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Microbiology
USA
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Microbiology

D-Index
113
Citations
37668
World Ranking
217
National Ranking
101

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Microbiology in United States Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Microbiology in United States Leader Award
  • 2013 - Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE)

Overview

Thomas K. Wood is affiliated with Pennsylvania State University in the United States. Their research spans several interconnected areas within biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and environmental science.

Their academic contributions include a focus on bacterial genetics and biotechnology, bacteriophages and microbial interactions, and Vibrio bacteria research studies. Additional research topics include bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing, antibiotic resistance in bacteria, microbial community ecology and physiology, and microbial infections and disease research.

Key publication venues where Thomas K. Wood has frequently published include bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Environmental Microbiology, Frontiers in Microbiology, Microbial Biotechnology, and Environmental Microbiology Reports.

They have collaborated extensively with several frequent co-authors:

  • María Tomás
  • Sooyeon Song
  • Laura Fernández-García
  • Rodolfo García-Contreras
  • Joy Kirigo

Their recent research publications demonstrate a focus on microbial and genetic mechanisms. Notable papers include:

  • "Tryptophan-metabolizing gut microbes regulate adult neurogenesis via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor" (2021), published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • "A Primary Physiological Role of Toxin/Antitoxin Systems Is Phage Inhibition" (2020), published in Frontiers in Microbiology
  • "(p)ppGpp and Its Role in Bacterial Persistence: New Challenges" (2020), published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
  • "ppGpp ribosome dimerization model for bacterial persister formation and resuscitation" (2020), published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
  • "Type VII Toxin/Antitoxin Classification System for Antitoxins that Enzymatically Neutralize Toxins" (2020), published in Trends in Microbiology

Thomas K. Wood's main fields of study reflect a strong focus on molecular and environmental aspects, including:

  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • Environmental Science

Their subfields of study cover:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Ecology
  • Endocrinology
  • Molecular Medicine

The scientist has received recognition as a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) in 2013.

Best Publications

  • The bacterial signal indole increases epithelial-cell tight-junction resistance and attenuates indicators of inflammation

    Tarun Bansal;Robert C. Alaniz;Thomas K. Wood;Arul Jayaraman

  • Bacterial Persister Cell Formation and Dormancy

    Thomas K. Wood;Stephen J. Knabel;Brian W. Kwan

  • Cryptic prophages help bacteria cope with adverse environments

    Xiaoxue Wang;Younghoon Kim;Qun Ma;Seok Hoon Hong

  • Autoinducer 2 Controls Biofilm Formation in Escherichia coli through a Novel Motility Quorum-Sensing Regulator (MqsR, B3022)

    Andrés F. González Barrios;Rongjun Zuo;Yoshifumi Hashimoto;Li Yang

  • Indole is an inter-species biofilm signal mediated by SdiA

    Jintae Lee;Arul Jayaraman;Thomas K Wood

  • Roles of indole as an interspecies and interkingdom signaling molecule.

    Jin Hyung Lee;Thomas K. Wood;Jintae Lee

  • Toxin-antitoxin systems influence biofilm and persister cell formation and the general stress response.

    Xiaoxue Wang;Xiaoxue Wang;Thomas K. Wood

  • Bacterial Quorum Sensing: Signals, Circuits, and Implications for Biofilms and Disease

    Arul Jayaraman;Thomas K. Wood

  • Gene expression in Escherichia coli biofilms

    D. Ren;D. Ren;L. A. Bedzyk;S. M. Thomas;R. W. Ye

  • Inhibition of biofilm formation and swarming of Escherichia coli by (5Z)-4-bromo-5-(bromomethylene)-3-butyl-2(5H)-furanone.

    Dacheng Ren;James J. Sims;Thomas K. Wood

  • Differential effects of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and indole on Escherichia coli O157:H7 chemotaxis, colonization, and gene expression.

    Tarun Bansal;Derek Englert;Jintae Lee;Manjunath Hegde

  • Motility influences biofilm architecture in Escherichia coli

    Thomas Keith Wood;Andrés F. González Barrios;Moshe Herzberg;Jintae Lee

  • Connecting quorum sensing, c-di-GMP, pel polysaccharide, and biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa through tyrosine phosphatase TpbA (PA3885).

    Akihiro Ueda;Thomas K. Wood

  • Arrested protein synthesis increases persister-like cell formation.

    Brian W. Kwan;John A. Valenta;Michael J. Benedik;Thomas K. Wood

  • Temporal gene‐expression in Escherichia coli K‐12 biofilms

    Joanna Domka;Jintae Lee;Tarun Bansal;Thomas K. Wood

  • Convergence Patterns in Subsocial Insects

    Douglas W. Tallamy;Thomas K. Wood

  • A new type V toxin-antitoxin system where mRNA for toxin GhoT is cleaved by antitoxin GhoS

    Xiaoxue Wang;Dana M. Lord;Hsin Yao Cheng;Devon O. Osbourne

  • Engineering plant-microbe symbiosis for rhizoremediation of heavy metals.

    Cindy H. Wu;Thomas K. Wood;Ashok Mulchandani;Wilfred Chen

  • Quorum quenching quandary: resistance to antivirulence compounds.

    Toshinari Maeda;Rodolfo García-Contreras;Mingming Pu;Lili Sheng;Lili Sheng

  • Exclusion of T4 phage by the hok/sok killer locus from plasmid R1.

    Douglas C. Pecota;Thomas K. Wood

  • Differential Gene Expression for Investigation of Escherichia coli Biofilm Inhibition by Plant Extract Ursolic Acid

    Dacheng Ren;Rongjun Zuo;Andrés F. González Barrios;Laura A. Bedzyk

Frequent Co-Authors

Arul Jayaraman
Arul Jayaraman Texas A&M University
Jintae Lee
Jintae Lee Yeungnam University
William E. Bentley
William E. Bentley University of Maryland, College Park
Florian Mansfeld
Florian Mansfeld University of Southern California
María Tomás
María Tomás University of A Coruña
Barth F. Smets
Barth F. Smets Technical University of Denmark
Jeffery K. Tomberlin
Jeffery K. Tomberlin Texas A&M University
Wilfred Chen
Wilfred Chen University of Delaware
Akihiro Ueda
Akihiro Ueda Hiroshima University
Germán Bou
Germán Bou University of A Coruña

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