Assistant Professor, Pace University, NY
My undergraduate research program in the Department of Biology at Pace University in New York City employs the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to understand fundamental aspects of molecular and cellular biology. C. elegans is a well-established genetic system used for analyzing a number of biological processes. The majority of my research focuses on identifying the genetic basis of sexual reproduction, specifically the genes responsible for regulating fusion of sperm and egg and the transition to embryo development. Recently, we have also starting looking at the physiological responses to pathogens and the response to changes in diet. My RNASeq for the Next Generation project compared the transcriptional response to dietary changes in the nematode C elegans. C. elegans live on a diet of live bacteria and changes in bacterial diet have been shown to cause a number of physiological and molecular changes (MacNeil LT, Walhout AJ M, Worm 2013). Lifespan, fertility, and developmental rate have all been reported to change in response to diet (Coolon JD et al., PLoS Genet 2009, MacNeil LT et al., Cell 2013, Avery L, J Exp Biol, 2003, Shtonda BB, Avery L J Exp Biol 2006). Documenting the transcriptional response responsible for these physiological changes will give insight in to the molecular mechanisms that control these aspects of C. elegans physiology.
Materials are under development.
Materials are under development.
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File:Adult_Caenorhabditis_elegans.jpg
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