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Education:
Ph.D.
Virginia Tech (1997)
BS Liberty University (1993)
Courses Taught:
General Biology
Molecular Biology
Principles of Genetics
Cell Biology
Introduction to Research
Molecular and Cell Biology
Research Interests:
This past semester, I had the joy of working with five
students (three seniors and two sophomores) on a research project
aimed at cloning the Arabidopsis thaliana TT9 gene using a cutting-edge
genetic approach known as positional cloning. When this gene is
mutated, the seeds of the plant are smaller than normal, are not
pigmented properly, and fail to germinate properly. Thus, identifying
and cloning this gene will aid in our understanding of these fundamental
processes of plant physiology.
Perhaps the most important thing that these students learned in
being involved in research is that one must be able to think critically,
evaluate data, and trouble-shoot experiments in order to be a
successful researcher. Their professor doesn’t always have
a textbook answer for problems that arise in research. Students
begin to realize the incredible amount of work that goes into
science and can more fully appreciate what they have learned in
their texts, especially the effort it has taken a myriad of scientists
to get this far. In addition to these very practical benefits,
the students developed camaraderie with each other and with me
that they would otherwise not have developed, spending many long
hours in the lab, and meeting weekly with me both one on one and
in group settings.
All of the students who were a part of this research project are
seeking to continue their biological studies in graduate or medical
school. Indeed, the three seniors, Tim Haffey, Lucas Prime, and
Sarah Bliss have been accepted into medical school, a Master’s
in Public Health program, and a Ph.D. program in Molecular/Cell
biology, respectively. Marisa Roach, one of the two sophomores
who worked on the project, is working as a research assistant
this summer in a lab at the University of Rochester. Similarly,
the final student, Indriati Hood, worked for four weeks on the
mapping project this summer at Houghton College, and then worked
several weeks at a camp for terminally-ill children. It has been
a privilege to get to know these students better and help them
develop as scientists, and hopefully as individuals.
Awards:
1998:
NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship Proposal "Identification of Host
Factors Required for Cabbage Leaf Curl Virus Movement”
1994: Sigma Xi, Grant in Aid of Research.
“Determining Interaction Domains between Chalcone Synthase
and Chalcone Isomerase from Arabidopsis thaliana”. M.K.
Pelletier, principal investigator.
Professional
Affiliations:
American Society
for Plant Physiologists
Publications:
Pelletier, M.K.,
Burbulis, I.E., and Shirley, B.W. (1999) Disruption of Specific
Flavonoid Genes Enhances the Accumulation of Flavonoid Enzymes
and End-Products in Arabidopsis Seedlings. Plant Molecular Biology.
40: 45-54
Pelletier, M.K., Murrell, J.R., and Shirley,
B.W. (1997) Characterization of Arabidopsis FLS and LDOX Genes:
Further Evidence for Differential Regulation of “Early”
and “Late” Genes Plant Physiology. 113: 1437-1445
Pelletier, M.K. and Shirley, B.W. (1996)
Analysis of Flavanone 3-Hydroxylase in Arabidopsis Seedlings:
Coordinate Regulation with Chalcone Synthase and Chalcone Isomerase.
Plant Physiology. 111: 339-345
Pelletier, M.K. and Shirley, B.W. (1995)
A Genomic Clone Encoding Flavanone 3-hydroxylase (Genbank U33932)
from Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Physiology. 109: 1125
Burbulis, I.E., Pelletier, M.K., Cain, C.C.,
and Shirley, B.W. (1996) Are Flavonoids Synthesized by a Multi-Enzyme
Complex? Bulletin of the Southern Association of Agricultural
Scientists. 9: 29-36
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