Emily Weinert

Emily Weinert is a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Chemistry at Pennsylvania State University, part of the Eberly College of Science. She holds affiliations with the Huck Institutes of Life Sciences and Microbiome Center. Her research focuses on bacterial signaling pathways, particularly oxygen sensing via globin-coupled sensors and atypical cyclic nucleotides. She earned her B.Sc. from Duke University (2002), Ph.D. from the University of Maryland (2006), and completed a postdoc at UC Berkeley (2011). Awards include NSF CAREER (2014–2019) and Emory Crystal Apple Awards (2017).

Education:

• B.Sc. Chemistry, Duke University (2002)
• Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Maryland (2006)
• Postdoc, University of California, Berkeley (2011)

Research Interests:

• Bacterial oxygen sensing mechanisms
• Role of globin-coupled sensors in pathogenesis
• 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide monophosphates in signaling
• Development of antibacterial therapies
• Interdisciplinary approaches combining chemistry and microbiology

Articles Trends: Recent work emphasizes structural and functional studies of oxygen-sensing proteins, cyclic nucleotide metabolism, and their roles in bacterial virulence and biofilm formation. Key findings include links between heme pocket dynamics and signal transduction in Pectobacterium and the inhibitory effects of 2',3'-cNMPs on bacterial translation.

Awards:

• NSF CAREER Award (2014–2019)
• Emory Crystal Apple Award (2017)
• Ruth L. Kirschstein Fellowship (2007–2010)

Advising & Labs: Supervises a diverse lab team (current and alumni) exploring bacterial signaling pathways. Collaborates on projects like the Bacteria! board game for science outreach. Active in grants focusing on rescaling biological integration across scales.

Labs/Teams: Leads the interdisciplinary Weinert Lab, part of the Penn State Eberly College of Science. Engages with the Microbiome Center and Huck Institutes for collaborative research.