Biochemistry

Sep. 2, 2019

Thomas P. Quinn

We have an established research program to develop radiolabeled peptides, proteins and nanoparticles as tumor specific diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Combinatorial peptide and antibody fragment libraries are being employed to identify molecules that preferentially bind tumor antigens. The tumor-avid peptides, antibody fragments and nanoparticles are subsequently engineered to bind the medically important radionuclides into their structures. Finally, the radiolabeled peptides, proteins and nanoparticles are investigated for their abilities to target tumor cells in vitro and in vivo in support of eventual clinical translation. Radiolabeled Melanoma avid α-MSH Peptide Analogs: The goal of this project is to design radiolabeled alpha-melanocyte stimulating…

Sep. 2, 2019

Brian Mooney

I am particularly interested in protocol and technology development for proteomics and mass spectrometry. We use mass spectrometry for protein identification, protein/peptide quantitation, and mapping sites of post-translational modifications and protein-protein interactions. Metastable Crystallins: Structure and stabilization (NEI-NIH award R01EY023219) Cataract and a host of other diseases result from abnormal interaction of proteins in the cells. The goals of this research are to understand lens protein aggregation in cataract formation and to develop and test lens protein alpha-crystallin-derived peptide as active mini-chaperones capable of suppressing protein aggregation. Understanding the structural changes in mutant proteins associated with cataract can help…

Sep. 2, 2019

Bruce A. McClure

Research in the McClure lab is focused on understanding how pollen pistil communication controls plant mating. We study S-RNase-based self-incompatibility in Nicotiana and interspecific pollen recognition and rejection between tomato and its wild relatives. The genus Nicotiana is useful because of its ease of experimental manipulation, and the inter- and intra-specific compatibility relationships are well known. For example, N. alatadisplays gametophytic self-incompatibility (SI). Self-pollen and pollen from closely related plants are rejected, thus maintaining hybrid vigor. N. alata also has specific mechanisms for recognizing and rejecting pollen from related species such as N. plumbaginifolia and N. tabacum. Likewise, tomato, Solanum lycopersicum (formerly Lycopersicon esculentum), also has well defined crossing relationships with its…

Sep. 2, 2019

Zhentian Lei

My research interests center on metabolomics and its application in biological and biochemical research. Specifically, I am interested in developing mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomics protocol and technology, and applying the techniques in profiling changes of metabolism in animals, plants and microbes in response to genetic and/or environmental disturbances. Metabolomics is the systematic identification and quantification of the cellular metabolites (or small-molecules) using advanced technologies combined with multivariate statistical methods for data interpretation. These advanced technologies include high resolution mass spectrometry coupled to gas chromatograph (GC-MS) or ultrahigh performance liquid chromatograph (UPLC-MS), LC-MS-SPE (solid phase extraction)-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance). Educational background…

Feb. 20, 2019

Bill Folk

Educational background Ph.D. Biochemistry, Stanford University Courses taught School of Medicine Preclinical Courses Honors College Colloquia Undergraduate Research Courses…

July 30, 2018

Thomas Coudron

Thomas Coudron is a research chemist in the USDA ARS, and lead scientist of a research program developing methods for propagation of beneficial insects used in biological control systems. Specific interest is how parasitoids regulate the development of their insect hosts and the nutritional ecology of insect parasitoids and predators, with an emphasis on developing artificial diets for entomophagous natural enemies. Currently he is studying the plasticity of insect digestive physiology by using nutrigenomics, immunocytohistology and enzymology to unravel the insect’s physiological and biochemical responses to changes in its nutrition. Educational background Ph.D., North Dakota State University B.S., St. John’s…

March 7, 2018

Michal Zigo

My field of research is reproductive biology with a specific focus on male fertility, sperm function, and fertilization. Besides reproductive medicine, this work profoundly affects policy making, informing major decisions concerning human reproductive health, contraception, and individuals’ reproductive rights. I have been advancing our understanding of how the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), the universal protein recycling machinery, regulates the process of sperm capacitation necessary for sperm ability to fertilize eggs in humans and animals. I described the UPS-regulated, capacitation-induced re-modeling of the sperm proteome. I identified new UPS-regulated sperm proteins and developed a new protocol for selective, compartment-specific isolation of proteins…

Jan. 10, 2018

Gary Stacey

Gary Stacey is Curators’ Distinguished Professor and Professor of Plant Science and Technology at the University of Missouri-Columbia. His research focuses generally on molecular aspects of plant-microbe interactions, including studies of the beneficial legume-rhizobium symbiosis and plant-fungal pathogen interactions. He has also been instrumental in the development of genomic resources for the study of soybean. He has mentored 51 postdoctoral fellows and 36 Ph.D. and 8 M.S. graduate students. Past postdocs have gone on to start independent careers in academia (e.g., Michigan State Univ., Washington State Univ.), industry, as well as winning the 2005 USA National Medal of Technology, which…

Jan. 9, 2018

Walter Gassmann

Gassmann received his Ph.D. from UC San Diego in 1996 researching plant membrane transporters in the lab of Dr. Julian Schroeder. As a post-doctoral researcher in the lab of Dr. Brian Staskawicz, UC Berkeley, he cloned and characterized RPS4, one of the founding members of the Toll/Interleukin-1 Receptor – Nucleotide Binding Site – Leucine-Rich Repeat (TNL) class of plant innate immune receptors, that recognizes the presence of the bacterial effector protein AvrRps4. His lab at MU, which he started as an assistant professor in the Department of Plant Microbiology & Pathology in 2000, cloned the second antibacterial receptor of the…

Dec. 15, 2017

Michael C. Stambaugh

Prior to becoming a scientist, Stambaugh worked as a forester for private industry and the federal government. Since 2010, his forestry research has received over $8 million in grant funding. He collaborates with the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy, and multiple state natural resources organizations. He has been a National Geographic Explorer since 2010 and in 2023 was a Charles Bullard Fellow in Forest Research at Harvard Forest. Educational background Ph.D., University of Missouri Courses taught Forest Ecology Forest Health Advanced Forest Ecology…