Ming Tan
Professor, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
School of Medicine
School of Medicine
Professor, Medicine
School of Medicine
School of Medicine
B.S., University of Florida, 1981
M.D., Johns Hopkins University, 1985
M.D., Johns Hopkins University, 1985
University of California, Irvine
B240 Med Sci
Mail Code: 4025
Irvine, CA 92697
B240 Med Sci
Mail Code: 4025
Irvine, CA 92697
Research Interests
Chlamydia, bacterial pathogenesis, gene regulation, gene expression, transcription, developmental regulation, systems biology, host-pathogen interactions, centrosome, cancer, cilia, infectious disease, sexually transmitted infection, infertility, trachoma
Appointments
To apply for a postdoctoral position in my research group, please email me, describing your research interests and goals and attaching your CV.
Research Abstract
Our research in the fields of bacterial pathogenesis and infectious diseases looks at how the intracellular bacterium Chlamydia causes disease. Chlamydial infections are the most commonly reported infectious disease in the country. Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common cause of bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the developed world, and a leading cause of preventable blindness in the developing world. In addition, genital strains of C. trachomatis have been associated with cervical cancer. A second species, Chlamydia pneumoniae is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia.
All chlamydial species share an unusual developmental life cycle that takes place within a eukaryotic host cell. We are studying a number of aspects of this intracellular infection:
1. Gene regulation: A central question is how this pathogen replicates and converts between two developmental forms within an infected host cell. We are studying the temporal control of chlamydial genes by mechanisms that regulate DNA supercoiling, transcription (alternative forms of RNA polymerase and transcription factors, such as activators and repressors) and translation (small RNAs). The approaches used include molecular biology, biochemistry, genetic and whole genome approaches, and bioinformatics. We are also performing quantitative analysis of intracellular chlamydiae with 3D electron microscopy and machine learning to study how chlamydiae use cell size to control developmental conversion between the dividing and infectious forms of the bacterium.
2. Host-pathogen interactions: Chlamydia manipulates and subverts numerous host processes in order to support its intracellular infection. We are studying how Chlamydia causes centrosome dysregulation such as the production of multiple centrosomes. These studies may provide a potential mechanism to explain the epidemiologic association of C. trachomatis and cervical cancer. We are also studying how Chlamydia causes loss of primary cilia, which is a signaling organelle on the host cell. These Chlamydia cell biology studies are a collaboration with Dr. Christine Suetterlin of the Department of Developmental and Cell Biology. Together, we are using a variety of cell biology approaches including immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, and protein analysis.
All chlamydial species share an unusual developmental life cycle that takes place within a eukaryotic host cell. We are studying a number of aspects of this intracellular infection:
1. Gene regulation: A central question is how this pathogen replicates and converts between two developmental forms within an infected host cell. We are studying the temporal control of chlamydial genes by mechanisms that regulate DNA supercoiling, transcription (alternative forms of RNA polymerase and transcription factors, such as activators and repressors) and translation (small RNAs). The approaches used include molecular biology, biochemistry, genetic and whole genome approaches, and bioinformatics. We are also performing quantitative analysis of intracellular chlamydiae with 3D electron microscopy and machine learning to study how chlamydiae use cell size to control developmental conversion between the dividing and infectious forms of the bacterium.
2. Host-pathogen interactions: Chlamydia manipulates and subverts numerous host processes in order to support its intracellular infection. We are studying how Chlamydia causes centrosome dysregulation such as the production of multiple centrosomes. These studies may provide a potential mechanism to explain the epidemiologic association of C. trachomatis and cervical cancer. We are also studying how Chlamydia causes loss of primary cilia, which is a signaling organelle on the host cell. These Chlamydia cell biology studies are a collaboration with Dr. Christine Suetterlin of the Department of Developmental and Cell Biology. Together, we are using a variety of cell biology approaches including immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, and protein analysis.
Awards and Honors
Dean’s Junior Physician/Scientist Award, College of Medicine, UC Irvine
Excellence in Teaching Award, School of Medicine, UC Irvine: 2004-2016 (8 times)
Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching Award, School of Medicine, UC Irvine
Excellence in Teaching Award, School of Medicine, UC Irvine: 2004-2016 (8 times)
Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching Award, School of Medicine, UC Irvine
Publications
A list of publications can be found here:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/ming.tan.2/bibliography/public/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/ming.tan.2/bibliography/public/
Books:
Tan, M. and Bavoil, P.M. (ed.). Intracellular Pathogens I: Chlamydiales (Tan, M., Lead Editor) (ASM Press, Washington, DC), 2012.
Tan, M., Hegemann, J.H. and Sütterlin, C. (ed.) Chlamydia Biology: From Genome to Disease (Caister Academic Press, Poole, U.K.), 2020.
Tan, M. and Sütterlin, C. (ed.) Chlamydia trachomatis: Methods and Protocols (Humana Press, New York City), 2026.
Book chapters:
Rosario, C.J., Soules, K., Hefty, P.S. and Tan, M. Chlamydia gene regulation. In: Chlamydia Biology: From Genome to Disease. M. Tan, J.H. Hegemann and C. Sütterlin, ed., (Caister Academic Press, Poole, U.K.), pp. 219-240. 2020.
Brothwell, J.A., Sütterlin, C., Rudel, T. and Tan, M. The chlamydial protease CPAF. In: Chlamydia Biology: From Genome to Disease. M. Tan, J.H. Hegemann and C. Sütterlin, ed., (Caister Academic Press, Poole, U.K.), pp. 177-194. 2020.
Tan, M. and Jordan, S. Chlamydia trachomatis (Urogenital Infections and Trachoma). In: Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Disease, 10th edition (pp. 2270-2292). M.J. Blaser, J. Cohen, S. Holland, ed., (Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA). 2025.
Tan, M. and Bavoil, P.M. (ed.). Intracellular Pathogens I: Chlamydiales (Tan, M., Lead Editor) (ASM Press, Washington, DC), 2012.
Tan, M., Hegemann, J.H. and Sütterlin, C. (ed.) Chlamydia Biology: From Genome to Disease (Caister Academic Press, Poole, U.K.), 2020.
Tan, M. and Sütterlin, C. (ed.) Chlamydia trachomatis: Methods and Protocols (Humana Press, New York City), 2026.
Book chapters:
Rosario, C.J., Soules, K., Hefty, P.S. and Tan, M. Chlamydia gene regulation. In: Chlamydia Biology: From Genome to Disease. M. Tan, J.H. Hegemann and C. Sütterlin, ed., (Caister Academic Press, Poole, U.K.), pp. 219-240. 2020.
Brothwell, J.A., Sütterlin, C., Rudel, T. and Tan, M. The chlamydial protease CPAF. In: Chlamydia Biology: From Genome to Disease. M. Tan, J.H. Hegemann and C. Sütterlin, ed., (Caister Academic Press, Poole, U.K.), pp. 177-194. 2020.
Tan, M. and Jordan, S. Chlamydia trachomatis (Urogenital Infections and Trachoma). In: Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Disease, 10th edition (pp. 2270-2292). M.J. Blaser, J. Cohen, S. Holland, ed., (Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA). 2025.
Grants
R21 AI193895, NIAID, NIH, 8/25-7/27, “Validation of Chlamydia virulence determinants by complementation” (Multi-PI grant, PIs: Tan and Suetterlin)
R01 AI202117, NIAID, NIH, 8/26-7/31, “Regulatory mechanisms for production of infectious Chlamydia” (PI: Tan)
Professional Societies
American Society for Microbiology: Division D (Bacteria of Medical Importance) Chair (2005-6), Division Advisor (2006-7)
Chlamydia Basic Research Society: Secretary-Treasurer (2007-11), President-Elect (2011-2013), President (2013-2015)
Infectious Diseases Society of America: Fellow
Other Experience
Graduate Programs
Cellular and Molecular Biosciences
Infectious Disease (IM)
Link to this profile
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=4507
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=4507
Last updated
09/23/2026
09/23/2026