David K. Giles

David K. Giles is a Professor of Biology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), where he holds a faculty position in the Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science. His research focuses on microbial membrane adaptations, particularly how bacteria modify phospholipids and lipid A in response to environmental stimuli. Giles' work spans medical, environmental, and aquatic microbiology, with an emphasis on fatty acid incorporation and its effects on virulence, biofilm formation, and antimicrobial resistance.

Research Interests:

• Microbial survival mechanisms via membrane remodeling
• Exogenous fatty acid utilization in pathogens like Vibrio, E. coli, and Klebsiella
• Host-pathogen interactions and immune evasion
• Antimicrobial peptide resistance and biofilm dynamics
• Applications of computational modeling in microbial physiology

Collaborations include projects with Dr. Myriam Cotten (William & Mary) on piscidins and Drs. Jin Wang and Bradley Harris (UTC) on V. cholerae mathematical modeling. His lab employs a mix of microbiological, biochemical, and genetic techniques suitable for undergraduate/graduate training.

Laboratory and Affiliations: Located in 350J Holt Hall (UTC), his lab investigates bacterial membrane biology with a focus on medically relevant species. Ongoing projects include fatty acid transport mechanisms and virulence modulation in Gram-negative bacteria.