Clayton C. Caswell

About

Clayton C. Caswell, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech. He earned his PhD in Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology from West Virginia University in 2008 and his BS in Biomedical Science and Entomology from Texas A&M University in 2004. His research focuses on the roles of small regulatory RNAs in the biology of Brucella species, mechanisms of interactions between bacteria and hosts, and common regulatory pathways in related bacteria. Dr. Caswell has been a faculty member at Virginia Tech since 2013, progressing from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor, and has previously held a postdoctoral position at East Carolina University. His professional memberships include the American Society for Microbiology and the Entomological Society of America. He has received the Mäkelä-Cassell Travel Award for Early Career Scientists from the American Society for Microbiology and the Federation of European Microbiology Societies in 2013.

Research topics

• Virology
• Biology
• Microbiology
• Genetics
• Immunology
• Ecology
• Zoology

Selected publications

• If You're Not Confused, You're Not Paying Attention: <i>Ochrobactrum</i> Is Not Brucella

  Journal of Clinical Microbiology · 2023 · 51 citations

  genera separate to avoid further bewilderment and harm.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Quantitative Variation in m.3243A &gt; G Mutation Produce Discrete Changes in Energy Metabolism

  Scientific Reports · 2019-04-08 · 38 citations

  articleOpen access

  heteroplasmic mutation (m.3243A > G) exhibits clinically heterogeneous phenotypes. While the high mtDNA heteroplasmy exceeding a critical threshold causes mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis with stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome, the low mtDNA heteroplasmy causes maternally inherited diabetes with or without deafness (MIDD) syndrome. How quantitative differences in mtDNA heteroplasmy produces distinct pathological states has remained elusive. Here we show that despite striking…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Enemy of My Enemy: A Novel Insect-Specific Flavivirus Offers a Promising Platform for a Zika Virus Vaccine

  Vaccines · 2021 · 20 citations

  responses and significant cytokine production post-antigen exposure. Altogether, our results further support that chimeric insect-specific flaviviruses are a promising strategy to restrict flavivirus emergence via vaccine development.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Endoribonuclease RNase E Coordinates Expression of mRNAs and Small Regulatory RNAs and Is Critical for the Virulence of Brucella abortus

  Journal of Bacteriology · 2020 · 17 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

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  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Sinorhizobium meliloti YbeY is a zinc-dependent single-strand specific endoribonuclease that plays an important role in 16S ribosomal RNA processing

  Nucleic Acids Research · 2019-11-21 · 17 citations

  articleOpen access

  Single-strand specific endoribonuclease YbeY has been shown to play an important role in the processing of the 3' end of the 16S rRNA in Escherichia coli. Lack of YbeY results in the accumulation of the 17S rRNA precursor. In contrast to a previous report, we show that Sinorhizobium meliloti YbeY exhibits endoribonuclease activity on single-stranded RNA substrate but not on the double-stranded substrate. This study also identifies the previously unknown metal ion involved in YbeY function to be…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Characterization of a novel genetic pathway required for Brucella virulence

  NIH · $459k · 2015–2019

• Development of an improved vaccine against Brucella abortus

  NIH · $156k · 2020–2023

Frequent coauthors

• James A. Budnick

  University of Pittsburgh

  45 shared

• Lauren M. Sheehan

  Sheehan Medical (United States)

  34 shared

• R. Martin Roop

  East Carolina University

  21 shared

• Pawel Michalak

  Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

  16 shared

• Irving C. Allen

  Virginia Tech

  15 shared

• Kellie A. King

  Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine

  15 shared

• Mitchell T. Caudill

  Virginia Tech

  12 shared

• Angela H. Benton

  Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

  11 shared

Awards & honors

• Mäkelä-Cassell Travel Award for Early Career Scientists from…

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