;
  • The Prokaryotes: An Evolving Electronic Resource for the Microbiological Community
    Caimano MJ and Radolf JD. The Genus Borrelia. 2002 Jan;
  • Cultivation of Leptospira interrogans within rat peritoneal dialysis membrane chambers. (Chapter 21)
    A.A. Grassmann and M.J. Caimano. Methods in Molecular Biology: Leptospira spp. - Methods and Protocols.

Notes

Reviews

Title or AbstractTypeSponsor/EventDate/YearLocation
Deciphering the RpoS Regulon and Regulatory Crosstalk throughout the Enzootic CycleTalkGordon Research Conference2022Ventura, CA
Diverse Environment Related (Der) protein is a novel OMP85 subfamily present in free-living bacteria and pathogenic Leptospira spp.Everton Bettin, André Grassmann and Melissa CaimanoPosterNESS2020UConn Storrs (virtual)
Persistence of B. burgdorferi: What's RpoS got to do with it?TalkSpringtime for Lyme (Jan. 22, 2019)2019Hartford, CT
Physiology, Membrane Biology and Structural BiologyOtherGordon Research Conference-Biology of Spirochetes2016Ventura, CA
How does the Lyme disease spirochete know whether it's coming or going?TalkBates College2016Lewiston, MA
Environmental sensing by Borrelia burgdorferi “Bringing the Outside -> In”OtherUmea University2015Umea, Sweden
Environmental sensing by the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferiTalkUConn Storrs2015Storrs, CT
Prolonged Rupture of Membranes Impacts Early Intestinal Microbiome of Premature InfantsPosterPediatric Academic Societies2015San Diego, CA
Comparison of the Gastric Fluid Microbiome of Children with and without Eosinophilic EsophagitisPosterNorth Amer. Soc. of Ped, Gastro. Hep. and Nutr.2015Washington, DC
Environmental sensing by Borrelia burgdorferi: How does the Lyme disease spirochete know whether it's coming or going?TalkGordon Research Conferences2014Ventura, CA
Cultivation of Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni within dialysis membrane chambers provides a model system for studying the transcriptional and physiological adaptation of pathogenic leptospires within the mammalian host.PosterGordon Research Conferences2014Ventura, CA
Role of Two-Component Systems for maintenance of the Lyme disease spirochetes in its enzootic cycle.TalkGeneral Microbiology2014Dublin, Ireland
Environmental sensing by Borrelia burgdorferi: How do Lyme disease spirochetes know if they are coming or going?TalkPasteur Institute2014Paris, France
Springtime for Lyme:Hk1/Rrp1-mediated environmental sensing by Borrelia burgdorferiTalkLinda Bockenstedt, Yale University2014New Haven
Maintenance of Borrelia burgdorferi within its Enzootic Cycle Requires Both Hk1/Rrp1 and RpoS Regulatory PathwaysTalkInternational Conference on Lyme Borreliosis2013Boston, MA