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Microbiology

D-Index
42
Citations
6450
World Ranking
5367
National Ranking
2034

Overview

Debra E. Bessen is affiliated with New York Medical College in the United States and focuses on research primarily within the field of Medicine. Their work spans several subfields including Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, Infectious Diseases, Plant Science, Epidemiology, and Clinical Biochemistry.

The main topics addressed in their research include:

  • Streptococcal Infections and Treatments
  • Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus
  • Plant Pathogenic Bacteria Studies
  • Infective Endocarditis Diagnosis and Management
  • Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing
  • Neonatal and Maternal Infections
  • Parasite Biology and Host Interactions

Recent scholarly contributions by Bessen demonstrate ongoing investigation into bacterial genetics and host-pathogen interactions. Notable papers include:

  • Inter-species gene flow drives ongoing evolution of Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis, 2024, Nature Communications
  • Inter-species gene flow drives ongoing evolution of Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis, 2023, bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • Recombinational exchange of M-fibril and T-pilus genes generates extensive cell surface diversity in the global group A Streptococcus population, 2024, mBio
  • Natural variation of the streptococcal Group A carbohydrate biosynthesis genes impacts host-pathogen interaction, 2024, bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • Host-Parasite Interrelations: Bacterial Adherence to and Invasion of Epithelial Cells, 2025, Digital Commons - RU (Rockefeller University)

Frequent collaborators in Bessen's research include:

  • Andrew J. Hayes
  • Mark R. Davies
  • Ouli Xie
  • Jacqueline M. Morris
  • Rebecca J. Towers

Publications are commonly found in venues such as:

  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • Nature Communications
  • mBio
  • Digital Commons - RU (Rockefeller University)
  • Microbial Genomics

This body of work reflects a sustained focus on bacterial pathogenesis, genetic exchange mechanisms, and the clinical implications of bacterial diversity and resistance patterns. The research contributes to a broader understanding of microbial evolution, infectious disease dynamics, and implications for public health strategies.

Best Publications

  • Recombination within natural populations of pathogenic bacteria: Short-term empirical estimates and long-term phylogenetic consequences

    Edward J. Feil;Edward C. Holmes;Debra E. Bessen;Man Suen Chan

  • Multilocus Sequence Typing of Streptococcus pyogenes and the Relationships between emm Type and Clone

    Mark C. Enright;Brian G. Spratt;Awdhesh Kalia;John H. Cross

  • emm typing and validation of provisional M types for group A streptococci.

    R Facklam;B Beall;A Efstratiou;V Fischetti

  • A systematic and functional classification of Streptococcus pyogenes that serves as a new tool for molecular typing and vaccine development

    Martina L Sanderson-Smith;David M P De Oliveira;Julien Guglielmini;David J McMillan

  • Population biology of Gram-positive pathogens: high-risk clones for dissemination of antibiotic resistance.

    Rob J.L. Willems;William P. Hanage;Debra E. Bessen;Edward J. Feil

  • Genetic Correlates of Throat and Skin Isolates of Group A Streptococci

    Debra E. Bessen;Christine M. Sotir;Terri L. Readdy;Susan K. Hollingshead

  • Prospective longitudinal study of children with tic disorders and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder: relationship of symptom exacerbations to newly acquired streptococcal infections.

    Feng Luo;James F. Leckman;Liliya Katsovich;Diane Findley

  • Updated model of group A Streptococcus M proteins based on a comprehensive worldwide study

    D.J. McMillan;P. A. Drèze;T. Vu;D.E. Bessen

  • Contrasting molecular epidemiology of group A streptococci causing tropical and nontropical infections of the skin and throat.

    Debra E. Bessen;Jonathan R. Carapetis;Bernard Beall;Rebecca Katz

  • Structural heterogeneity of the emm gene cluster in group A streptococci

    Susan K. Hollingshead;Terri L. Readdy;Der Li Yung;Debra E. Bessen

  • Multilocus sequence typing of Streptococcus pyogenes representing most known emm types and distinctions among subpopulation genetic structures.

    Karen F. McGregor;Brian G. Spratt;Awdhesh Kalia;Awdhesh Kalia;Alicia Bennett

  • Genomic Localization of a T Serotype Locus to a Recombinatorial Zone Encoding Extracellular Matrix-Binding Proteins in Streptococcus pyogenes

    Debra E. Bessen;Awdhesh Kalia

  • Population biology of the human restricted pathogen, Streptococcus pyogenes.

    Debra E. Bessen

  • Population Genetics and Linkage Analysis of Loci within the FCT Region of Streptococcus pyogenes

    Zerina Kratovac;Anand Manoharan;Feng Luo;Sergio Lizano

  • Interactions of gonococci with HeLa cells: attachment, detachment, replication, penetration, and the role of protein II.

    D Bessen;E C Gotschlich

  • Natural Selection and Evolution of Streptococcal Virulence Genes Involved in Tissue-Specific Adaptations

    Awdhesh Kalia;Debra E. Bessen

  • Decreased numbers of regulatory T cells suggest impaired immune tolerance in children with tourette syndrome: a preliminary study.

    Ivana Kawikova;James F. Leckman;Holger Kronig;Lily Katsovich

  • Role for a secreted cysteine proteinase in the establishment of host tissue tropism by group A streptococci.

    Mikael D. Svensson;Dominick A. Scaramuzzino;Ulf Sjöbring;Arne Olsén

  • Streptococcal upper respiratory tract infections and psychosocial stress predict future tic and obsessive-compulsive symptom severity in children and adolescents with Tourette syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    Haiqun Lin;Kyle A. Williams;Liliya Katsovich;Diane B. Findley

  • Roles of the plasminogen activator streptokinase and the plasminogen-associated M protein in an experimental model for streptococcal impetigo

    Mikael D. Svensson;Ulf Sjöbring;Feng Luo;Debra E. Bessen

  • Directional Gene Movement from Human-Pathogenic to Commensal-Like Streptococci

    Awdhesh Kalia;Mark C. Enright;Brian G. Spratt;Debra E. Bessen

Frequent Co-Authors

Bernard Beall
Bernard Beall Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Vincent A. Fischetti
Vincent A. Fischetti Rockefeller University
Brian G. Spratt
Brian G. Spratt Imperial College London
Jonathan R. Carapetis
Jonathan R. Carapetis Telethon Kids Institute
Mark C. Enright
Mark C. Enright Manchester Metropolitan University
Susan K. Hollingshead
Susan K. Hollingshead University of Alabama at Birmingham
James F. Leckman
James F. Leckman Yale University
Paul J. Lombroso
Paul J. Lombroso Yale University
Ulf Sjöbring
Ulf Sjöbring AstraZeneca
Edward J. Feil
Edward J. Feil University of Bath

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