David Blair

David Blair is a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah, with primary affiliations in the Molecular Biology Program and Biological Chemistry Program. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of bacterial flagellar motility and protein secretion systems, particularly investigating how rotary motors convert ion gradients into mechanical rotation for bacterial navigation.

Education:

• B.A. from Princeton University
• Ph.D. from California Institute of Technology

Dr. Blair's research centers on the structure-function relationships of bacterial flagellar motors, which rotate at over 100,000 rpm using membrane ion gradients. His work examines direction-switching mechanisms for chemotaxis, protein export during flagellar assembly, and connections to pathogenic injectisomes. Using structural biology, biochemistry, and genetics, his lab investigates how rotor-stator interactions generate torque and how signaling proteins control motor behavior.

Analysis of his 2004-2011 publications reveals consistent focus on flagellar motor architecture, with key contributions in determining rotor protein structures (FliG, FliN), elucidating switching mechanisms, and demonstrating proton-gradient dependence in protein export. His work integrates electron microscopy, cross-linking, mutational analysis, and structural studies to dissect energy transduction and motility control across diverse bacterial species.

Scientific Awards:

• No awards mentioned in source material

Dr. Blair has mentored numerous graduate students and postdoctoral researchers as evidenced by his collaborative publications. His research has been supported by federal grants enabling structural and biochemical studies of bacterial motility systems, though specific funding details are not provided in the source text. He maintains active collaborations with structural biologists and microbiologists both within and beyond the University of Utah.

He leads a research laboratory specializing in bacterial motility mechanisms, employing techniques including electron microscopy, protein crystallography, and molecular genetics. His team investigates fundamental questions about biological energy conversion at membranes, with implications for understanding bacterial pathogenesis and engineering nanoscale mechanical systems.