Caetano Antunes

Caetano Antunes
  • Assistant Professor
He/him/his

Contact Info

785-864-1958
Haworth 4031
Lawrence

Personal Links

Biography —

Caetano holds a B.Sc. (2000) and M.Sc. (2002) in Microbiology from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Iowa (2003-2007) and then moved to Canada for his post-doctoral studies (2008-2012) at the University of British Columbia. In 2012, Caetano began his independent career at Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Caetano and his group transitioned to KU in January 2023.

Education —

Ph.D., University of Iowa, 2007, Iowa City, Iowa
M.S. in Microbiology, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 2002

Research —

Caetano´s research group is interested in the role of small molecules in host-microbe interactions. In particular, they study the impact of microbiome-derived small molecules on bacterial pathogen gene expression and behavior. Caetano and his group have shown that the human gut is teeming with small molecules, and that the gut metabolome controls expression of various virulence attributes in enteric pathogens.

Teaching —

  • BIOL 499 – Introduction to Honors Research (Undergraduate, Fall 2025)
  • BIOL 504 – Immunology Laboratory (Undergraduate, Fall 2025)
  • BIOL 817 – Rigor, Reproducibility and Responsible Conduct in Research (Graduate, Fall 2025)
  • BIOL 815 – Advanced Molecular Genetics (Graduate, Spring 2026)

Selected Publications —

See other papers by Caetano Antunes on PubMed

  1. Magalhães NS, Chaves AS, Thomasi B, Insuela DBR, Pauer H, Rêgo AM, Hardoim CCP, Antunes LCM, E Silva PMR, Martins MA, Carvalho VF. Gut microbiota is involved in the exacerbation of adrenal glucocorticoid steroidogenesis in diabetic animals by activation of the TLR4 pathway. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2025 May 27;16:1555203.
  2. Ferreira RBR, Antunes LCM, Sal-Man N. Pathogen-pathogen interactions during co-infections. ISME J. 2025 Jan 2;19(1):wraf104.
  3. Ferreira, R.B. and Antunes, L.C.M. 2023. Unlocking the microbiome. eLife. 12:e92482.
  4. Pauer, H.; Teixeira, F.L.; Robinson, A.V.; Parente, T.; Melo, M.; Lobo, L.A.; Domingues, R.M.; Allen-Vercoe, E.; Ferreira, R.B. and Antunes, L.C.M. 2021. Bioactive small molecules produced by the human gut microbiome modulate Vibrio cholerae sessile and planktonic lifestyles. Gut Microbes. 13(1):1-19.
  5. Pina, L.C.; da Silva, F.S.; Galvão, T.C.; Pauer, H.; Ferreira, R.B. and Antunes, L.C.M. 2021. The role of two-component regulatory systems in environmental sensing and virulence in Salmonella. Crit. Rev. Microbiol. 47(4):397-434.
  6. Glatthardt, T.; Campos, J.C.; Chamon, R.C.; de Sá Coimbra, T.F.; Rocha, G.A.; de Melo, M.A.; Parente, T.E.; Lobo, L.A.; Antunes, L.C.M.; dos Santos, K.R. and Ferreira, R.B. 2020. Small molecules produced by commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis disrupt formation of biofilms by Staphylococcus aureus. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 86(5):e02539-19.
  7. Pires, E.S.; Hardoim, C.C.; Miranda, K.R.; Secco, D.A.; Lobo, L.A.; de Carvalho, D.P.; Han, J.; Borchers, C.H.; Ferreira, R.B.; Salles, J.F.; Domingues, R.M. and Antunes, L.C.M. 2019. The gut microbiome and metabolome of two riparian communities in the Amazon. Front. Microbiol. 10:2003.
  8. Peixoto, R.J.; Alves, E.; Wang, M.; Ferreira, R.B.; Granato, A.; Han, J.; Gill, H.; Jacobson, K.; Lobo, L.A.; Domingues, R.M.; Borchers, C.H.; Davies, J.E.; Finlay, B.B. and Antunes, L.C.M. 2017. Repression of Salmonella host cell invasion by aromatic small molecules from the human fecal metabolome. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 83(19):e01148-17.
  9. Antunes, L.C.M.; McDonald, J.A.; Schroeter, K.; Carlucci, C.; Ferreira, R.B.; Wang, M.; Yurist-Doutsch, S.; Hira, G.; Jacobson, K.; Davies, J.; Allen-Vercoe, E. and Finlay, B.B. 2014. Antivirulence activity of the human gut metabolome. MBio. 5(4): e01183-14.
  10. Antunes, L.C.M.; Arena, E.T.; Menendez, A.; Han, J.; Ferreira, R.B.; Buckner, M.M.; Lolić, P.; Madilao, L.L.; Bohlmann, J.; Borchers, C.H. and Finlay, B.B. 2011. Impact of Salmonella infection on host hormone metabolism revealed by metabolomics. Infect. Immun. 79(4):1759-1769.
  11. Antunes, L.C.M.; Han, J.; Ferreira, R.B.; Lolić, P.; Borchers, C.H. and Finlay, B.B. 2011. Effect of antibiotic treatment on the intestinal metabolome. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 55(4):1494-1503.