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School of Medicine Biochemistry
Robert Akins

Robert Akins

Professor | Director of the BMI/BMB MS Program

rakins@med.wayne.edu

313-577-0419

Robert Akins

Education

Ph.D. Microbiology, Ohio State University, 1982

Faculty appointments

Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, & Immunology
Director, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology MS program

Graduate

Accepting new MS students in 2026: Yes
Accepting new PhD students in 2026: No

Laboratory website

 https://biochemmicroimmuno.med.wayne.edu/profile/aa3732

Links of interest

Pubmed Publications

Office location

234 Lande

Research

Dr. Akins' research involves microbiomics, antifungal drug design, molecular diagnostics, and antifungal resistance, and fungal exosomes.

Research focus

Vaginal Microbiome in Health and Disease
The vaginal mucosa harbors hundreds of bacterial species, many of which have not yet been cultured or identified. For reasons that remain unclear, these microbial communities can shift from healthy compositions to disease-associated states such as bacterial vaginosis (BV). Different microbial profiles are associated with complications including recurrence, poor response to treatment, and increased risk of preterm birth. Our research seeks to characterize the dynamics of microbial populations as they transition between health and disease and to identify the species or community structures associated with the greatest risk of adverse outcomes, including increased susceptibility to cervical cancer. We are testing models of microbial progression from BV to cure and recurrence and are developing diagnostic and prognostic tools for BV.

Antifungal Drug Design
Fungal infections are either highly prevalent, such as vaginal candidiasis, or associated with high mortality rates in systemic disease. Only a limited number of antifungal drugs are available clinically, and these target relatively few biological pathways. Drug resistance and the emergence of resistant fungal species continue to increase. We use AI-guided, structure-based drug design to develop and synthesize novel antifungal compounds that target previously unexplored pathways with high selectivity. These compounds are evaluated using a combination of cellular and molecular assays.

Molecular Fungal Diagnostics
Fungal infections are common and often recurrent, particularly in vaginal disease, or associated with substantial morbidity in systemic infections. Diagnosis using conventional culture methods remains challenging because of poor culture efficiency, slow growth rates, and low organism burden, often delaying treatment. We are developing and validating molecular diagnostic tools that enable high-throughput, quantitative identification of fungal pathogens directly from clinical samples.

Antifungal Drug Resistance in Candida albicans
Candida albicans is an opportunistic yeast pathogen with diverse mechanisms for evading antifungal agents. These mechanisms include mutations in drug targets, mutational or regulatory activation of target and compensatory pathways, increased drug efflux, and other poorly understood processes. Our research focuses on the mechanisms by which C. albicans induces high-frequency loss of heterozygosity as an adaptive response to antifungal stress. We also developed an overexpression system to identify genes that alter antifungal susceptibility and are systematically characterizing these genes and their effects using RT-qPCR and microarray analysis.

Mitochondrial Responses to Antifungal Stress
Unlike Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans is generally unable to survive without an intact mitochondrial genome and functional mitochondria. We have initiated a project to investigate how mitochondrial genome copy number and integrity change in response to antifungal and other environmental stresses. We are examining whether these responses contribute to antifungal tolerance and persistence and whether mitochondrial functions may represent novel targets for next-generation antifungal therapies.

Fungal Exosomes
Fungal extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, are emerging as important mediators of cell-to-cell communication and disease. Candida species produce EVs containing specific proteins and RNAs that can influence host immune responses and fungal survival. Because EVs may be produced in large numbers, circulate in accessible body fluids, and carry biomarkers associated with infection or antifungal resistance, they have considerable potential as noninvasive diagnostic tools. Our research focuses on identifying the conditions that stimulate EV production, characterizing their protein and RNA cargo, determining their effects on other cells, and evaluating their use as targeted delivery vehicles for antifungal drugs and vaccines.

 

Publications

  • Mollin A, Katta M, Sobel JD, Akins RA. Association of key species of vaginal bacteria of recurrent bacterial vaginosis patients before and after oral metronidazole therapy with short- and long-term clinical outcomes. PLoS One. 2022;17(7):e0272012. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272012. eCollection 2022. PubMed PMID: 35901180; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9333308.
  • Sobel JD, Akins R. Determining Susceptibility in Candida Vaginal Isolates. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2022 Jun 21;66(6):e0236621. doi: 10.1128/aac.02366-21. Epub 2022 May 23. PubMed PMID: 35604210; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9211391.
  • Surapaneni S, Akins R, Sobel JD. Recurrent Bacterial Vaginosis: An Unmet Therapeutic Challenge. Experience With a Combination Pharmacotherapy Long-Term Suppressive Regimen. Sex Transm Dis. 2021 Oct 1;48(10):761-765. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001420. PubMed PMID: 34110746; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8460079.
  • Turner E, Sobel JD, Akins RA. Prognosis of recurrent bacterial vaginosis based on longitudinal changes in abundance of Lactobacillus and specific species of Gardnerella. PLoS One. 2021;16(8):e0256445. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256445. eCollection 2021. PubMed PMID: 34424942; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8382169.
  • Sobel JD, Kaur N, Woznicki NA, Boikov D, Aguin T, Gill G, Akins RA. Conventional oral and secondary high dose vaginal metronidazole therapy for recurrent bacterial vaginosis: clinical outcomes, impacts of sex and menses. Infect Drug Resist. 2019;12:2297-2307. doi: 10.2147/IDR.S213853. eCollection 2019. PubMed PMID: 31413606; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6661983.
  • Sobel JD, Kaur N, Woznicki NA, Boikov D, Aguin T, Gill G, Akins RA. Prognostic Indicators of Recurrence of Bacterial Vaginosis. J Clin Microbiol. 2019 May;57(5). doi: 10.1128/JCM.00227-19. Print 2019 May. PubMed PMID: 30842235; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6498020.
  • Sobel JD, Akins RA. The Role of PCR in the Diagnosis of Candida Vulvovaginitis-a New Gold Standard?. Curr Infect Dis Rep. 2015 Jun;17(6):488. doi: 10.1007/s11908-015-0488-3. PubMed PMID: 26003471.
  • Aguin T, Akins RA, Sobel JD. High-dose vaginal maintenance metronidazole for recurrent bacterial vaginosis: a pilot study. Sex Transm Dis. 2014 May;41(5):290-1. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000000123. PubMed PMID: 24722380.
  • Aguin TJ, Akins RA, Sobel JD. High-dose vaginal metronidazole for recurrent bacterial vaginosis--a pilot study. J Low Genit Tract Dis. 2014 Apr;18(2):156-61. doi: 10.1097/LGT.0b013e31829a5558. PubMed PMID: 23994951.
  • Lambert JA, John S, Sobel JD, Akins RA. Longitudinal analysis of vaginal microbiome dynamics in women with recurrent bacterial vaginosis: recognition of the conversion process. PLoS One. 2013;8(12):e82599. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082599. eCollection 2013. PubMed PMID: 24376552; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3869700.
  • Lambert JA, Kalra A, Dodge CT, John S, Sobel JD, Akins RA. Novel PCR-based methods enhance characterization of vaginal microbiota in a bacterial vaginosis patient before and after treatment. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2013 Jul;79(13):4181-5. doi: 10.1128/AEM.01160-13. Epub 2013 Apr 26. PubMed PMID: 23624483; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3697572.
  • Lamont RF, Sobel JD, Akins RA, Hassan SS, Chaiworapongsa T, Kusanovic JP, Romero R. The vaginal microbiome: new information about genital tract flora using molecular based techniques. BJOG. 2011 Apr;118(5):533-49. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2010.02840.x. Epub 2011 Jan 20. Review. PubMed PMID: 21251190; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3055920.
  • Aguin TJ, Akins RA, Sobel JD. High-dose vaginal metronidazole for recurrent bacterial vaginosis--a pilot study. J Low Genit Tract Dis. 2014 Apr;18(2):156-61. doi: 10.1097/LGT.0b013e31829a5558. PubMed PMID: 23994951.
  • Lambert JA, John S, Sobel JD, Akins RA. Longitudinal analysis of vaginal microbiome dynamics in women with recurrent bacterial vaginosis: recognition of the conversion process. PLoS One. 2013;8(12):e82599. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082599. eCollection 2013. PubMed PMID: 24376552; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3869700.
  • Lambert JA, Kalra A, Dodge CT, John S, Sobel JD, Akins RA. Novel PCR-based methods enhance characterization of vaginal microbiota in a bacterial vaginosis patient before and after treatment. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2013 Jul;79(13):4181-5. doi: 10.1128/AEM.01160-13. Epub 2013 Apr 26. PubMed PMID: 23624483; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3697572.
  • Lamont RF, Sobel JD, Akins RA, Hassan SS, Chaiworapongsa T, Kusanovic JP, Romero R. The vaginal microbiome: new information about genital tract flora using molecular based techniques. BJOG. 2011 Apr;118(5):533-49. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2010.02840.x. Epub 2011 Jan 20. Review. PubMed PMID: 21251190; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3055920.

Courses taught by Robert Akins

Winter 2027 (future)

Fall 2026 (current)

Winter Term 2026

Fall Term 2025

Winter Term 2025

Fall Term 2024

Winter Term 2024

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