Carla Uranga, PhD joined the Department of Genomic Medicine at JCVI in 2018. Working in the oral microbiology group, Dr. Uranga’s research has focused on the metabolome and proteome of microorganisms, with an emphasis on the induction of secondary metabolism and the purification of specialized small molecules produced by microbes and their relation to disease or health.

Little is known about how microbes metabolize host substrates, and which specific host substrates are able to induce secondary metabolism in microbes. Understanding these microbial processes may provide insight into the maintenance of healthy vs. disease states in the mouth and inform efforts to develop effective oral probiotics for the prevention of periodontal disease. Dr. Uranga recently purified and identified enterobactin, a metallophore, from the oral commensal bacteria Rothia mucilaginosa. This is a novel finding, since enterobactin is normally attributed to gut pathogens, indicating a potential role for enterobactin in oral health. Recently, Dr. Uranga’s interests have shifted to the effects of small molecules from the human microbiome on the immune system.

In San Diego since age four, Dr. Uranga has a BS in Biochemistry from UC San Diego, and a doctorate in Biochemistry from CICESE (Centro de Investigación Científica y Educación Superior) as a UC Mexus fellow in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Prior to joining JCVI, Dr. Uranga was at PaxVax, a vaccine development company working on developing purification methods for Zika and Chikungunya VLP vaccines for large-scale manufacturing.

Publications