Paul Webster

Senior Faculty – Biomedicine & Advanced Microscopy

B.Sc., Sheffield University (UK), 1980, Animal & Plant Biology

Ph.D., Brunel University (UK), Advisor, Roland Terry, 1989, Protozoology

Postdoctoral Fellow, Yale University School of Medicine (New Haven, CT), 1990-93, Cell Biology

Principal Research Interests

  • Applying imaging and immunolabeling methods to biomedical research
  • Dynamics of bacterial biofilms and relevance to human health
  • Novel techniques for electron microscopy specimen preparation, with a focus on preserving fragile ultrastructural features
  • Bacterial metaproteomics for in vivo diagnosis of pathogenic biofilms

Representative Publications

  • Wu, S.; Li, X.; Gunawardana, M.; Maguire, K.; Guerrero-Given, D.; Schaudinn, C.; Wang, C.; Baum, M. M.; Webster, P., Beta-lactam Antibiotics Stimulate Biofilm Formation in Non-Typeable Haemophilus influenzae by Up-regulating Carbohydrate Metabolism. PLoS One 20149 (7), e99204.
  • Schaudinn, C.; Stoodley, P.; Hall-Stoodley, L.; Gorur, A.; Remis, J.; Wu, S.; Auer, M.; Hertwig, S.; Guerrero-Given, D.; Hu, F. Z.; Ehrlich, G. D.; Costerton, J. W.; Robinson, D. H.; Webster, P., Death and Transfiguration in Static Staphylococcus epidermidis Cultures. PLoS One 2014, 9 (6), e100002.
  • Wu, S.; Baum, M. M.; Kerwin, J.; Guerrero, D.; Webster, S.; Schaudinn, C.; VanderVelde, D.; Webster, P., Biofilm-specific extracellular matrix proteins of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae. Pathog. Dis. 2014, Epub ahead of print Jun. 19.
  • Gunawardana, M.; Mullen, M.; Yoo, J.; Webster, P.; Moss, J. A.; Baum, M. M., Sustained Delivery of Commensal Bacteria from Pod-intravaginal Rings. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother2014, Epub ahead of print Feb. 3.
  • Baum, M. M.; Gunawardana, M.; Webster, P., Experimental Approaches to Investigating the Vaginal Biofilm Microbiome. Methods Mol. Biol. 2014, 1147-1185.
  • Cheng, S.-B., P. Ferland, P. Webster & E. L. Bearer. Herpes simplex virus dances with amyloid precursor protein while exiting the cell. PLOS One Mar 31;6(3):e17966. 2011. PMCID: PMC3069030.
  • Kalinec, F., P. Webster, A. Maricle, D. Guerrero, D.N. Chakravarti, B. Chakravarti, R. Gellibolian & G. Kalinec. Glucocorticoid-stimulated, transcription-independent, release of annexin A1 by cochlear Hensen cells. Br. J. Pharmacol. 158:1820-34. 2010. PMID 19912231.
  • Baum, M.M., A. Kainovic, T. O’Keeffe, R. Pandita, K. L. McDonald, S. Wu, and P. Webster. Characterization of structures in biofilms formed by Pseudomonas fluorescens isolated from soil. BMC Microbiol 9:103. 2009. PMCID: PMC2697165.
  • Webster, P, S. Wu, G. Gomez, M. Apicella, A. G. Plaut, and J. W. St. Geme III. Distribution of bacterial proteins in biofilms formed by non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae. J. Histochem Cytochem. 54:829-842. 2006. PMID: 16549506.
  • Rich, K.A., C. Burkett and P. Webster. Cytoplasmic bacteria can be targets for autophagy. Cellular Microbiol. 5:455-468. 2003. PMID: 12814436.
  • Mayhew, T.M., G. Griffiths, A. Habermann, J.M. Lucocq, N. Emre, and P. Webster. A simpler way of comparing the labelling densities of cellular compartments illustrated using data from VPARP and LAMP-1 immunogold labelling experiments. Histochem. Cell Biol. 119:333-341. 2003. PMID: 12695916.
  • Webster, P. Early intracellular events during internalization of Listeria monocytogenes by J774 cells. J. Histochem Cytochem. 50:503-518. 2002. PMID: 11897803.
  • Drake, J.R., T.A. Lewis, K.A. Barnes, R.N. Michell and P. Webster. Involvement of both MIIC-like late endosomes and CIIV in B-cell receptor-mediated antigen processing and class II peptide loading. J. Immunol. 162:1150-1155. 1999. PMID: 9916746.
  • Webster, P. J. Ijdo, L. Chicoine and E. Fikrig. The agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis resides in an endosomal compartment. J. Clin. Invest. 101:1932-1941.1998. PMCID: PMC508780.
  • Hansen, J.-B., R. Olsen and P. Webster. Association of tissue factor inhibitor with human umbilical vein endothelium. Blood 90:3568-3578. 1997. PMID: 9345040.
  • Amigorena, S., J.R. Drake, P. Webster and I. Mellman. Transient accumulation of new class II MHC molecules in a novel endocytic compartment in B lymphocytes. Nature 369:113-120. 1994. PMID: 8177316.
  • Webster, P., L. Vanacore, A. Nairn and C. Marino. Endosomes are a predominant site of CFTR localization in salivary gland duct cells. Amer. J. Pathol. 267(Cell Physiol. 36):C340-34. 1994. PMID: 7521124.
  • Webster, P. and G. Griffiths. A novel method for estimating the volume of epoxy resin-embedded cells applied to Trypanosoma brucei. J. Microsc. 174:85-92. 1993.
  • Amigorena, S. C. Bonnerot, J.R. Drake, D. Choquet, W. Hunziker, J-G. Guillet, P. Webster, C. Sautes, I. Mellman and W.H. Fridman. Cytoplasmic domain heterogeneity and functions of IgG Fc receptors in B-lymphocytes. Science. 256:1808-1812. 1992. PMID: 1535455.
  • Andrews, N.W. and P. Webster. Phagolysosomal escape by intracellular pathogens. Parasitol. Today 7:335-340. 1991. PMID: 15463408.