Potential Mentors for REU Summer Projects
Mentors are listed by departmental affiliation. Clicking on the mentor's name will take you to a longer description of their research interests.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
James
R. Bamburg, Role of the cytoskeleton in neuronal growth and regeneration, pathfinding,
and in neurodegenerative diseases. Signal transduction mechanisms controlling actin filament
dynamics and cell behavior.
Chaoping Chen,
Role of the actin cytoskeleton in retrovirus trafficking; mechanisms of
the host cell-virus interactions in virus assembly and budding.
Norman
P. Curthoys, Proteomic analysis; mechanism of
mRNA stabilization; structure of mitochondrial glutaminase.
Jennifer DeLuca, Analysis
of the molecular architecture of kinetochore-microtubule interface in vertebrate
cells and how proteins and protein complexes at this interface drive and regulate
chromosome movements.
Santiago Di Pietro, Molecular mechanisms of intracellular protein transport. Molecular bases of human diseases affecting biogenesis of intracellular organelles and the endocytic process.
Brian Geiss, (joint appt. in Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology Dep't.), Molecular virology, focusing on mosquito-borne flaviviruses and alphaviruses. Understanding the biochemistry of viral RNA capping, antiviral drug discovery targeting the flavivirus RNA capping enzyme, and examining the roles of cellular and viral proteins in alphavirus assembly.
Jeffrey
C. Hansen, Elucidating the structure/function relationships of the chromatin fiber.
Use of analytical ultracentrifugation and quantitative agarose gel electrophoresis to
yield unique information about secondary and tertiary structures of chromatin fibers,
and the
architectural chromatin binding proteins that modulate these structures in solution.
P. Shing Ho, Structures and structural gymnastics of nucleic acids. Both DNA and RNA are
induced to various biologically interesting and functional conformations resulting from perturbations
in the environment, drug interactions, and protein binding. We have been studying these effects
by crystallography, molecular modeling, and biochemistry.
Karolin
Luger, A combination of X-ray crystallography and other biochemical and biophysical
approaches are used to analyze the structure and function of large macromolecular complexes
involved in DNA compaction, and in transcription regulation in a chromatin context.
Brian McNaughton, (joint appt. in Chemistry Dep't.), Chemical biology, Directed evolution, Organic chemistry, Biophysical chemistry.
Small molecule-dependent, sequence-selective regulation of mRNA translation; inhibition of protein-protein interactions; targeted delivery of therapeutics and imaging reagents. Researchers in The McNaughton Group address
these challenges using methods in organic synthesis, combinatorial chemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology, in the context of high-throughput screening and evolution-based selections.
Jennifer
K. Nyborg, In recent years, human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) has become
increasingly recognized as an important cause for public health concern throughout the world
and is the causative agent of a variety of clinical diseases, including an aggressive and fatal
cancer called adult T-cell leukemia, and a neurological disorder that is clinically very similar
to multiple sclerosis. A large body of evidence suggests that the clinical manifestations of HTLV-1
infection occur as a consequence of a virally-encoded protein called Tax. My laboratory focuses
on defining the intracellular consequences of Tax expression in the infected human cell, with
emphasis on the Tax-dependent events that lead to malignant transformation.
Olve
Peersen, Picornaviruses are a family of small positive sense single stranded RNA viruses that cause
a wide range of diseases in humans and animals including rhinoviruses that cause the common cold and
poliovirus, the prototypical member of this family. We are interested in understanding the molecular
details of picornaviral replication and are using structural biology and biophysical techniques to
determine the structure of viral proteins and study their interactions.
Jessica Prenni,
(joint appt. in Proteomics & Metabolomics Facility), Mass spectrometry based proteomics and metabolomics.
Eric D. Ross, Numerous diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are associated with protein misfolding into ordered aggregates, called amyloid fibrils. We are using yeast prions as a model system for examining the causes and consequences of amyloid fibril formation. Patricia A. Bedinger,
The work in my laboratory centers on pollen development and function in higher plants, using arabidopsis, tomato and maize as model
organisms. Our major focus is on the molecular analysis of pollen and pistil proteins that mediate sexual recognition in higher
plants via specific protein-protein interactions. Shane Kanatous, Enhance understanding of molecular changes associated with hypoxia and translate these results for therapeutic applications in the treatment of myopathies. Deborah Roess, Cellular endocrinology.
Jac Nickoloff,
Cellular processes that maintain eukaryotic genome stability, including DNA repair by homologous recombination and nonhomologous end-joining, DNA damage checkpoints, and DNA replication fork stabilization and restart.
F. Andrew Ray,
Radiation-induced carcinogenesis and the development of new methods for cancer cell detection using genomics combined with in situ hybridization techniques. Please note that, due to space limitations in some
labs, it may not be possible to place everyone in their first choice.
Laurie
Stargell, Transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II involves a highly regulated series of events
dependent upon many protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions. By combining yeast genetics, molecular biology,
biochemistry, and biophysical techniques, we are using a multi-faceted approach to understand the functional
requirements of the general transcription factors in transcription initiation in vivo.
Michael
M. Tamkun, (joint appt. in Biomedical Sciences Dep't.), Regulation of muscle electrical excitability at both the cellular and molecular levels. Research
in the lab revolves around five general themes:
(1) cloning new ion channels from cardiac and vascular muscle
(2) identification of channel domains involved in protein-protein interactions,
(3) examination of the signaling mechanisms/cellular processes that control ion channel function and
tissue/cell-specific expression,
(4) characterization of mechanisms responsible for channel cell surface localization, and
(5) elucidation of the physiological role that a given channel plays within a particular tissue.
Tingting Yao,
Regulation of gene expression and chromatin dynamics by ubiquitin conjugation and deconjugation.
Department of Animal Sciences
Lawrence Goodridge, Development of novel diagnostics and methods to detect and control the presence
of food-borne pathogens, with a specific focus on development of detection methods and prophylaxis for food-borne bacterial pathogens. Characterization of the genetic determinants of antibiotic and sanitizer resistance in bacteria
isolated from food production animals.
Department of Biology
Daniel R. Bush, My
research focuses on sugar and amino acid allocation from sites of primary assimilation to import-dependent
sinks in plants. This is a fundamental process that allows plants to function as multicellular organisms.
We use molecular, genetic and biochemical tools to define the mechanisms and regulation of this essential
process.
Greg L. Florant, My research interests are
centered on the mechanisms that animals use to adapt to different situations. Recent investigations have
focused on animals that hibernate and the mechanisms they use to regulate energy stores.
Deborah Garrity,
I am interested in how the embryonic heart differentiates chambers and acquires a regular rhythm of contraction.
Since zebrafish embryos are transparent, one can observe cardiac arrhythmia and patterning defects in
mutant embryos. My lab uses developmental genetics, molecular biology and fluorescent and histochemical
imaging techniques to investigate phenotypes of embryonic heart form and function.
June Medford, Since the dawn of civilization humans have used plants for food, fuel, shelter
and clothing. We are continuing this use and apply cutting edge technology of Synthetic Biology to understand basic aspects about plants and develop new types of plants and plant traits useful for society.
Donald L. Mykles,
My research concerns the regulation of molting and limb regeneration in crabs and lobsters.
Specific areas are signaling mechanisms in the molting gland, phenotypic changes in skeletal
muscle during lobster development, and proteolytic mechanisms mediating molt-induced claw muscle
atrophy. Biochemical, immunocytochemical, and molecular biological methods are used.
Marinus Pilon, Processes by which plants regulate the incorporation of Fe and Cu ions into proteins that are involved in photosynthesis
in plant chloroplasts.
Elizabeth A. H. Pilon-Smits,
In the Pilon-Smits lab we study processes by which plants accumulate and detoxify environmental pollutants, from the
molecular level to the field. Our approaches include genomics, genetics, biotechnology, biochemistry, whole-plant
physiology, and ecological studies. These studies are aimed to gain knowledge about basic biological processes,
and to create plants that may be used for environmental cleanup.
Anireddy
S. N. Reddy, One of the fundamental questions in plant biology is how hormonal and environmental signals regulate
cellular processes and various aspects of plant growth and development. We are interested in understanding the
mechanisms by which plant cells sense and respond to various signals. Our current research activities are focused
on three areas: i) calcium-mediated signal transduction mechanisms with emphasis on calcium sensors and their target
proteins, ii) mechanisms that regulate basic and alternative splicing of pre-messenger RNAs, and iii) designing and
testing of novel synthetic signal transduction circuits in plants.
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Scott Earley, Cardiovascular physiology. Regulation of vasomotor activity by
ion channels expressed by arterial smooth muscle cells. How factors produced by vascular endothelium influence blood vessel function.
Kathryn M. Partin, Structural and functional analysis of glutamate receptors.
Glutamate receptor desensitization and its modulation by cognitive-enhancing drugs.
Noreen E. Reist, Chemical synapses are required for nervous system function, from
sensation to learning and memory. Molecular dissection of synaptic transmitter release using molecular
biology, Drosophila genetics, electrophysiology, and electron microscopy.
Stuart Tobet, Determination of cell positions in the developing neuroendocrine brain.
Jozsef Vigh, Retinal preparations (whole eye cup, slice and isolated cell) are investigated mainly with electrophysiological techniques (ERG, extracellular-, sharp electrode- and
patch-clamp recordings) in order to answer how visual signals are processed.
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Christie Peebles, Metabolic engineering, secondary metabolism, regulatory networks, and systems biology in plants, bacteria and yeast for the production of bio-based chemicals and fuels.
Ashok Prasad, Developing quantitative and predictive models for molecular and cellular biology by using tools
and methods from the engineering and physical sciences, in particular chemical kinetics and statistical mechanics.
Kenneth Reardon, Environmental biotechnology, particularly bioremediation. Improve our understanding of microbial degradation of hazardous
compounds often with the use of molecular biological and proteomic methods) and to develop better processes for cleanup of contaminated air, water and soil.
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
Michael Pagliassati, Saturated fatty acids are important mediators of disease progression in NAFLD and do so via the induction of ER stress.
Department of Health and Exercise Science
Adam Chicco, Elucidating the roles of polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction in the development and progression of
cardiometabolic disease, and how dietary and pharmaceutical interventions may modulate these processes.
Karen Hamilton, The mechanism(s) of exercise- and phytochemical-induced protection of the heart and vascular endothelium against hypoxia-reoxygenation injury.
Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences
J. Lucas Argueso, Chromosomal rearrangements and phenotypic consequences of altered genome architecture; Effects of
environmental exposure on copy number variation (CNV) and chromosome structure; Molecular mechanisms of DNA double-strand break repair; Structural genome variation in natural yeast populations; Genomics
of industrial yeast strains and bioethanol fermentation.
Susan Bailey, Emerging relationships between telomere function and DNA damage response continues to provide new insight into how cells satisfy their imperative to maintain genomic stability. DNA repair is necessary for putting broken ends back together after damage, such as that caused by exposure to ionizing radiation. In contrast, telomeres, the natural ends of chromosomes, must avoid rejoining to other DNA ends, yet, many of the same players are found at both types of DNA ends.
Ronald Tjalkens, Molecular,
Cellular, and Integrative Neurosciences. Astrocyte biology and calcium signaling, mitochondrial dysfunction in
neurodegenerative disorders, and molecular regulation of neuro-inflammatory genes.
John Volckens, Development of methods for aerosol and air pollution measurement, combustion emissions and
their associated health effects, and the development of improved diagnostic techniques for assessing human exposures to and adverse health effects of air pollution.
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology
Sandra Quackenbush, Viral-induced oncogenesis, in particular, a newly defined group of retroviruses from fish,
which provide a model system of both oncogenesis and tumor regression.
Carol Wilusz, Regulation of gene expression in the inherited disease myotonic dystrophy. Study of RNA-binding protein CELF1/CUGBP1,
whose aberrant expression in myotonic dystrophy leads to altered mRNA metabolism. For more information see also http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/mip/wiluszlab/myotonic.html.
Mark Zabel, Interaction of prions with cells and receptors of the immune system and lymphoid tissues in
the early entry, trafficking, and pathogenesis phases of prion infections.