Matters Microbial #123: What Whooping Cough Can Teach Us

February 6, 2026

Today Dr. Seema Mattoo, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Purdue University, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the fascinating molecular genetics of the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, which can cause the human disease whooping cough.

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Seema Mattoo

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Links for this episode

• Here is a link to Tiffany Ard's fine science related art.
• CDC information regarding Whooping Cough also called pertussis.
• An overview of the causative agent of whooping cough, Bordetella pertussis.
• A video about pertussis and its symptoms and treatment.
• More detail about B. pertussis and close relatives.
• Recent outbreaks of pertussis.
• An overview of vaccine development and its history for B. pertussis.
• An article about vaccine hesitancy and the return of childhood diseases like pertussis.
• Information on "whole cell" versus "acellular" vaccines.
• An article discussed today, demonstrating that the same molecule (a fragment of bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan) can be a factor for disease in humans, and facilitate symbiotic light organ development in the Hawai'ian Bobtail Squid
• More information of B. pertussis' trachael cytotoxin, or TCT. 
• An overview of bacterial effectors interacting with our physiology in general.
• The concept of virulence factors.
• IgA versus IgG responses to infections.
• An overview of Type III Secretion Systems.
• An overview of sigma factors in bacteria.
• ECFs as  sigma factors.
• Partner-switching studies.
• Fic genes.
• An overview of post translational modification.
• An essay on Theodosius Dobzhansky and his famous maxim.
• Protein misfolding and disease.
• The role of mentorship in science.
• The Hypothesis Fund and its aims.
• An article by Dr. Mattoo and colleagues discussed today about partner switching and Type III Secretion Systems.
• An article by Dr. Mattoo and colleagues discussed today about Fic proteins and adenylation.
• An article by Dr. Mattoo and colleagues discussed today about Fic proteins, post translational modification, and Parkinson's Disease.
• An article by Dr. Mattoo and colleagues discussed today about AMPylation, Fic proteins, and sensing misfolding in the endoplasmic reticulum.
• Dr. Mattoo's faculty website.
• The fascinating laboratory website of Dr. Mattoo and colleagues.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com