Mary E. Marquart

Mary E. Marquart is a Professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Her research focuses on ocular bacterial infections, particularly Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Viridans Group Streptococci.

She investigates virulence mechanisms such as the pneumococcal capsule and pneumolysin, and develops novel therapies including immunization strategies and antibacterial biomaterials. Her work employs animal models (mice, rabbits) to study infection progression and treatment efficacy.

• Collaborations: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Biomedical Material Science, Ophthalmology, Mississippi State University, and industry partners.
• Research Trends: Recent publications emphasize antibacterial surfaces, bacterial metabolic fitness, and novel antimicrobial delivery systems for ocular infections.

Her lab has pioneered studies on cholesterol-dependent cytolysin inhibition and particulate pneumococcal mutants in endophthalmitis. Key methodologies include flow cytometry, genomic analysis, and photocatalytic material testing.