Lev Ostrer

Dynamic postdoctoral scholar at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, with expertise in drug characterization and molecular mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance. Proven ability to collaborate effectively in teams, driving innovative research on enhancing understanding of drug resistance and strategies to combat chronic infections.

• Reviewer for the journal, ASM Spectrum, 01/01/25
• Reviewer for the journal, Nature Communications, 01/01/22
• Reviewer for the journal, ACS Infectious Diseases, 01/01/20
• Technical translator/reviewer independent, 01/01/13, 01/01/15

• L. Ostrer, B. Hamann, A. Khodursky, Perturbed States of the Bacterial Chromosome: a Thymineless Death Case Study, Frontiers in Microbiology, 6, 363, 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00363, 01/01/15
• T. Tran, Q. Ran, L. Ostrer, A. Khodursky, De Novo Characterization of Genes That Contribute to High-Level Ciprofloxacin Resistance in Escherichia Coli, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 60, 10, 6353–6355, 10.1128/AAC.00889-16, 01/01/16
• L. Ostrer, R.F. Khodursky, J. R. Johnson, H. Hiasa, A. Khodursky, Analysis of mutational patterns in quinolone resistance-determining regions of GyrA and ParC of clinical isolates, International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, 53, 3, 318–324, 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2018.12.004, 01/01/19
• L. Ostrer, Y. Ji, A. Khodursky, Identification and characterization of pleiotropic high-persistence mutations in the beta subunit of the bacterial RNA polymerase, Antimicrobial agents and Chemotherapy, 65, 11, e0052221, 10.1128/AAC.00522-21, 01/01/21
• Vill, K., van Geelen, L., Michel, O., Kiffe-Delf, A.-L., Berger, A., Podlesainski, D., Stenzel, K., Kovacic, F., Lungerich, B., Burkhardt, B., Crooks, T.A., Howe, M.D., Ostrer, L., Jia, Z., Ioerger, T.R., Kaschani, F., Kaiser, M., Baughn, A.D., Kurz, T. and Kalscheuer, R., α-Aminooxyacetic acid derivatives acting as pro-drugs against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, bioRxiv, 04/04/24, 10.1101/2024.04.04.587628
• Liu, Q., Wallach, J.B., Jayasinghe, Y.P., Sullivan, M.R., Proietto, J., Rodriguez, S., Vo, S., Boshoff, H.I.M., Jia, Z., Ostrer, L., Mehdiratta, K., Shi, R., Dartois, V., Baughn, A.D., Rubin, E.J., Ronning, D.R., Zimmerman, M.D., Schnappinger, D. and Aldrich, C.C., Structure-guided development of a potent BioA inhibitor validates biotin synthesis inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for tuberculosis, bioRxiv, 09/24/25, 10.1101/2025.09.24.678246
• Ostrer L, Crooks TA, Howe MD, Vo S, Jia Z, Hegde P, Schacht N, Aldrich CC, Baughn AD., Mechanism of the dual action self-potentiating antitubercular drug morphazinamide, PNAS Nexus, 4, 8, pgaf242, 01/01/25
• Dillon, N.A., Lamont, E.A., Rather, M.A., Ostrer, L. and Baughn, A.D., Pyrazinamide sensitizes Mycobacterium tuberculosis to host-derived oxidative stress, eLife, 14, RP105614, 01/01/25
• Ostrer, L., Crooks, T.A., Rather, M., Sharma, S., Jia, Z., Panda, S., Hegde, P., Schacht, N., Shoen, C.M., Cynamon, M.H., Aldrich, C.C. and Baughn, A.D., An antiviral nucleotide base analog with selective antibacterial activity, submitted to Nucleic Acids Research, 01/01/26
• Kostenkova, K., You, L., Ganaparthy, U., Boshoff, H., Ostrer, L., Lan, T., Baughn, A.D., Ebright, R.H., Dartois, V., Dick, T. and Aldrich, C.C., C-25 heteroaryl carbamate rifabutin analogs overcome multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, submitted to PNAS, 01/01/26

• Recipient of T-32 training grant, National Institute of Health, 01/01/20
• Nominee for Outstanding Performance Award for Teaching Assistants, University of Minnesota, 01/01/18
• S-STEM scholarship, National Science Foundation, 01/01/09, 01/01/11

• UMIID symposium, 01/01/25, attended
• Phage, 01/01/24, co-presented a poster: 'First-In-Class Antitubercular Agent That Impairs DNA Metabolism'
• GRC, 01/01/23, Presented a poster, nominated to co-chair GRS: 'Characterization Of The Dual Synergistic Antitubercular Mechanism Of Morphazinamide'
• ASM, 01/01/22, presented a poster: 'Phenotypic and Transcriptomic Characterization of the Mycobacterium Tuberculosis to Pyrazinamide Treatment.'

• Postdoctoral researcher, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Twin Cities, MN, 01/01/20, Present, Anthony Baughn, Characterization of PZA mechanism of action and potentiation. Suppression of RIF associated persistence Characterization of next-gen C-25 Rifampicin. Identifying a target and mechanism of nucleotide analog with antitubercular activity. Interrogated molecular mechanism(s) of PZA action and its analogs using Tn-seq and RNA-seq approaches. Utilized wide array of biochemical assays to determine metabolic activity. Used fluorescent reporters and radiolabeled molecules to determine effects of nucleotide analogs on M. tuberculosis. Performed a full genetic, and phenotypic characterization of C-25 modified rifampicin analogs. Identified and characterized RNA polymerase mutations associated with a high persistence phenotype. Developed and modified metabolite extraction protocols to identify metabolite intermediates. Performed drug characterization studies on the BSL3 rated strains. Performed limited BSL3 mouse work, including infections, and necropsy. Conducted BSL3 lipid extractions. Assisted in developing and expanding use of genetic tool (ORBIT 2.0).
• Graduate Student, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Twin Cities, MN, 01/01/15, 01/01/20, Arkady Khodursky, Characterization of clinically relevant fluoroquinolone and rifampicin resistance mutations. Determined likeliest mutational paths taken by nineteen pathogenic species of bacteria to achieve clinically relevant levels of fluoroquinolone resistance. Identified high persistence phenotype associated widely prevalent rifampicin and ciprofloxacin resistance mutations in the β-subunit of RNA polymerase. Developed, modified and implemented protocols for RNA-seq, flow cytometry, microscopy and radiolabeled small molecule TLC. Initiated and led a cross departmental project on RNA polymerase associated persistence.
• Laboratory Assistant II, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Twin Cities, MN, 01/01/13, 01/01/15, Arkady Khodursky, Mechanism of rapid killing via thymineless death. Examined physiological consequences of unbalanced growth, leading to premature deposition of Z-ring. Disproved DNA damage as the main cause of thymineless starvation-based death by demonstrating capacity for chromosomal recovery following the replication fork collapse. Assisted with Tn-seq experiment preparation. Conducted a long-term evolutionary experiment, that led to identification of a toxin-antitoxin-based system capable of partly protecting bacteria against thymine starvation.
• Undergraduate directed research, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Twin Cities, MN, 01/01/12, 01/01/13, Gary Dunny, Identification of genes involved in dissemination of antibiotic resistance carrying plasmids via horizontal gene transfer in Enterococcus faecalis. Conducted mating experiments using a Tn-seq library.
• Undergraduate volunteer at Visible Heart Lab, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Twin Cities, MN, 01/01/11, 01/01/12, Paul Iaizzo, Prolonged muscular stress in oxygen limited environment. Assisted with coronary angioplasty and valve replacement surgeries on large animals (sedation, surgical preparation, samples harvesting/ transport and disposal). Measured lactic acid production in healthy, damaged and oxygen deprived muscles. Designed and built MRI safe heart suspension containers.