St. Jude Research
Chair: Department of Host-Microbe Interactions

Victor J. Torres Lab

Investigating the interactions between antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and their mammalian host 

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About the Torres Lab

Bacterial infections, including those caused by antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria, are responsible for most of the deaths in children worldwide and significantly complicate the treatment of immunocompromised pediatric patients. Our laboratory utilizes a multidisciplinary research framework and strong collaborations with other basic and clinical departments to study the interactions between AMR pathogens and the host. 

In the news

Victor J. Torres, Ph.D., named chair of newly formed Department of Host-Microbe Interactions at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Read more.

The Team

The Torres Lab team is focused on the complex interactions between pathogenic bacteria and the mammalian host.

Meet the Team

Our research summary

Our work contributes to the fundamental understanding of the interplay between pathogens and the host response. This information is critical for the advancement of preventative care measures and the development of effective infectious disease treatments.

image of laboratory machine

Host-pathogen interactions

During infection, pathogens use a variety of strategies to outmaneuver the host’s immune response to survive and thrive. We are interested in discovering these strategies as they could be vulnerabilities that can be exploited to develop novel treatments and preventives. Currently we are focusing on two major AMR pathogens,  Staphylococcus aureus and Enterobacter cloacae complex.

picture of gloved hands working on specimin

We are interested in identifying virulence factors involved in colonization, transmission and infection. We take advantage of bacterial genetics, omics, clinical samples, comparative genomics, primary human tissue culture models and diverse murine infection models to accomplish our goals. 

Toxin biology

Pore-forming toxins are critical weapons used by S. aureus to lyse immune, endothelial, and red blood cells. We have a longstanding interest in how the pore-forming toxins known as bicomponent leukocidins work and promote infection.

We are interested in defining the molecular details of toxin-receptor interactions to better understand tropism towards host cells. We are also identifying host factors involved in the demise of mammalian cells upon toxin exposure. Additionally, we are unraveling how toxins are regulated during different infections. Lastly, since leukocidins drive pathogenesis, we are examining the therapeutic value of targeting these toxins during active and passive immunizations. 

Publications

Multivalent human antibody-centyrin fusion protein to prevent and treat Staphylococcus aureus infections
Buckley et al. Cell Host Microbe, 2023
Secreted mammalian DNases protect against systemic bacterial infection by digesting biofilms
Lacey et al. J Exp Med, 2023
MRSA lineage USA300 isolated from bloodstream infections exhibit altered virulence regulation
Dyzenhaus et al. Cell Host Microbe, 2023
Staphylococcus aureus induces a muted host response in human blood that blunts the recruitment of neutrophils
Zwack et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2022
The cell envelope of Staphylococcus aureus selectively controls the sorting of virulence factors
Zheng et al Nat. Communications 2021
Genetic variation of staphylococcal LukAB toxin determines receptor tropism
Perelman et al. Nat Microbiol, 2021
Targeting leukocidin-mediated immune evasion protects mice from Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia
Tam et al. J Exp Med, 2020
Exploiting species specificity to understand the tropism of a human-specific toxin
Boguslawski et al. Sci Adv, 2020
Decoy exosomes provide protection against bacterial toxins
Keller et al. Nature, 2020
The purine biosynthesis regulator PurR moonlights as a virulence regulator in Staphylococcus aureus
Sause et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2019

Open positions

The Torres Lab welcomes motivated scientists interested in dissecting the complex interactions between pathogenic bacteria and the mammalian host.

View all open positions in the Torres Lab

Contact us

Victor J. Torres, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Chair, Department of Host-Microbe Interactions 
Director, Center for Infectious Diseases Research
Albert and Rosemary Joseph Endowed Chair in Host-Microbe Interactions

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN, 38105-3678 USA
victor.torres@stjude.org

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262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN, 38105-3678 USA
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