Matthew "Matt" J. Wargo
Professor, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Director, Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Sciences PhD Program
PRONOUNS he/him
- Ph.D., Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College
- MS., Botany, Texas A&M University
- BS., Biological Sciences, Susquehanna University
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Pulmonary, (co-appointed), University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine and Dartmouth College
- Postdoctoral Associate, Dartmouth College, Geisel School of Medicine
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Secondary Appointment in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Areas of expertise
bacterial genetics, transcriptional regulation, microbial physiology and metabolism.
BIO
Matthew Wargo is a Professor in the LCOM Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Department. His work focuses on how Pseudomonas and similar lung pathogens transitions from the environment to the lung, detect the host milieu, and regulate virulence factors. He teaches Bacterial Genetics for undergraduates, Medical Bacteriology and Mycology for medical students, and Data Analysis for graduate students.
Courses
- MMG 3110 Bacterial Genetics (Course director and sole instructor)
- Attacks & Defenses (Specialist Instructor)
- CLBI 7020 Biomedical Data Analysis
Publications
Bio
Matthew Wargo is a Professor in the LCOM Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Department. His work focuses on how Pseudomonas and similar lung pathogens transitions from the environment to the lung, detect the host milieu, and regulate virulence factors. He teaches Bacterial Genetics for undergraduates, Medical Bacteriology and Mycology for medical students, and Data Analysis for graduate students.
Courses
- MMG 3110 Bacterial Genetics (Course director and sole instructor)
- Attacks & Defenses (Specialist Instructor)
- CLBI 7020 Biomedical Data Analysis
Publications
Select Publications
- The Pseudomonas aeruginosa sphBC genes are important for growth in the presence of sphingosine by promoting sphingosine metabolism. DiGianivittorio P, Hinkel LA, Mackinder JR, Schutz K, Klein EA, Wargo MJ. Microbiology (Reading). 2025 Jan;171(1):001520. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.001520. PMID: 39791474 Free PMC article.
- Sphingosine induction of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa hemolytic phospholipase C/sphingomyelinase (PlcH). Mackinder JR, Hinkel LA, Schutz K, Eckstrom K, Fisher K, Wargo MJ. J Bacteriol. 2024 Mar 21;206(3):e0038223. doi: 10.1128/jb.00382-23. Epub 2024 Feb 27. PMID: 38411048 Free PMC article.
- Characterizing species interactions that contribute to biofilm formation in a multispecies model of a potable water bacterial community. Thompson AF, English EL, Nock AM, Willsey GG, Eckstrom K, Cairns B, Bavelock M, Tighe SW, Foote A, Shulman H, Pericleous A, Gupta S, Kadouri DE, Wargo MJ. Microbiology (Reading). 2020 Jan;166(1):34-43. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.000849. Epub 2019 Oct 4. PMID: 31585061 Free PMC article.
- Pulmonary Surfactant Promotes Virulence Gene Expression and Biofilm Formation in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Willsey GG, Ventrone S, Schutz KC, Wallace AM, Ribis JW, Suratt BT, Wargo MJ. Infect Immun. 2018 Jun 21;86(7):e00135-18. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00135-18. Print 2018 Jul. PMID: 29712730 Free PMC article.
- Detection of host-derived sphingosine by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is important for survival in the murine lung. LaBauve AE, Wargo MJ. PLoS Pathog. 2014 Jan;10(1):e1003889. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003889. Epub 2014 Jan 23. PMID: 24465209 Free PMC article.
What we do in the Lab
Research Specialty
Lab Team
Olivia Evans - CMB PhD student
Jacob Mackinder - CMB PhD student
Laura O'Brien - Undergraduate researcher
Emma Danza