Christine Fleischacker, PhD

Associate Professor
Catholic Studies Fellow

School of Arts & Sciences

About Me

I love science, and I especially love the immune system and its many intricate mysteries of how it is able to constantly fight off infections and cancer and yet still succumb to certain illnesses at times. I also love studying anything microbial; I am a true germophile. When I am not teaching, I am investigating the mechanisms of immune suppression by our own microflora, the production of antibiotics by new microbial species found in the soil, and the isolation and gene identification of newly-discovered bacteriophage viruses!

Why I’m At Mary

I feel called to serve others in the role as an educator, a research mentor and a fellow Christian. I love sharing my gifts and talents with my wonderful colleagues and with the amazing students that the university has. I want to help build up a community that has meaning and purpose.

Expertise

I have my PhD in the field of immunology/microbiology with an emphasis in molecular biology. I enjoy studying anything microbial and have coordinated the University’s participation in the National program of SEA phages, where students can discover and name their own viruses, study their genetics, and publish their findings.

Dojs M, Fleischacker C, Ackerman S, Boyle B, Feiring S, Fleischacker T, Frank J,
Jackson S, Schaefbauer A, Vigness C, Webb R. Genome sequences of bacteriophages
Shambre1 and Renna12. 2023. Microbiology Resource Announcements. e0085823.
PMID 38088575 DOI: 10.1128/mra00858-23.

Hanauer DI, Graham MJ, Arnold RJ, Ayuk MA, Balish MF, Beyer AR, Butela KA,
Byrum CA, Chia CP, Chung HM, Clase KL, Conant S, Coomans RJ, D’Elia T, Diaz
J…Fleischacker CL, et al. Instructional Models for Course-Based Research
Experience (CRE) Teaching 2022. Cbe Life Sciences Education. 21: ar8. PMID
34978921 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.21-03-0057.

Fleischacker,C.L., Dojs,M.A., Jackson,S.M., Feiring,S.B.,
Webb,R.J., Schaefbauer,A.B., Vigness,C.A., Boyle,B.L., Frank,J.R.,
Fleischacker,T.C., Ackerman,S.B., Anders,K.R., Garlena,R.A.,
Russell,D.A., Jacobs-Sera,D. and Hatfull,G.F. 2022. GenBank publication of annotated
genome of bacteriophage Turret, ACCESSION OP297534.

C. Fleischacker. Medical Microbiology Lab manual. Self-published, spring 2014.

Broussard, C.*, C. Fleischacker*, R. Horai*, M. Chetna, A.M. Venegas, L. Sharp, S. Hedrick, B.J. Fowlkes, P. Schwartzberg. 2006. Development of a novel CD8 lineage in mice deficient in the Tec kinases Itk and Rlk. Immunity 25(1) 93-104. (*These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Education

PhD: George Washington University
BA: University of St. Thomas, St. Paul