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NAME ADVISOR E-MAIL UNDERGRADUATE
Esther Costa Winans edc32 Univ. Federal de Viscoa
Esther is a Ph.D. student in Dr. Stephen Winans` Lab where she studies quorum sensing in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Her undergraduate studies was in Food Engineering focused on food microbiology and quality control. She received a masters (M.S.) from the Universidade Federal de Vicosa (Brazil).
James Doroghazi Rotating jrd46 Michigan State University
James' undergraduate research was performed in the laboratory of Dr. Steven Triezenberg at Michigan State University (he has since switched institutions). The driving question behind the research was whether or not transcriptional coactivators are required for herpes simplex virus type 1 transcriptional activation of immediate early (IE) genes (think one of the first things that happens before your lip swells up with a cold sore). As it turns out, they are. He proved this through the use of a compound found in turmeric called curcumin. Curcumin is a chemical inhibitor of p300/CBP, two histone acetyltransferase coactivators known to be present at IE promoters. This inhibitor dropped both viral IE gene expression as well as overall virus titer through one infection cycle. Further investigation is still taking place as to the molecular action of p300/CBP at the promoter and their overall importance in HSV-1 transcription. The take home message for most of us, however, is to eat more Indian food when our lips start to tingle.
Ana Flores-Mireles Winans alf38 Northwest Biological Research
Center. (M.S.)
I'm from Guadalajara, Mexico. I am a Marine Biologist and I did my M.S. in Marine Biotechnology. During my time as undergraduate I did my thesis on Inmunogenetics in the North Pacific population of Gray Whale. But, I took a molecular microbiology class and I decided to try this field. My Master's thesis was focused on marine bacteria from mangroves' rhizophere. Now, I try to learn more about protein-protein interactions in Agrobacterium.
Brian Forster Marquis bmf34 SUNY--Binghamton
Brian Michael Forster graduated from Binghamton University with a Bachelors of Science in Cell/Molecular Biology and a minor in Mathematical Science. His undergraduate research at Binghamton focused on developing Pseudomonas putida biofilm into a biopesticide by identifying genes involved in root colonization and biocontrol. Additionally, Brian has worked on investigating potential anti-mutagenic properties of flavones, a class of known phytochemicals found in soy products. Currently, Brian works in HČlËne Marquis' lab in the Dept. of Microbiology & Immunology, characterizing the regulation of Mpl, a metalloprotease that may be involved in the maturation and translocation of PC-PLC, a broad range phospholipase C used by Listeria monocytogenes to escape secondary vacuoles during an intracellular infection. In addition, Brian has been a teaching assistant for Microbiology lecture & lab, Cell Biology and Introductory Biology both here at Cornell & at Binghamton University. Brian has been a course instructor for various high school math courses in Tottenville High School's After School/Saturday Program. He also teaches BioMi 292: General Microbiology Discussion.
Heather Fullerton Rotating hef23 University of Washington
As an undergraduate, Heather worked in a mouse muscle biology lab, first as a undergraduate helper and then after graduation in 2005, as a technician. She graduated from the University of Washington in her home town of Seattle. While studying mouse muscle regeneration, she came to theÝrealization that prokaryote biology is more interesting to her than eukaryote biology.
Regina Heineman Rotating rmh46 Pennsylvania State University
Regina received her B.S. in Microbiology with honors in Microbiology and a minor in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Pennsylvania State University. As an undergraduate, she worked in the lab of Paul Babitzke for 2.5 years, where she studied the global regulatory protein, CsrA, from Escherichia coli. She was particularly interested in the mechanism by which CsrA regulates glycogen biosynthesis at the translational level in E. coli by preventing ribosome access to the csrA Shine-Dalgarno sequence. Regina is currently rotating in the Shapleigh lab, where she is studying the gene(s) responsible for the resistance of Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.3 to S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), a compound usually toxic to bacteria.
Yun Luo Rotating yl423 South Dakota State Univ. (M.S)
There is no biographical information available for this student.
Kari Roberts Rotating klr54 California Polytechnic State University
Kari received a B.S. in microbiology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA in December 2005. Currently, she is rotating with Dr. Helene Marquis who studies the facultative intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Kariís research involves studying mechanisms of mpl, a metalloprotease important to efficient infection of host cells. It is thought that mpl may be involved in the activation of PC-PLC, another proenzyme that contributes to escape from the double membrane vacuoles that form upon entry of L. monocytogenes.
Jay Worley Rotating jnw29 University of Maryland
I performed my undergraduate research for 2.5 years with the FDA in Laurel, MD, which is near the U of M. Research topics included species specific detection of Shigella spp., phylogenetic analysis of Shigella spp. for research, and Shigella spp. identification for bioterrorism defense. I finished up my tenure there by working on Cyclospora detection and phylogenetic analysis using rRNA analysis. My current research is concerned with using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to identify the location of origin area deletions in Epulopiscium, a bacteria that harbors thousands of copies of its chromosome. If this phenomenon occurs (origin deletion and sequestering of chromosomes), it could provide insight to the control of chromosomal location in bacteria. Outside of research I enjoy soccer and jazz saxophone, and played in the University of Maryland Jazz Band for four years under the direction of Chris Vadala.