Oscar Juarez

Oscar Juarez is an Associate Professor of Biology at the Lewis College of Science and Letters, Illinois Institute of Technology. His research focuses on bacterial pathogenesis and metabolic adaptations using interdisciplinary approaches including structural biology, enzymology, and drug design. Dr. Juarez leads a biomedical research lab investigating host-pathogen relationships in Chlamydia trachomatis and Vibrio cholerae, with applications in antibiotic development.

Education:

• Ph.D. from National University of Mexico
• B.S. from National University of Mexico

Research Interests: The Juarez Lab employs molecular and structural biology techniques to study:

• Enzyme kinetics and electron transfer mechanisms in bacterial respiratory chains
• Metabolic strategies of pathogens during infection
• Conformational dynamics of ion-transporting proteins
• Rational design of inhibitors targeting bacterial energy metabolism

Publication Focus: Recent work (2023-2025) demonstrates strong emphasis on:

• Antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and novel antibiotic development
• Bacterial respiratory adaptations under stress conditions
• Structural characterization of energy-transducing enzymes
• Ecological physiology of marine organisms
• Antiviral and peptide-based therapeutics

Projects: Current research includes:

• Structural analysis of enzymes in ion homeostasis
• Host-pathogen relationship studies in bacterial infections
• Computational drug design against pathogenic targets

Laboratory Expertise: Specializes in mechanistic enzymology, protein chemistry, and metabolic network characterization. The lab utilizes techniques including X-ray crystallography, kinetic assays, and transcriptomic analysis.