UT Health San Antonio

Jordi Torreles, Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor

Microbiology

Immunology & Molecular Genetics

I have a broad background in TB diagnostics, biochemistry and cell biology using primary human cells, with specific training and expertise in key research areas for this proposal. I am an accomplished biochemist, having extensively studied the M.tb cell wall in the labs of Drs. PJ Brennan, D.Chatterjee and JT Belisle at Colorado State University (publishing 17 publications). I purified and structurally characterized cell envelope components of several M.tb strains (including MDR and XDR), M. leprae, M. avium and M. smegmatis (among others) and their signature motifs, as well as purification of cell envelope components from extremely small numbers of bacilli. I discovered a biologically active variant of mannose-­capped lipoarabinomannan (ManLAM) uniquely recognized by CD1-­restricted T-­cells (in collaboration with Drs. RL Modlin and PA Sieling), and developed a 2-­dimensional SDS-­PAGE system to visualize and purify ManLAM isoforms from M.tb and Mycobacterium leprae. In addition I defined the nature of M.tb cell wall components produced during infection in vitro in human macrophages (in collaboration with Drs. S Kaufmann and DG Russell).