Open gallery
Kasia Dubiel, PHD
(She/Her/Hers)
- Assistant Professor
-
(585) 395-2785
kdubiel@brockport.edu
Office: Lennon Hall B 23
Office Hours:Fall 2025 Office Hours in B23 Lennon:
Monday 11 AM - 12 PM
Tuesday 12:30 - 2 PM
Thursday 12:30 - 2 PM
Bio
Dr. Dubiel earned her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin - Madison under the mentorship of Dr. James Keck. Her research combined the fields of Biochemistry, Structural Biology, and Molecular Biology to answer questions focused on bacterial DNA replication and repair proteins. She continued her training with a Postdoc at UMass Chan Medical School in Microbiology in the lab of Dr. Elizabeth Shank, researching a wide range of topics including chemical communication in bacterial coculture, microbial association between native and invasive species in the Galapagos Islands, and complex carbohydrate processing in soil bacteria. She joined the SUNY Brockport Faculty in 2023.
Education
Ph.D. in Biochemistry - University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison WI 2019
B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology and B.S. in Chemistry - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL 2014
Courses Taught
BIO323: Microbiology
BIO201: General Biology I
Research Interests
From deep sea thermal vents to the oral cavity, bacteria live in complex, multi-species communities. Within these diverse environments, bacteria must sense external signals and stressors while communicating with neighboring bacteria and larger organisms such as plants. To this end, bacteria synthesize and release a vast array of molecules into the environment that serve as cues to surrounding microbes. In tandem, microbes must then sense and respond to complex signals and alter their behavior accordingly. Such microbial and environmental response networks play key roles in shaping native microbial communities across environments. My research is focused on two areas of study related to bacterial communication.
Bacterial Communication in Bacillus subtilis and Panteoa agglomenans Biofilms
Biofilms are structured communities of microbes attached to surfaces and embedded in a self-produced extracellular matrix made of polysaccharides, proteins, and DNA. This matrix enhances surface attachment and protects bacteria from environmental stressors, including nutrient limitation and antibiotics. Because of this, bacterial responses to antibiotics can differ significantly in mixed-species biofilms compared to when grown alone. In fact, antibiotics targeting one species may have little effect on the overall biofilm community. Despite the ecological and clinical importance of these interactions, the signaling and behavior within multi-species biofilms remain poorly understood. Our lab investigates these dynamics using a model coculture of Bacillus subtilis and Pantoea agglomerans.
When grown together, these two species form a biofilm with a distinct morphology not seen in monocultures—central wrinkling surrounded by a flat border. In contrast, B. subtilis alone forms flat, dry colonies, while P. agglomerans forms mucoid, convex ones. This morphological shift in coculture suggests altered gene expression and interspecies signaling. My previous work identified genetic and structural features of the unique coculture biofilm. Building on this, we are now investigating how B. subtilis and P. agglomerans interact at the molecular level during coculture to better understand the mechanisms driving polymicrobial biofilm development and bacterial communication.
Investigating the Impact of Japanese knotweed on Soil Microbial Communities
Invasive species are among the leading threats to biodiversity and ecosystem function. In particular, invasive plants can drastically alter soil structure, chemistry, and the makeup of microbial communities. One especially aggressive invader is Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), which forms dense stands, produces large amounts of carbon-rich litter, and releases allelochemicals—compounds that can suppress the growth of other organisms.
Although knotweed is known to affect soil chemistry and microbial composition, less is known about how it impacts bacterial diversity and behavior. Our research focuses on these belowground effects in temperate forests of western New York that have been invaded by knotweed. We are using a combination of field and lab techniques to study how knotweed affects soil characteristics, bacterial communities, and microbial behavior. This includes DNA sequencing analysis and working with soil isolates and allelochemicals to assess bacterial growth and changes in behavior. We are also examining changes in soil geochemistry and microbial network structure to determine how the soil environment is altered by knotweed. My work aims to deepen our understanding of how Japanese knotweed impacts soil ecosystems—spanning bacteria, invertebrates, and soil chemistry—and to better understand the broader ecological consequences of plant invasions in North America.