Jon S. Blevins

Federal Grant PI High Impact

Professor and Interim Chair

Last publication 2025 Last refreshed 2026-05-22

faculty

jsblevins@uams.edu

26 h-index 49 pubs 3,281 cited

Biography and Research Information

OverviewAI-generated summary

Jon S. Blevins' research focuses on bacterial genetics and the molecular mechanisms underlying the physiology and virulence of various pathogens. He has received significant federal funding from the NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for his work on tick-borne relapsing fever spirochetes. Specifically, grants have supported the development of genetic manipulation systems for *Borrelia duttonii*, the investigation of cyclic di-AMP signaling in relapsing fever *Borrelia*, and the study of cyclic di-GMP second messenger signaling in *Borrelia turicatae*.

His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on bacterial gene regulation and essential cellular processes. Work includes characterizing the diadenylate cyclase CdaA in *Borrelia turicatae* virulence, identifying BB0346 as a crucial component for lipoprotein localization in *Borrelia burgdorferi*, and exploring the regulation of pesticin and type VI secretion systems in *Yersinia pestis*. He also investigates the dispensability of plasmid-encoded genes in *Borrelia burgdorferi* and the role of arthropod-associated lipoproteins in the transmission cycle of *Borrelia turicatae*. Blevins' scholarship metrics include an h-index of 26 with over 3,270 citations across 49 publications, indicating a substantial research output. He collaborates with several researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, including Clay D. Jackson-Litteken, Wanfeng Guo, C. Tyler Ratliff, and Madeleine G. Scott.

Metrics

  • h-index: 26
  • Publications: 49
  • Citations: 3,281

Selected Publications

  • <i>Yersinia pestis</i> plasminogen activator protease is regulated by the PhoP/PhoQ two-component system (2025)
  • <i>Yersinia pestis</i> BipA is a novel regulator of pesticin and a type 6 secretion system (2025)
    1 citation DOI OpenAlex
  • The plasmid-encoded members of paralogous gene family 52 are dispensable to the enzootic cycle of <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> (2024)
    1 citation DOI OpenAlex
  • <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> BB0346 is an Essential, Structurally Variant LolA Homolog that is Primarily Required for Homeostatic Localization of Periplasmic Lipoproteins (2024)
    3 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Development and validation of systems for genetic manipulation of the Old World tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete, Borrelia duttonii (2024)
    1 citation DOI OpenAlex
  • Characterization of the arthropod associated lipoprotein (Alp) in the tick-mammalian transmission cycle of Borrelia turicatae (2022)
    1 citation DOI OpenAlex
  • The Diadenylate Cyclase CdaA Is Critical for Borrelia turicatae Virulence and Physiology (2021)
    18 citations DOI OpenAlex

View all publications on OpenAlex →

Federal Grants 3 $891,450 total

NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Contact PI Aug 2022 - Jul 2027

Cyclic di-AMP-dependent signaling in tickborne relapsing fever Borrelia

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases $591,178 R01
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Contact PI Mar 2021 - Feb 2025

Cyclic di-GMP Second Messenger Signaling in the Tickborne Relapsing Fever Spirochete, Borrelia turicatae

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases $224,272 R21
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Contact PI Feb 2020 - Jan 2023

Developing a system for genetic manipulation of the Old World tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete, Borrelia duttonii

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases $76,000 R03

Grants & Funding

Collaboration Network

36 Collaborators 18 Institutions 2 Countries

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