College of Science & Engineering: Biology Department

Research and Publications

Dr. James Bandoli:

Parental Investment in Spottail Darters
Field and laboratory investigations into patterns of energy investment by nest-guarding male spottail darters (right), a local stream fish that practices resource-defense polygyny.

Teaching Evolution in Public High Schools
A survey of students in Ohio (weak standards) and Indiana (strong standards) to compare the time given to evolution in introductory biology courses in public high schools and the degree to which high school teachers emphasize evolution as an explanation for the diversity of life.

Most Recent Publications

Bandoli, J. 2008. Do state standards matter? Comparing student perceptions of the coverage of evolution in Indiana and Ohio public high schools.

American Biology Teacher, 70:212-216

Bandoli, J. 2006. Male spottail darters (Etheostoma squamicoeps) do not use chemical or

positional cues to discriminate between sired and foster eggs. Behavioral Ecology and

Sociobiology, 59:606-613.

Bandoli, J. 2002 Brood defense and filial cannibalsim in the spottail darter (Etheostoma

squamiceps): the effects of parental status and prior experience. Behavioral

Ecology and Sociobiology, 51:222-226.

Dr. Cindy DeLoney-Marino:

Research interests
Characterizing the chemotactic behavior of the bioluminescent marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri. I aim to determine if this microbial symbiont is chemotactically attracted to its squid host, Euprymna scolopes, and whether or not such an attraction is required for the bacteria to initially colonize the squid light organ.

Most Recent Publications

Yip, E.S., Geszvain, K., DeLoney-Marino, C. R., and Visick, K.L. 2006. The symbiosis regulator RscS controls the syp gene locus, biofilm formation and symbiotic aggregation by Vibrio fischeri. Molecular Microbiology 62 (6): 1586-1600.

Bartley, T. M., DeLoney-Marino, C. R., Shataba, S., Aizawa, S., Wolfe, A. J. and Visick, K. L. 2005. Magnesium promotes flagellation of Vibrio fischeri. Journal of Bacteriology 187(6):2058-2065.

DeLoney-Marino, C. R., Wolfe, A.J., and Visick, K. L. 2003. Chemoattraction of Vibrio fischeri to serine, nucleosides, and N-acetylneuraminic acid, a component of squid light-organ mucus. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 69(12):7527-7530.

DeLoney, C. R., Bartley, T. M., and Visick, K. L. 2002. Role for phosphoglucomutase in Vibrio fischeri-Euprymna scolopes symbiosis. Journal of Bacteriology 184(18):5121-5129.

Dr. R. Brent Summers:

Bioassessment of Blue River, IN.
In the summer and fall of 2006 I, along with several undergraduate research students will be conducting a bioassessment of the Blue River in Harrison, Washington, and Clark Counties of Indiana. We will be specifically sampling fish and macroinvertebrate communities to look for long term trends in water quality and watershed health.

Physiological Ecology of the Indiana Crayfish (Orconectes indianensis).
I currently have two undergraduate students who are working a project to investigate the physiological ecology of the Threatened Indiana Crayfish (Orconectes indianensis). In particular they are measuring the respiratory rates of crayfish under varying physiological stressors such as increased temperatures, turbidities, and salinities.

Effects of a Dam Re-operation on Green River, KY.
I also have a continuing project to investigate the effects of a new dam re-operation agreement between the Army Corps of Engineers (on the Green River in central Kentucky) and the Kentucky Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. In the past several years I have completed several studies investigating the secondary production of several macroinvertebrates in Green river below the dam.

I currently have a student who in the spring of 2006 is developing a revised method for extracting and characterizing lipid fractions in key macroinvertebrates found in Green River. From this we will implement a study to determine the effects of dam re-operation on energy reserves and bioenergetics of several key species of macroinvertebrates in the Green River.

Most Recent Publications

Summers, R. B., Alexander, J. E., Thorp, J. H., and R. D. Fell. 1996. Respiratory adjustment of Dreissenid mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. bugensis) in response to chronic turbidity. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 53(7): 1626-1631.

Summers, R. B., Delong, M.D., and J. H. Thorp. 1996. Ontogenetic and temporal shifts in the diet of the riverine amphipod Gammarus fasciatus. American Midland Naturalist. 137:329-336.

Summers, R. B., 1999. Status of fish and macroinvertebrate communities in Blue River, Indiana. Report Submitted to the Indiana Nature Conservancy 1999.

Greenwood, K. S., J.H. Thorp, R.B. Summers, and D. L. Guelda. 2001. Effects of an exotic bivalve mollusc on benthic invertebrates and food quality in the Ohio River. Hydrobiologia. 462: 167-172

Summers, R. B. , 2003. Bioassessment of habitat, fish, and macroinvertebrate communities in Blue River, Indiana (1995-2003). Report Submitted to the Indiana Nature Conservancy 2003.

8600 University Boulevard - Evansville, IN 47712-3596 - 812/464-8600

Dr. Landon Moore:

Moore Lab

Genome stability in Development, Cancer, and Behavior

My research is focused on the role of genome stability in development and behavior. Instability

of the genome is a prominent characteristic of cancer and influences behavior. My lab uses the

nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to study how genomic domains are stably maintained during development and to study the consequences of failure to maintain genome integrity on

development and behavior. C. elegans is ideal for a functional genomics approach as its

genome has been completely sequenced and the technique of RNA mediated inhibition

(RNAi) allows for selective loss-of-function mutations to be rapidly investigated.

Maintenance of centromere structure during centromere duplication

The centromere is an important chromatin domain necessary for maintaining the

genome during cell division. My lab has previously identified several genes

necessary for the proper duplication of the centromere. We have extended these

studies by identifying mutations in genes required for centromere duplication as well

as suppressor mutations, which restore function to these mutated genes. This genetic

approach will provide information of the function of these genes in centromere

duplication. Future work will involve cloning the new genes and investigating their

genetic interactions.

Function of HCP-1/CENP-F and HCP-2 in genome stability and development

HCP-1 resembles the mammalian CENP-F protein and along with a related protein HCP-2 are

together required for proper chromosome segregation. CENP-F is over-expressed in various

cancer cell and CENP-F like proteins are involved in differentiation suggesting a role for

CENP-F in cancer progression. Although HCP-1 and HCP-2 appear to function

interchangeable in chromosome segregation, we have shown that HCP-1 and HCP-2

do not co-localize and have distinct phenotypes suggesting that each has distinct

functions not shared by the other. We are currently investigating the functions

unique to HCP-1 and to HCP-2.

Functional role for cin-4, a gene resembling the catalytic domain of topoisomerase II:

Duplication of existing genes followed by divergence of function underlies the

formation of new genes with new functions. The emergence of novel genetic information

is particularly relevant as it affects the progression of diseases that alter the genetic

information such as cancer. The novel gene, cin-4, is a partial gene duplication of

top-2 that performs a different function than top-2. We are currently investigating

the different functions of top-2 and cin-4 in C. elegans.

Development of Microscopy techniques for imaging disease-causing organisms:

I am also interested in developing new methods of imaging disease-causing

organisms in order to better understand their role in disease. As such, my lab

collaborates with other investigators to generate antibodies against potentially

important molecules and to develop new techniques for imaging disease-causing

organisms via immunofluorescence microscopy.

Selected Publications

Shakes, D. C, J-C Wu, P. L. Sadler, K. LaPrade, L. L. Moore, A. Noritake, and D. S. Chu (2009).

Spermatogenesis-specific features of the meiotic program in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS

Genetics 5(8), e1000611.

Saha, S., M. Guillily, A. Ferree, J. Lanceta, C. Hsu, L. Segal, K. Rhagavan, K. Matsumoto, N.

Hisamoto, T. Kuwahara, T. Iwatsubo, L. Moore, M. Cookson, and B. Wolozin (2009) LRRK2

modulates the response of C. elegans to mitochondrial dysfunction and protein misfolding.

J. Neuroscience 29(29), 9210-9218.

Chatterjee, A., S.K. Ghosh, K. Jang, E. Bullitt, L. Moore, P.W. Robbins, and J. Samuelson (2009).

Evidence for a “Wattle and Daub” model of the cyst wall of Entamoeba. PLoS Pathogens 5(7),

e1000498.

Izquierdo-Useros, N., M. Naranjo-Gomez, J. Archer, S. C. Hatch, I. Erkzia, J. Blanco, F. Borras,

M. C. Puertas, J. H. Conner, Fernandez-Figueras, L. L. Moore, B. Clotet, S. Gummuluru,

J. Martinez-Picado (2009). Envelopeglycoprotein independent capture and transfer of HIV-1

particles by mature dendritic cells converges with the dissemination pathway.

Blood 113(12), 2732-2741.

Ratner, D.M., J. Cui, M. Steffen, L. Moore, P. Robbins, and J. Samuelson (2008). Changes in the

N-glycome (glycoproteins with Asn-linked glycans) of Giardia lamblia with differentiation from

trophozoites to cysts. Euk.Cell 7(11), 1930 -1940.

Hajeri, V. A., N. M. Stewart, L. L. Moore, P. A. Padilla (2008) Genetic Interactions Between

the Spindle Checkpoint Genes and hcp-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans. Cell Division 2008, 3:6.

Stanvitch, G. and L.L. Moore (2008). cin-4, a gene with homology to topoisomerase II, is

required for centromere resolution and cohesin removal from mitotic chromosomes.

Genetics 178, 83-97.

Moore, L.L., G. Stanvitch, M.B. Roth, and D. Rosen (2005). HCP-4/CENP-C Promotes the Prophase

Timing of Centromere Resolution by Enabling the Centromere Association of HCP-6 in

Caenorhabditis elegans. Mol. Cell. Biol. 25: 2583- 2592.

Mishra, K. K., T.R. Holzer, L.L. Moore, and J.H. LeBowitz (2003). A negative regulatory

element controls mRNA abundance of the Leishmania mexicana paraflagellar rod gene

PFR2. Euk. Cell 2:1009-1017.

Moore, L. L., and M. B., Roth (2001). HCP-4, a CENP-C-like protein in C. elegans, is required

for resolution of sister centromeres. J. Cell Biol. 153:1199-1207.

Buchwitz, B.J., K. Ahmad, L.L. Moore, M.B. Roth, and S. Henikoff. (1999) A histone-H3-like

protein in C. elegans. Nature. 401:547-548.

Moore, L.L., M. Morrison, and M.B. Roth. (1999) HCP-1, a protein involved in chromosome

segregation, is localized to the centromere of mitotic chromosomes in Caenorhabditis elegans.

J Cell Biol. 147:471-480.

Santrich, C., L. Moore, T. Sherwin, P. Bastin, C. Brokaw, K. Gull, and J.H. LeBowitz. (1997)

A motility function for the paraflagellar rod of Leishmania parasites revealed by PFR-2 gene

knockouts. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 90:95-109.

Moore, L.L., C. Santrich, and J.H. LeBowitz. (1996) Stage-specific expression of the

Leishmania mexicana paraflagellar rod protein PFR-2. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 80:125-135.