David Courson

Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, (2011)

Research Interests

My group studies host-pathogen interactions between the anaerobic pathogen C. difficile and the human gut. We employ cell biological and biochemical techniques including CRISPR gene editing and a variety of high-resolution, live-cell imaging modalities to understand the mechanism of bacterial colonization and epithelium disruption during infection.

Articles

Zvonareva, T., Courson, D. S. and Purcell, E. B.. (2025). Clostridioides difficile infection study models and prospectives for probing the microbe-host interface. Journal of Bacteriology 207 (3).

Oludiran, A., Malik, A., Zourou, A. C.., Wu, Y., Gross, S. P.., Siryapon, A., Poudel, A., Alleyne, K., Adams, S., Courson, D. S., Cotten, M. L.. and Purcell, E. B.. (2024). Host-defense piscidin peptides as antibiotic adjuvants against Clostridioides difficile. PLOS ONE 19 (1) , pp. e0295627.

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

Oludiran, A., Courson, D. S., Stuart, M. D.., Radwan, A. R.., Poutsma, J. C.., Cotten, M. L.. and Purcell, E. B.. (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.

Purcell, E. B.., 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 85 (9).

Courson, D. S. and Cheney, R. E.. (2015). Myosin-X and disease. Experimental Cell Research 334 (1) , pp. 10-15.

Skau, C. T.., Courson, D. S., Bestul, A. J.., Winkelman, J. D.., Rock, R. S.., Sirotkin, V. and Kovar, D. R.. (2011). Actin Filament Bundling by Fimbrin Is Important for Endocytosis, Cytokinesis, and Polarization in Fission Yeast. Journal of Biological Chemistry 286 (30) , pp. 26964-26977.

Courson, D. S. and Rock, R. S.. (2010). Actin Cross-link Assembly and Disassembly Mechanics for α-Actinin and Fascin. Journal of Biological Chemistry 285 (34) , pp. 26350-26357.

Courson, D. S. and Rock, R. S.. (2010). Actin Crosslinking Proteins Recognize Distinct Arrangements of Actin Filaments. Biophysical Journal 98 (3) , pp. 155a-156a.

Brangwynne, C. P.., Eckmann, C. R.., Courson, D. S., Rybarska, A., Hoege, C., Gharakhani, J., Jülicher, F. and Hyman, A. A.. (2009). Germline P Granules Are Liquid Droplets That Localize by Controlled Dissolution/Condensation. Science 324 (5935) , pp. 1729-1732.

Nagy, S., Ricca, B. L.., Norstrom, M. F.., Courson, D. S., Brawley, C. M.., Smithback, P. A.. and Rock, R. S.. (2008). A myosin motor that selects bundled actin for motility. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105 (28) , pp. 9616-9620.

Rizvi, S. Alipayam., Courson, D. S., Keller, V. A.., Rock, R. S.. and Kozmin, S. A.. (2008). The dual mode of action of bistramide A entails severing of filamentous actin and covalent protein modification. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105 (11) , pp. 4088-4092.

Book Chapters

Pedersen, R., Marchi, A. N.., Majikes, J., Nash, J. A.., Estrich, N. A.., Courson, D. S., Hall, C. K.., Craig, S. L.. and LaBean, T. H.. (2014). Properties of DNA Handbook of Nanomaterials Properties (pp. 1125-1157) Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

• 2025: Kate Broderick Faculty Award for Excellence in Promoting Educational Accessibility, Old Dominion University