John McEvoy

John McEvoy

Associate Professor

Van Es 132a
701 231 8530
john.mcevoy@ndsu.edu

Education

  • Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Ulster (2002).

Teaching interests

My primary teaching interest is infectious disease; a subject that is never dull. ‘New’ pathogens emerge, ‘old’ pathogens reveal their secrets, drugs are developed (closely followed by resistance), and the struggle between microorganisms and humanity goes on. Having taught Pathogenic Microbiology (MICR460/660) for six years, I will be switching to a new course, Infectious Disease Pathogenesis (MICR 450/650) in spring 2012. This course will be available to microbiology majors and graduate students. Continuing the theme of infectious disease, Dr. Schuh and I combine our respective graduate courses in Immunology of Chronic Infections (MICR 770) and Advanced Pathogenic Microbiology (MICR 762) to explore infectious disease from the host and pathogen perspectives. We focus on the three big infectious diseases: HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, taking time to discuss social impacts in addition to basic science. Other classes I teach include Scientific Integrity (BIOC 720) and Professional Development (MICR 794).

Research interests

My primary research interests center around the protozoan parasite, Cryptosporidium. Following a Ph.D. with a bacteriology focus, I found myself working on a European Union funded risk assessment of Cryptosporidium (a eukaryote!) in food and water. Cryptosporidium proved to be equal parts fascinating and frustrating and I wasn’t sure if I was happy or sad when the project ended. Time obviously helped me forget the frustrations because two years later, as I was setting up my lab at NDSU, I decided to make Cryptosporidium a major focus.

Cryptosporidium is a waterborne parasite that causes cryptosporidiosis, a disease affecting humans and animals for which there is no effective treatment. Cryptosporidiosis is especially severe in immunocompromised persons, such as those with AIDS, where diarrhea can become chronic and life threatening. North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin have among the highest incidences of human cryptosporidiosis in the United States.

The following are some Cryptosporidium projects that my lab is currently working on:

  • We are working with Drs. Eakalak Khan (Civil Engineering, NDSU) and Mark Clark (Biological Sciences, NDSU) to study the source, fate and transport of Cryptosporidium affecting surface water in the region. This project is funded by USDA-NRI.

  • Supported by NIH, through the NDSU Center for Protease Research, we are studying mechanisms of motility, attachment, and invasion in Cryptosporidium.

  • As an obligate parasite, the selective pressures on Cryptosporidium are largely provided by the host. Determining how Cryptosporidium adapts to and coevolves with its host has implications for our understanding of parasite biology and pathogen emergence. Working primarily with Dr. Mark Clark, we have been using small mammals as a model for understanding how factors such as host population density and diversity affect Cryptosporidium infection.

  • In addition to our focus on Cryptosporidium, we work with Dr. Eakalak Khan on a number of environmental microbiology projects; including those addressing atrazine removal by bacteria, enhancement of bioremediation through entrapment of bacteria, and the effect of nanoparticles on bacterial viability. This work is supported by NSF.

Selected publications

  • Pramanik, S., McEvoy, J., Siripattanakul, S., and Khan, E. 2011. Effects of Cell Entrapment on Nucleic Acid Content and Microbial Diversity of Mixed Cultures in Biological Wastewater Treatment. Bioresource Technology, 102 3, pp. 3176-3183.
  • Pramanik, S., Khanna, R., Katti, K., McEvoy, J., and Khan, E. 2011. Effects of Entrapment on Nucleic Acid Content, Cell Morphology, Cell Surface Property and Stress of Pure Cultures Commonly Found in Biological Wastewater Treatment. Accepted for Publication in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology (available on-line at http://www.springerlink.com/content/m5g0021162674535/).
  • Wadhawan, T., Maruska, Z. B., Siripattanakul, S., Hill, C.B., Gupta, A., Prüβ, B.M., McEvoy, J.M. and Khan, E. 2010. A new method to determine the initial viability of entrapped cells using fluorescent nucleic acid staining. Bioresource Technology. Accepted for publication.
  • Wadhawan, T., McEvoy, J., Prüβ, B.M. and Khan, E. 2010. Assessing tetrazolium and ATP assays for rapid in situ viability quantification of bacterial cells entrapped in hydrogel beads. Enzyme and Microbial Technology. 47, 166-173.
  • Siripattanakul, S., Wirojanagud, W., McEvoy, J.M., Casey, F. X. M., Khan, E. 2009. A feasibility study of immobilized and free mixed culture bioaugmentation for treating atrazine in infiltrate. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 168, 2-3, 1373-1379.
  • Siripattanakul, S., Casey, F.X., McEvoy, J.M. and Khan, E. 2009. Atrazine remediation in agricultural infiltrate by bioaugmented polyvinyl alcohol immobilized and free Agrobacterium radiobacter J14a: A sand column study. Chemosphere. 74. 308-313.
  • McEvoy, J.M. and Giddings, C.W. 2009. Cryptosporidium in commercially produced turkeys on-farm and post-slaughter. Letters in Applied Microbiology, 48. 302-306.
  • Siripattanakul, S., Wirojanagud, W., McEvoy, J.M., Limpiyakorn, T., Khan, E. 2009. Atrazine degradation by stable mixed cultures enriched from agricultural soil and their characterization. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 106. 986-992.
  • Feltus, D.C., Giddings, C.W., Khaitsa, M.L. and McEvoy, J.M. 2008. High prevalence of Cryptosporidium bovis and the deer-like genotype in calves compared to mature cows in beef cow-calf operations. Veterinary Parasitology 151 (2-4) 191-195.
  • Siripattanakul, S., Wirojanagud, W., McEvoy, J. and Khan, E. Effect of cell to matrix ratio in polyvinyl alcohol immobilized pure and mixed cultures for atrazine degradation. Water, Air and Soil Pollutants: Focus. 8 (3-4) 257-266.
  • Feltus, D.C., Giddings, C.W., Schneck, B.L., Monson, T., Warshauer, D. and McEvoy, J.M. 2006. Evidence supporting zoonotic transmission of Cryptosporidium in Wisconsin. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 44 (12) 4303-4308.
  • McEvoy, J.M., Duffy, G., Moriarty, E.M., Lowery, C.J., Sheridan, J.J., Blair, I.S. and McDowell, D.A. 2005. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in water used to wash beef carcasses. Water Research, 39 (15) 3697-3703.
  • Moriarty, E.M., McEvoy, J.M., Duffy, G., Lowery, C.J., Thompson, H.P., Finn, M., Sheridan, J.J., Blair, I.S. and McDowell, D.A. 2005. The prevalence and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. in cattle feces and on beef carcasses in a commercial abattoir. Veterinary Record, 156, 165-168.
  • McEvoy, J.M., Nde, C, Sherwood, J. and Logue, C.M., 2005. An evaluation of sampling methods for the detection of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. on turkey carcasses. Journal of Food Protection, 68: (1) 34-39.
  • Moriarty, E.M., Duffy, G., McEvoy, J.M., Caccio, S., Sheridan, J.J., Blair, I.S. and McDowell, D.A. 2005. The effect of thermal treatment on the viability and infectivity of Cryptosporidium parvum on beef surfaces. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 98, 618-623.
  • Moriarty, E.M., McEvoy, J.M., Duffy, G., Sheridan, J.J., Blair, I.S. and McDowell, D.A., 2004. Development of a novel method for isolating and detecting Cryptosporidium parvum from lean and fat beef carcass surfaces. Food Microbiology, 21: (3) 275-282.
  • McEvoy, J.M., Moriarty, E.M., Duffy, G., Sheridan, J.J., Blair, I.S. and McDowell, D.A., 2004. Effect of a commercial freeze tempering process on the viability of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts on lean and fat beef trimmings. Meat Science, 67: (4) 559-564.