Thomas W. O’Rourke, Laboratory Manager

 I received my BS in Biology and MS in Biochemistry from the University of Georgia.  I recently joined Dr. Levin's group as the Laboratory Manager and doing experimental research resistance on resistance to antibiotics.  In my capacity as Laboratory Manager, my role is to maintain the logistics of the laboratory and supervise Work-Study students doing preparative work.   My research is on the phenomenon of heteroresistance. In this worst-case situation, bacteria appear to be sensitive to the treating antibiotic but, in the course of treatment, becoming increasingly resistant, some to the point where treatment fails.  And upon removal for the treating drug, return to the sensitive state.  In these heteroresistance studies, I am currently working with pathogenic strains of five different species of bacteria; Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica (typhimurium), Enterobacteria cloacae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Acetobacter baumannii.   

Tragically Thomas O’Rourke died of a heart attack on March 20, 2022. We will miss him greatly.