Biological research: from membrane-bound bacteriophage, to electric fish & synaptic receptors, intermediate filaments, adhesion and gene regulation.


topics : filaments | wnt signaling | sox networks | heart induction | EMT & apoptosis

By way of introduction:  

My scientific career began at Penn State, where I worked as an independent study student with Wally Snipes and Alec Keith. 

My project was to study the effects of adamantanone on the assembly of the membrane-bound bacterial virus PM2

Turns out adamantanone blocked PM2 assembly.  

 
In graduate school, I did my thesis work with Bob Stroud (CalTech/UCSF) on the structure of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, isolated from the electric organ of Torpedo californica. 
This introduced me to structural methods & electron microscopy.
 

After receptors, began a post-doc with Martin Raff (UC London). 

After some futile attempts to clone neural precursors, I started working on the functional roles of intermediate filaments, first on the vimentin-filament system of fibroblasts and later, with Birgitte Lane, on the keratin-type filament systems of epithelial cells. 

 

 

This was interesting introduction into the world of experimental cell biology, as well as the sociology of science; particularly how different fields "work".

I then moved to New York, and worked with Lee Rubin (Rockefeller University) on synaptic clutering of acetylcholine receptor and esterase in cultured muscle.

One cannot underestimate Lee's patience with me, as I was in a traumatized state!!!

I then moved on to take a position in MCD Biology, UC Boulder - where I have been ever since!

 

topics : intermediate filaments | catenins and wnt signaling | SOXs, networks and germ cells
last revised -23 May 2005
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