Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University

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Giovanni F. Widmer

Professor

Molecular Biology of Protozoan Parasites, Microbial Pathogenesis

Campus Phone:
508-839-7944

Website:
Giardia, Cryptosporidium Testing Services

Email:
giovanni.widmer@tufts.edu

Education

  • PhD - London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine - 1986
  1. Zhang Q, Widmer G, Tzipori S (2013) A pig model of the human gastro-intestinal tract. Gut Microbes (in press).
  2. Widmer G, Lee Y, Hunt P, Martinelli A, Tolkoff M, Bodi K (2012) Comparative genome analysis of two Cryptosporidium parvum isolates with different host range. Infect Genet Evol 12,1213-21.
  3. Ben Ayed L, Yang W, Widmer G, Cama V, Ortega Y, Xiao L (2012) Survey of wastewater in Tunisia for Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Cyclospora cayetanensis and Eimeria spp. J Water Health 10,431-44.
  4. Herges G, Widmer G, Clark M, Khan E, Giddings C, Brewer M, McEvoy J (2012) Evidence that Cryptosporidium parvum populations are panmictic and unstructured in the Upper Midwest United States. (2012) Appl Environ Microbiol 78,8096-101.
  5. Sheoran A, Wiffin A, Widmer G, Tzipori S (2012) Infection with Cryptosporidium hominis provides incomplete protection of the host against C. parvum. J Infect Dis 205,1019-23. PMID:22279124.
  6. Drumo R, Widmer G, Morrison L, Tait A, Grelloni V, D'Avino N, Pozio E, Cacciò S (2012) Population genetics of Cryptosporidium parvum in Italy: evidence of host-associated populations. Appl Environ Microbiol (in press) PMID:22389374.
  7. Chappell C, Okhuysen P, Langer-Curry R, Akiyoshi D, Widmer G, Tzipori S (2011) Cryptosporidium meleagridis: infectivity in healthy adult volunteers. Am J Trop Med Hyg 85,238-42.
  8. Widmer G, Sullivan S (2011) Genomics and population biology of Cryptosporidium species (Review). Parasite Immunol. May 19. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2011.01301.
  9. Faghiri Z, Bonilla Santiago R, Wu Z, Widmer G (2011) High-throughput screening in sub-optimal growth conditions identifies agonists of Giardia lamblia proliferation. Parasitology, 138, 194-200.
  10. Widmer G, Lee Y. (2010) Comparison of single- and multi-locus genetic diversity in the protozoan parasites Cryptosporidium parvum and C. hominis. Appl Environ Microbiol. 76,6639-44. PMID: 20709840.
  11. Faghiri Z, Santiago RB, Wu Z, Widmer G. High-throughput screening in suboptimal growth conditions identifies agonists of Giardia lamblia proliferation. Parasitology. (2010) Aug 10:1-7. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 20696097.
  12. Yang YL, Buck GA, Widmer G (2010) Cell sorting-assisted microarray profiling of host cell response to Cryptosporidium parvum infection. Infect Immun 78(3):1040-8. PubMed PMID: 20038534.
  13. Widmer G, Akiyoshi D. (2010) Host specific segregation of ribosomal nucleotide sequence diversity in the microsporidian Enterocytozoon bieneusi. Infect Genet Evol 10(1):122-8 PMID:19931647.

General Research Interests

  • Molecular biology of protozoan parasites
  • Waterborne pathogens

Selected Research Projects

  • Genetics of Cryptosporidium parvum.
  • Cryptosporidium genome sequencing.
  • Detection and genotyping of Cryptospordium oocysts and Giardia cysts in water.
  • Analysis of complex microbial populations using high-throughput sequencing.

Research Interests by Area

Infectious Diseases: Prevention and Control
  • Detection in and removal of Cryptosporidium from water; molecular markers of Giardia lamblia cyst infectivity
Infectious Diseases: Genetics and Genomics
  • Comparative genomics of Cryptosporidium species