Faculty Research
Tony Becker
Dr. Becker’s main research areas are Environmental Physiology and Animal Behavior. Currently, student research is on courtship behavior in the reticulated giraffe and recent student research has been on social structure in Sulawesi macaques and handedness in the giant panda.
Jay Blundon
The Blundon laboratory is interested in the ways in which nerve cells of the brain signal to one another. We are now specifically investigating the ways in which a brain protein, neuronal interleukin-16, influences the ability of one nerve cell to signal to another during the process of memory acquisition. We study this problem with molecular neurobiology (small interfering RNA used to silence NIL-16 production in the brain; IL-16 and CD4 knock-out mouse lines) electrophysiology techniques (whole cell voltage clamp recordings of hippocampal neurons; brain slice recordings of long term potentiation) and mouse behavioral techniques (Morris water maze, eight arm radial maze, and rotarod testing). More about Dr. Blundon′s research
Rosanna Cappellato
Dr. Cappellato’s research areas are on assessing the economic value of the ecosystem services provided by Overton Park and on the creation of urban green spaces in low income communities. The project at Overton Park is part of a new series of field laboratories designed for the Environmental Science course. This course is required for students interested in pursuing a minor in Environmental Science. The work on green spaces is done in collaboration with the Hollywood-Springdale community, the recipient of a 2004 Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) grant. More about Dr. Cappellato′s research
Dr. Jonathan Fitz Gerald
One of the agriculturally significant aspects of plant growth is seed size. This is largely determined by the development of the seed endosperm. Dr. Fitz Gerald′s work focuses on the Arabidopsis gene AtFH5, a formin involved in the development of the posterior endosperm. Using a combination of molecular biology, genetics and microscopy, his aim is to understand both the role of AtFH5 in endosperm development and the pathways that regulate AtFH5 expression. Interestingly, after fertilization AtFH5 is expressed only from the maternal genome. Paternal silencing is regulated by a homologue of the animal Polycomb group complex. In animals, Polycomb complexes maintain cell identity during development. In Arabidopsis, is Polycomb maintaining male and female identity of the parental genomes? Ongoing projects include the examination of mutant plants where AtFH5 expression is altered and molecular screening for AtFH5 interacting proteins. More about Dr. Fitz Gerald′s research
Dr. Sara Gremillion
As part of the Hill laboratory (in conjunction with Drs. Loprete and Jackson-Hayes in the Chemistry Department), my aim is to provide insight into components of fungal cell development, knowledge of which may aid in the development of novel anti-fungal drugs or agricultural chemicals. My interest is in a series of Aspergillus nidulans mutants which display abnormal growth at restrictive temperatures. One current mutant of interest has increased conidial swelling, abnormally wide hyphae and lacks the ability to polarize correctly. We have evidence that the observed phenotypes are due to a mutation in a COG4 homologue. This gene’s protein product is associated with mediating retrograde vesicle docking in the Golgi apparatus, an organelle responsible for the processing and packaging of cellular proteins. Current research involves determining cell localization and function of COG4. More about Dr. Gremillion′s research
Terry Hill
Dr. Hill’s research deals with the genetic determinants of cell wall integrity in fungi. The cell wall is an essential component of fungal growth and morphogenesis, whose structure and metabolism are insufficiently understood. In collaboration with Dr. Darlene Loprete and Dr. Loretta Jackson-Hayes (Department of Chemistry), this laboratory is generating and characterizing mutant strains of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, which have defects in cell wall structure. Among genes so far identified as being able to affect wall integrity in these mutants are two that code for novel (not previously characterized) proteins – the first is a probable Golgi apparatus transporter of nucleotide sugars and the second is a probable plasma membrane structural protein. The specific functions of these proteins is under investigation.More about Dr. Hill′s research
Alan Jaslow
My research interests are in the areas of vertebrate functional morphology and animal behavior. My research in behavior focuses on animal communication and mainly acoustics. I am working with the vocalizations made by Giant Pandas at the Memphis Zoo. Research projects in functional morphology have focused on both the evolution of middle ears in amphibians, and the functional significance of leg bone diameter and thickness in different sized mammals. I have also looked at these scaling phenomena in the growth patterns in tarantulas. More about Dr. A. Jaslow′s research
Carolyn Jaslow
My research has focused on the structure and function of skeletal structures in mammals, particularly investigations of teeth and cranial sutures in rodents. Recently, I have begun working in reproductive biology, specifically sperm ultrastructure and granulosa cell surface proteins. More about Dr. C. Jaslow′s research
David Kesler
My current research deals with the distribution, condition, and age and growth of freshwater mussels both locally in the Wolf River and in New England. More about Dr. Kesler′s research
Gary Lindquester
Dr. Lindquester investigates mechanisms of immune evasion by herpesviruses. In collaboration with a group at St. Jude Children′s Research Hospital, he is studying the role of a protein known as interleukin 10 (IL-10) which is produced by the human pathogen, Epstein Barr virus (EBV). He is generating a recombinant murine gammaherpesvirus containing the EBV IL-10 gene to study its effects on infection, latency, and pathogenesis in a mouse animal model. More about Dr. Lindquester′s research
Mary Miller
The growth and division of eukaryotic cells is a highly regulated process. A variety of events important for successful division must be carried out in the proper order, at the proper time, and in the proper location. This coordinated series of events is described as the “cell division cycle” or “cell cycle”. Successful regulation of the cell cycle is paramount to the survival of single and multi-celled organisms ranging from budding yeast to man (Movie of dividing yeast courtesy of M. Tyers). Errors in this process usually result in cell death, and at times trigger the accumulation of oncogenic properties, leading eventually to cancer. In my lab, I study regulatory proteins called cyclins that trigger coordinated cell division. My lab used the model system Saccharomyces cerevisiae to carry out genetic, genomic, and biochemical assays on cyclin function. More about Dr. Miller′s research
