James A. Imlay

James A. Imlay is a **Professor of Microbiology**, **Swanlund Endowed Chair**, and **Associate Head** of the Department of Microbiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He leads the **Imlay Lab**, focusing on molecular mechanisms of oxidative damage, microbial defenses against oxidants, and obligate anaerobiosis. His research integrates biochemical, genetic, and physiological approaches to understand how oxygen-derived radicals impact microbial survival and metabolism.

**Education**: B.S. in Chemistry and English from Duke University (1981), Ph.D. in Biochemistry from UC Berkeley (1987), and postdoctoral training at Duke University (1987–1992).

**Research Interests**: His work explores how superoxide (O₂⁻) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) arise in cells, their damaging effects on biomolecules (e.g., iron-sulfur clusters, mononuclear enzymes), and cellular defense mechanisms such as Dps proteins and manganese uptake. He also investigates why obligate anaerobes cannot grow aerobically and how phagocytes use oxidative bursts to kill pathogens.

**Recent Work**: His lab has uncovered novel insights into enzymatic sources of endogenous H₂O₂, the strategic metalation of microbial enzymes, and the ineffectiveness of antioxidants in bacterial oxidative stress. His findings highlight the role of iron homeostasis and membrane properties in oxidative stress responses.

**Labs/Teams**: Directs the Imlay Lab, collaborating on interdisciplinary projects in microbial physiology and stress biology.