Erin Purcell

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Chemistry & Biochemistry

Contact Information

CHEMISTRY BUILDING 4501 ELKHORN AVE
NORFOLK, VA 23517

Email: epurcell@odu.edu

Phone: 757-683-4240

Education/Credentials

Web Link(s)

fs.wp.odu.edu/epurcell//

Expertise

Microbiology

Signal transduction, bacterial antibiotic resistance

Chemistry

Nucleotide second messengers
Research Interests

small molecule signaling contributing to virulence and persistence in Clostridium difficile

Articles

Poudel, A., Pokhrel, A., Oludiran, A., Coronado, E. J., Alleyne, K., Gilfus, M. M., Gurung, R. K., Adhikari, S. B., and Purcell, E. (2022). Unique features of alarmone metabolism in Clostridioides difficile. Journal of Bacteriology, 204 (4), pp. e0057521.

Purcell, E. (2022). Second messenger signaling in Clostridioides difficile. Current Opinions in Microbiology, 65, pp. 138-144.

Poudel, A., Oludiran, A., Sozer, E. B., Casciola, Purcell, E., and Muratori, C. (2021). Growth in a biofilm sensitizes Cutibacterium acnes to nanosecond pulsed electric fields. Bioelectrics, 140, pp. 107797.

Pokhrel, Poudel, A., Kory, C. B., Celestine, M. J., Adenrele, O., Rinehold, A. J., Resek, A. M., Mhanna, M. A., and Purcell, E. (2020). The (p)ppGpp Synthetase RSH Mediates Stationary-Phase Onset and Antibiotic Stress Survival in Clostridioides difficile.. Journal of Bacteriology, 202 (19), pp. e00377-20.

Oludiran, A., Courson, D. S., Stuart, M. D., Radwan, A. R., Poutsma, J. C., Cotten, M. L., and Purcell, E. (2019). How Oxygen Availability Affects the Antimicrobial Efficacy of Host Defense Peptides: Lessons Learned from Studying the Copper-Binding Peptides Piscidins 1 and 3. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20 (21), pp. 5289.

Courson, D. S., Pokhrel, A., Scott, C., Madrill, M., Rinehold, A. J., Tamayo, R., Cheney, R., and Purcell, E. (2019). Single cell analysis of nutrient regulation of Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile motility.. Anaerobe, 59, pp. 205-211.

Pokhrel, A., Poudel, A., and Purcell, E. (2018). A Purfication and in vitro Activity Assay for a (p)ppGpp Synthetase from Clostridium difficile. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 141, pp. e585547.

Purcell, E., McKee, R. W., Courson, D. S., Garrett, E. M., McBride, S. M., Cheney, R. E., and Tamayo, R. (2017). A nutrient-regulated cyclic diguanylate phosphodiesterase controls Clostridium difficile biofilm and toxin production during stationary phase. Infection and Immunity, 1885 (9), pp. 1-17.

Purcell, E., and Tamayo, R. (2016). Cyclic diguanylate signaling in Gram-positive bacteria. FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 40 (5), pp. 753-73.

Purcell, E., McKee, R. W., Bordeleau, E., Burrus, V., and Tamayo, R. (2015). Regulation of type IV pili contributes to surface behaviors of historical and epidemic strains of Clostridium difficile. Journal of Bacteriology, 198 (3), pp. 565-77.

Bordeleau, E., Purcell, E., Lafontaine, D. A., Fortier, L. C., Tamayo, R., and Burrus, V. (2015). Cyclic di-GMP riboswitch-regulated type IV pili contribute to aggregation of Clostridium difficile. Journal of Bacteriology, 197 (5), pp. 819-32.

McKee, R. W., Mangalea, M. R., Purcell, E., Borchardt, E. K., and Tamayo, R. (2013). The second messenger cyclic Di-GMP regulates Clostridium difficile toxin production by controlling expression of sigD. Journal of Bacteriology, 195 (22), pp. 5174-85.

Purcell, E., McKee, R. W., McBride, S. M., Waters, C. M., and Tamayo, R. (2012). Cyclic diguanylate inversely regulates motility and aggregation in Clostridium difficile. Journal of Bacteriology, 194 (13), pp. 3307-16.

Purcell, E., McDonald, C. A., Palfey, B. A., and Crosson, S. (2010). An analysis of the solution structure and signaling mechanism of LovK, a sensor histidine kinase integrating light and redox signals. Biochemistry, 49 (31), pp. 6761-70.

Alexandre, M. T., Purcell, E., van Grondelle, R., Robert, B., Kennis, J. T., and Crosson, S. (2010). Electronic and protein structural dynamics of a photosensory histidine kinase. Biochemistry, 49 (23), pp. 4752-9.

Purcell, E., and Crosson, S. (2008). Photoregulation in prokaryotes. Current Opinion in Microbiology, 11 (2), pp. 168-78.

Purcell, E., Siegal-Gaskins, D., Rawling, D. C., Fiebig, A., and Crosson, S. (2007). A photosensory two-component system regulates bacterial cell attachment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104 (46), pp. 18241-6.

Key, J., Hefti, M., Purcell, E., and Moffat, K. (2007). Structure of the redox sensor domain of Azotobacter vinelandii NifL at atomic resolution: signaling, dimerization, and mechanism. Biochemistry, 46 (12), pp. 3614-23.

Rajagopal, S., Key, J. M., Purcell, E., Boerema, D. J., and Moffat, K. (2004). Purification and initial characterization of a putative blue light-regulated phosphodiesterase from Escherichia coli. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology, 80 (3), pp. 542-7.
Book Chapters

Purcell, E., and Tamayo, R. (2013). Identification and characterization of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases.Methods in Molecular Biology (pp. 235-43). Clifton, NJ: Humana Press.

Purcell, E., Boutte, C. C., and Crosson, S. (2008). Two-component signaling systems and cell cycle control in Caulobacter crescentus.Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology (pp. 122-30). New York, NY: Springer Publishing.
Presentations

(November 4, 2020). Mechanisms of Stress Avoidance and Survivial in Vegetative Clostridioides difficile. Poster presented at 7th International C. difficile Symposium Virtual.

(October, 2020). Hitting the (magic) spot: Defining the role of (p)ppGpp in Clostridioides difficile stress survival. Poster presented at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Microbiome Meeting Virtual.

(June 18, 2020). The Atypical (p)ppGpp Synthetase CdRSH Mediates Clostridioides difficile Antibiotic Survival Poster presented at ASM Microbe Virtual.

Pokhrel, A., Castro, K., and Purcell, E. (February, 2019). The (p)ppGpp-Mediated Stringent Response Contributes to Antibiotic Tolerance in Vegetative Clostridium difficile. Oral Presentation presented at the Mid-Atlantic Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting Wintergreen, VA.

Purcell, E. (January 25, 2019). Finding the Signaling Pathways That Allow Antibiotic Resistance in Clostridium difficile. Lecture presented at Molecular Biology and Chemistry Departmental Seminar Newport News, VA.

Purcell, E. (October 2, 2018). Probing the Molecular Basis of Clostridium difficile Antibiotic Resistance Lecture presented at Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics Seminar Series Norfolk, VA.

Purcell, E. (March 23, 2018). Identifying the small signaling molecules that mediate antibiotic tolerance in Clostridium difficile Lecture presented at Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development Spring Seminar Series Richmond, VA.

Purcell, E., McKee, R. W., Bordeleau, E., Burrus, V., and Tamayo, R. (January, 2015). Regulation of type IV pili contributes to surface behaviors of historical and epidemic strains of Clostridium difficile. Paper presented at the Mid-Atlantic Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting Wintergreen, VA.

Purcell, E., McKee, R. W., Courson, D. S., Garrett, E. M., McBride, S. M., Cheney, R. E., and Tamayo, R. (May, 2013). A nutrient-regulated cyclic diguanylate phosphodiesterase controls Clostridium difficile biofilm and toxin production during stationary phase. Paper presented at the American Society for Microbiology General Meeting Denver, CO.

2013: UNC Microbiology & Immunology Postdoctoral Research Symposium. Best talk award
2012: UNC Center for Gastroenterology and Disease Poster Contest. First prize
2010: University of Chicago Biological Sciences Divisional Travel Award
2003: Johns Hopkins University Departmental Honors in Biophysics
2002: Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Beta Kappa

Contracts, Grants and Sponsored Research

Purcell, E.; Bayse, C. A.; Cotten, M. "Mechanistic Investigations of Host Defense Metallopeptide Interactions with Bacterial Cell Membranes" $36,000. Federal. July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2022

Purcell, E.; Muratori, C. "Investigating Cutibacterium acnes inactivation by Nanosecond Pulse Stimulation" $53,435. Private. January 1, 2019 - June 30, 2019

Courson, D. S.; Purcell, E. "Development and Characterization of CRISPR Derived Mammalian Cell Lines for Host-Pathogen Studies with Clostridium difficile" $10,000. Old Dominion University. January 1, 2017 - June 30, 2019

Purcell, E. "The Role of the Stringent Response in Clostridium difficile Survival and Virulence " $270,000. Federal. July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2019

Purcell, E. "Clostridium difficile motility in response to reactive oxygen species" $7,000. Old Dominion University. May 14, 2018 - July 10, 2018

Old Dominion University

Idea Fusion

Erin Purcell

Erin Purcell

Contact Information

Organizational Chart

Education/Credentials

Web Link(s)

Expertise

Research Interests

Articles

Book Chapters

Presentations

Contracts, Grants and Sponsored Research