Barb Katzenback

Dr. Barb Katzenback is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology and Chair of the University Animal Care Committee. Katzenback’s research focuses on examining aquatic vertebrate host-pathogen interactions and how anthropogenic changes alter their ability to defend against pathogens.

Katzenback currently studies host-pathogen-environment interactions at skin barriers in anuran (frogs and toads) models within the context of different pathosystems (e.g. infection with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, Frog Virus 3) and environmental conditions (e.g. exposure to microplastics) using in vitro and in vivo approaches. Their research group uses animal models including (1) Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica), which are a species of primarily terrestrial frog that survive whole body freezing during winter months; and (2) African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis), an aquatic frog that is dehydration tolerant and well-studied model organism. Separated by over 250 million years of evolution, studying these two frog species allow members of the research group to ask questions about the evolutionary conservation and divergence of components of anuran immune systems and how differences may contribute to differential susceptibility to pathogens of amphibian concern. Combined with the use of novel frog skin cell lines developed by their group, their lab uses cutting edge molecular and cell biology techniques to explore key questions in immunology – what role do skin cells play in sensing and responding to pathogens? Do skin-secreted antimicrobial peptides modulate frog skin epithelial cell immune responses and how? What are the molecular mechanisms occurring at the skin barrier that govern susceptibility or resistance to pathogens? Does exposure to anthropogenic stressors affect an organism’s ability to defend themselves against pathogens?

Through integration of laboratory and field-based studies, Katzenback’s research advances our understanding of amphibian health and, more broadly, immune defence at vertebrate epithelial barriers and health risks associated with exposure to anthropogenic changes. This research is critical to addressing the crisis of global amphibian declines that are driven by multiple factors including pathogens and anthropogenic change and supports a One Health approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of the health of humans, animals, and environment.

• Immunology and microbiology

• Host-pathogen-environment interactions

• Amphibian innate immunity

• Antimicrobial peptides / host defence peptides

• Hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic barriers to pathogens

• New approach methods, including development of in vitro systems such as amphibian cell lines

• PhD Physiology, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Alberta, Canada

• BSc Honours Immunology and Infection (with Distinction), University of Alberta, Canada

• Canadian Society of Zoologists

• Amphibian Genomics Consortium

• International Society of Developmental and Comparative Immunology (ISDCI)

• International Antimicrobial Peptide Network

• Canadian Herpetological Society

• BIOL 309 - Analytical Methods in Molecular Biology
  • Taught in 2021, 2022
• BIOL 342 - Molecular Biotechnology 1
  • Taught in 2024, 2025
• BIOL 441 - Advances in Immunology
  • Taught in 2021, 2023, 2025, 2026
• BIOL 636 - Advanced Immunology
  • Taught in 2022, 2026

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• For the full list of Barb Katzenback's publications, please see Google Scholar.

• Additional FREE full texts and copies of student theses can be found here.

• Douglas AJ and Katzenback BA. (2026). The Rana sylvatica skin-secreted antimicrobial peptide (AMP) gene repertoire highlights broader patterns in anuran AMP evolution. Scientific Reports. In Press. [Open Access]

• Douglas AJ and Katzenback BA. (2023). The wood frog (Rana sylvatica): An emerging comparative model for anuran immunity and host-ranavirus interactions. Developmental and Comparative Immunology 147: 104733 Access the FREE Author’s copy here

• Douglas AJ, Todd LA and Katzenback BA. (2023). The amphibian invitrome: Past, present, and future contributions to our understanding of amphibian immunity. Developmental and Comparative Immunology 142: 104644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dci.2023.104644 Access the FREE Author’s copy here

• Todd LA, Bui-Marinos MP and Katzenback BA. (2021). Post-transcriptional regulation of frog innate immunity: discovery of frog microRNAs associated with antiviral responses and ranavirus infection using a Xenopus laevis skin epithelial-like cell line. FACETS 6: 2058 – 2083. Open Access

• Bui-Marinos MP, Todd LA, Wasson MCH, Morningstar BEE and Katzenback BA. 2021. Prior induction of cellular antiviral pathways limits frog virus 3 replication in two permissive Xenopus laevis skin epithelial-like cell lines. Developmental and Comparative Immunology 124: 104200. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dci.2021.104200 Free pre-print on bioRxiv 10.1101/2021.06.04.446995

• Bui-Marinos MP, Varga JFA, Vo NTK, Bols NC and Katzenback BA. (2020). Xela DS2 and Xela VS2: two novel skin epithelial-like cell lines from adult African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) and their response to an extracellular viral dsRNA analogue. Developmental and Comparative Immunology 112:103759. Free pre-print on bioRxiv 10.1101/2020.05.08.084723 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dci.2020.103759.