Torsten Eckstein
Assistant Professor

Phone: 491-2015
Fax: 491-1815
Email: Torsten.Eckstein@Colostate.Edu
Office: B209A Microbiology Building
Lab: B230/B231 Microbiology Building

Degrees

Diploma (M.S.), Humboldt-University Berlin, Germany
M.D., Humboldt-University Berlin, Germany
Ph.D., National Academy of Science of Germany
Medical Residency, Humboldt-University Berlin and Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg
Infectious Disease Fellowship, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg

Certifications

German Board Certification of Pediatrics

Research Interests

Bacterial Genetics, Lipidomics, and Physiology

There are two primary bacterial pathogens our lab is focusing on: Mycobacterium avium with its five distinct subspecies: subsp. avium, subsp. hominissuis, subsp. silvaticum, subsp. lepraemurium, and subsp. paratuberculosis (with its ovine, bovine, and caprine types); and Burkholderia pseudomallei (including the related species B. mallei and B. thailandensis).
The major interest is in defining the Immunolipidome of these pathogens:

To develop diagnostic tests on infectious disease these bacteria are involved in (Johne’s disease in cattle and sheep; Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in humans; and melioidosis in humans);

To identify lipids stimulating innate immunity that could be used as adjuvants and/or immunomodulators;

To determine lipids that could be serve in a vaccine, and

To define new drug target for the treatment of melioidosis.

Selected Publications

Pub Med for Eckstein TM.

Alonso-Hearn, M., T.M. Eckstein, S. Sommer, and L.E. Bermudez. 2009. A Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis LuxR regulates cell envelope and virulence. Innate Immun. 2009 Aug 26. [Epub ahead of print]

Wu, C.W., S.K. Schmoller, J.P. Bannantine, T.M. Eckstein, J.M. Inamine, M. Livesey, R. Albrecht, and A.M. Talaat. 2009. A novel cell wall lipopeptide is important for biofilm formation and pathogenicity of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. Microb Pathog. 46:222-30

Eckstein, T.M., S. Chandrasekaran, S. Mahapatra, M. R. McNeil, D. Chatterjee, C. D. Rithner, P. W. Ryan, J. T. Belisle, and J. M. Inamine. 2006. A major specific cell envelope lipopeptide of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis. J. Biol. Chem. 281:5209-5215

Irani, V. R., S.-H Lee, T. M. Eckstein, J. M. Inamine, J. T. Belisle, and J. N. Maslow. 2004. Utilization of a ts-sacB selection system for the generation of a Mycobacterium avium serovar-8 specific glycopeptidolipid allelic exchange mutant. Annal. Clin. Microbiol. Antimicrob. 3:18.

Eckstein, T. M., J. T. Belisle, and J. M. Inamine. 2003.Proposed pathway for the biosynthesis of serovar-specific glycopeptidolipids in Mycobacterium avium serovar 2. Microbiol.149:2797-807

Maslow ,J. N., V. R. Irani, S.-H. Lee, T. M. Eckstein, J. M. Inamine, and J. T. Belisle. 2003. Biosynthetic specificity of the rhamnosyltransferase gene of Mycobacterium avium serovar 2 as determined by allelic exchange mutagenesis. Microbiol.149:3193-202

Eckstein, T.M., J.M. Inamine, M.L. Lambert, and J.T. Belisle. 2000. A genetic mechanism for deletion of the ser2 gene cluster and formation of rough morphological variants of M. avium. J. Bacteriol. 182:6177-6182

Eckstein, T.M., F.S. Silbaq, D. Chatterjee, N.J. Kelly, P.J. Brennan, and J.T. Belisle. 1998. Identification and recombinant expression of a Mycobacterium avium rhamnosyltransferase gene (rtfA) involved in glycopeptidolipids biosynthesis. J. Bacteriol. 180:5567-5573

Patents and Inventions

Patent.

US 2008/0108104A1: Eckstein, T.M. and J.M. Inamine. Identification of bacterial species and subspecies using lipids.

WO 2008/058024A2: Eckstein, T.M. and J.M. Inamine. Identification of bacterial species and subspecies using lipids.

Inventions

Eckstein, T.M., J.M. Inamine, C.L. Ritter, A.R. Harris: Immunogenic lipids of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis.

Eckstein, T.M., J.M. Inamine, D. Cogswell: Chemical Structure of an in-vivo immunogenic Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis-specific lipopeptide (Para-LP-02).

Eckstein, T. M., S. Chandrasekaran, M. R. McNeil, S. Mahapatra, D. Chatterjee, J. T. Belisle, and J. M. Inamine. Lipid specific for Mycobacterium paratuberculosis.