Chad Rappleye

Chad Rappleye is a Professor of Microbiology and Vice Chair for Graduate Program at the Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of virulence in Histoplasma capsulatum, a fungal pathogen causing histoplasmosis. He holds a B.S. from the University of Utah (1996), a Ph.D. from UC San Diego (2002), and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Washington University (2002-2006).

Research Interests:
His work investigates how Histoplasma evades host immune defenses, including masking cell wall β-glucans, secreting enzymes like catalases and superoxide dismutase, and adapting to intracellular nutrient limitations. Techniques include genomics, proteomics, and CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing. His lab also develops antifungal therapeutics and diagnostic biomarkers for systemic fungal infections.

Key Contributions:
- Discovered α-glucan masking to evade immune detection.
- Identified secreted enzymes (e.g., Eng1 β-glucanase) that enhance virulence.
- Developed molecular genetic tools for Histoplasma (e.g., RNAi, Agrobacterium mutagenesis).
- Explores antifungal drug candidates targeting fungal metabolism.

Affiliations: Member of the Infectious Disease Institute at Ohio State.

Publications: Over 50 peer-reviewed articles, including high-impact studies in mBio, Infect Immun, and Mol Microbiol. Recent work focuses on peroxisomal functions, tryptophan biosynthesis, and CRISPR-based genetic tools.