Pat Fidopiastis
Pat Fidopiastis, Ph.D.Education
B.S. CSU, Fullerton Senior Project: An analysis of the ability of flies to transmit pathogenic microbes
M.S. CSU, Fullerton Thesis: Microbial diversity in the digestive tract of an herbivorous marine fish
Ph.D. University of Hawai'i, Manoa Dissertation: Benign infections of sepiolid squids by luminous Vibrio species: model systems for understanding environmental and genetic factors that regulate bacteria-host interactions
Courses Taught
General Microbiology, Wine Microbiology, Food Microbiology, Dairy Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Bacterial Genetics, Microbial Physiology, Bacterial Symbiosis, Virology, Microbiology for Nurses
Research Interests
- Quantifying SARS CoV2 (COVID-19 virus) in municipal waste water in order to track virus transmission in the community. https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/COVID-19/Data.aspx#Wastewater
- Genomic Analysis of SARS CoV2 in municipal waste water to study evolution of variants in the community.
- Cold-water fish pathogen V. salmonicida establishes a pathogenic relationship with salmon and trout.
- Luminous bacterium V. fischeri both establishes and maintains a symbiotic association with the Hawaiian sepiolid squid Euprymna scolopes.
- Phylogeny, physiology, and distribution of resident gut microbes within herbivorous marine fishes indigenous to the California coast.
- Symbiotic and pathogenic associations of marine Vibrio spp. with their animal hosts.
- Molecular genetics and physiology of pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Preparation and antimicrobial screening of novel bacterial homoserine lactone autoinducer analogs
- Detection of pathogens in the environment (e.g. water, soil, compost)
- Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the Cal Poly community
- Correlation between oral microbiota and obesity in mother-infant pairs
- Effectiveness of mortality composting in killing thermotolerant strains of Salmonella
- Tracking changes in microbial populations during the composting process
- Metagenomic analysis of human gut microbial diversity
- Microbial ecology and biochemistry of wine spoilage
- Developing technology for tracking animal host behavior in the environment
- Antibacterial effectiveness of silver-ion based disinfectants against pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staph. aureus (industry collaboration)
Further Research Details
The Fidopiastis lab uses a variety of classical and molecular approaches to understand ecology, physiology, and gene expression of environmental and host-associated microbes.
Advising Interests
- Any projects related to microbial ecology, physiology, and pathogenesis
International Microbiology Literacy Initiative (Contributing Editor)
Publications
Cal Poly Students *
Daniels BN*, Nurge J*, De Smet O*, White C, Davidson JM, and Fidopiastis PM. 2024. Perivitelline fluid microbiome across the biogeographic range of Kellet’s whelk. Microbiology Spectrum https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.03514-23
Fidopiastis PM, Childs C*, Esin JJ, Stellern J*, Darin A*, Lorenzo A*, Mariscal VT*, Lorenz J*, Gopan V*, McAnulty S, and Visick KL. 2022. Vibrio fischeri possesses Xds and Dns nucleases that differentially influence phosphate scavenging, aggregation, competence, and symbiotic colonization. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 10.1128/aem.01635-22
Cohen JJ, Eichinger SJ, Witte DA, Cook CJ, Fidopiastis PM, Tepavčević J, and Visick KL. 2021. Control of competence in Vibrio fischeri. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.01962-20
Fidopiastis PM, Mariscal VT*, McPherson J-M*, McAnulty S, Dunn A, Stabb EV, and Visick KL. 2021. Vibrio fischeri amidase activity is required for normal cell division, motility, and symbiotic competence. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 10.1128/AEM.02109-20
Stoudenmire JL, Black M, Fidopiastis PM, Stabb EV. 2019. Mutagenesis of Vibrio fischeri and Other Marine Bacteria Using Hyperactive Mini-Tn5 Derivatives. In: Ricke S., Park S., Davis M. (eds) Microbial Transposon Mutagenesis. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2016. Humana, New York, NY 10.1007/978-1-4939-9570-7_9
Sengstack JS*, Aquino A*, Schilling K*, Davies J*, Lehrer J*, Ng C*, Armstrong M*, Souza L*, Villaroman J*, Santos R*, Mason M*, Brummit M*, Gruver M*, Abadi S*, Meisenheimer K, and Fidopiastis PM. 2016. The preparation and screening of several novel bacterial homoserine lactone autoinducers. FASEB Journal. Vol.30 no.1
Yim S*, Clark CM, Peters T*, Prodanov V, and Fidopiastis PM. ROV-based Tracking of a Shallow Water Nocturnal Squid. Proc. of the OCEANS 2013 Conference (OCEANS 2013)
Fidopiastis PM, Rader BA, Gerling D*, Gutierrez N*, Watkins K, Frey M, Nyholm SV, Whistler CA. 2012. Characterization of a Vibrio fischeri aminopeptidase and evidence for its influence on an early state of squid colonization. J. Bacteriol. Aug/194(15): 3995-4002. 10.1128/jb.00108-12
Nelson EJ, Tunsjø HS, Fidopiastis PM, Sørum H, Ruby EG. 2007. A novel lux operon in the cryptically bioluminescent fish pathogen Vibrio salmonicida is associated with virulence. Appl. Environ. Micro. 73: 1825-1833. 10.1128/aem.02255-06
Fidopiastis PM, Bezdek DJ, Kandel JS, Horn MH. 2006. Characterizing the resident, fermentative microbial consortium in the hindgut of the temperate-zone herbivorous fish, Hermosilla azurea (Teleostei: Kyphosidae). Mar. Biol. 148: 631-642. 10.1007/s00227-005-0106-2
Fidopiastis PM, Miyamato CM, Jobling MG, Meighen EA, Ruby EG. 2002. LitR, a new transcriptional activator in Vibrio fischeri, regulates luminescence and symbiotic light organ colonization. Mol. Microbiol. 45: 131-143. 10.1046/j.1365-2958.2002.02996.x
Fidopiastis PM. 2001. Benign infection of sepiolid squids by luminous Vibrio species: model systems for understanding environmental and genetic factors that regulate bacteria-host interaction. Ph.D. Dissertation, Univ. of Hawai'i, Manoa.
Fidopiastis PM, Sørum H, Ruby EG. 1999. Cryptic luminescence in the cold-water fish pathogen Vibrio salmonicida. Arch. Microbiol. 171: 205-209. 10.1007/s002030050700
Fidopiastis PM, von Boletzky S, Ruby EG. 1998. A new niche for Vibrio logei, the predominant light organ symbiont of the Mediterranean sepiolid squids Sepiola affinis and S. robusta. J. Bacteriol. 180: 59-64. 10.1128/jb.180.1.59-64.1998
Fidopiastis PM, von Boletzky S. 1998. Identification and physiological characterization of light organ symbionts of Mediterranean sepiolid squids. Pacific Science vol. 52.