Rate My Professor Antonella Gianfelice

Dr. Antonella Gianfelice is the Research Laboratory Manager in the Ireton Lab within the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, at the University of Otago, New Zealand. She also serves as Floor Manager, organizing paperwork, ensuring health and safety compliance, and providing support to researchers across multiple laboratories on the fifth floor. Holding a PhD, Dr. Gianfelice's expertise spans microbiology, nanobiotechnology, neurobiology, and virology. Her laboratory skills include cell culture, immunohistochemistry, western blot analysis, immunofluorescence, electrophoresis, SDS-PAGE, primary cell culture, transfection, and gel electrophoresis. These competencies enable her to facilitate high-quality research on bacterial pathogenesis and host-pathogen interactions.

Dr. Gianfelice has contributed significantly to elucidating how bacterial pathogens manipulate host cellular processes for cell-to-cell spread and entry. Her research highlights the roles of host GTPases like Dynamin 2 and Arf1, the exocyst complex, COPII proteins, apical junctions, and effectors such as AP1 and PICK1 in promoting actin polymerization, exocytosis, pedestal formation, and pathogen dissemination. Key publications co-authored by Dr. Gianfelice include: "Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli manipulates the host exocyst complex to enhance pedestal formation" (2025); "The host GTPase Dynamin 2 modulates apical junction structure to control cell-to-cell spread of Listeria monocytogenes" (Infection and Immunity, 2024); "Listeria monocytogenes Co-Opts the Host Exocyst Complex To Promote Internalin A-Mediated Entry" (mBio, 2022); "Shigella flexneri subverts host polarized exocytosis to enhance cell-to-cell spread" (Molecular Microbiology, 2021); "Role of internalin proteins in pathogenesis of Listeria monocytogenes" (2021); "The Host GTPase Arf1 and Its Effectors AP1 and PICK1 Stimulate Actin Polymerization and Exocytosis To Promote Entry of Listeria monocytogenes" (Infection and Immunity, 2020); "Host endoplasmic reticulum COPII proteins control cell-to-cell spread of the bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes" (Cellular Microbiology, 2015); and "Impact of the Listeria monocytogenes Protein InlC on Infection in Mice" (Infection and Immunity, 2013). Earlier studies addressed the X-linked intellectual disability protein TSPAN7 regulating filopodia and dendritic spines (Neuron, 2012) and biomimetic poly(amidoamine) hydrogels as synthetic materials for functional tissues (Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 2008). Her work has garnered over 850 citations on Google Scholar, influencing research in bacterial cell biology and host manipulation strategies.