Biology
The Biology (BIOL) program offers Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees and a Biology minor in order to prepare students for a variety of careers in biological science; provide a background of skills, attitudes and knowledge needed for further study in professional and graduate schools; and promote enjoyment and appreciation of the organisms that populate our planet.
Stockton's Biology courses emphasize the diversity of life-forms that have evolved
and the wide range of levels at which they can be studied: molecular to ecosystem.
Many courses have laboratory and/or field components, and seminar, tutorial or independent
project modes of instruction are also utilized.
About the Program
The Biology program takes advantage of the University's 1,600-acre setting in the New Jersey Pine Barrens close to the Atlantic Ocean. It is an area rich with diverse terrestrial, estuarine and marine habitats. Nearby are the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and many other federal, state, county and private wildlife preserves. The laboratory complex includes a greenhouse, animal rooms, environmental growth chambers, computer apparatus for physiological studies, light microscopes of many descriptions, plant and animal tissue culture facilities, and modern biological instrumentation including centrifuges, thermocyclers, and instrumentation for automated DNA sequencing.
Program Features
- All program faculty hold doctoral degrees from highly reputed institutions.
- Opportunity for one-on-one assistance.
- Biology seminar series.
- Research opportunities in field and laboratory work.
- Diversity of faculty and of Biology allows students the freedom in choosing their coursework.
- Talk to the professors about their research; they love to talk about it!
Biology Alumni Highlights
Additional Information
Alumni Success
With the help of Stockton's amazing professor, Dr. Tripepi, we developed a new media that is easily accessible and affordable. I was able to work with an amazing archaea Haloferax volcanni which is able to live in extreme conditions, is non-pathogenic and has a photo repair mechanism.
Read Maria's whole story.
B.S. Biology, Minor Spanish '16
The professors in the NAMS department really wanted every student to succeed and learn, not just get a passing grade. They didn’t just see students as another number, but as people who were willing to learn and be leaders and professionals for our future.
Read Ashley's whole story
B.S. Biology '20
Curriculum
A student has several choices of concentrations within the B.S. and B.A. degrees, including the General Biology concentration. Concentration structures are intended for general guidance in selecting a coherent set of recommended courses to prepare toward biology careers and/or graduate/professional education that supplement the general requirements.
Degree Offerings
Bachelors of Arts or Sciences in Biology
A versatile degree that provides a broad program of study to prepare the students for a broad spectrum of biology-related careers or a targeted specialized career of student’s choice, where a customized program of study is designed with guidance from a Preceptor.
Bachelor of Biology with a Biotechnology Concentration
Intended for students desiring laboratory careers in the pharmaceutical industry or graduate study in molecular biology-related applied fields
Bachelors of Sciences in Biology with a Dual Degree Medical Technology Concentration
Intended for those with a broad range of career options in hospital and commercial laboratories, in vitro fertilization laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, instrument manufacturing, etc.
Bacheolors of Arts or Sciences in Biology with a Pre-Professional Concentration
Includes prerequisites for most medical, veterinary, dental, optometry, podiatric, physician assistant, chiropractic, pharmacy, and other schools in the health sciences requiring similar preparation.
Bachelors of Arts in Biology with an Education Concentration
Suitable for those wishing to pursue a career as a high school biology teacher. This concentration includes education and related courses necessary for certification in the State of New Jersey
Bachelor of Science Biology with a Pre-Physical Therapy Concentration
Designed for students intending to apply to a graduate degree program in Physical Therapy. Completion of this concentration does not guarantee admittance to the DPT graduate program at Stockton.
Minor
The core course requirement contributes breadth and the elective component contributes depth in biology. The minor might be of interest to almost any student curious about the living world. Students for whom the minor would fit most easily include those majoring in BCMB, CHEM, ENVL, MARS, PSYC, and PUBH.
As with all minors within the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, all courses taken within the minor must be completed with a C or better. A C- grade is not acceptable. Additionally, at least the Seminar (BIOL 4600) and the two elective courses must be taken at Stockton.
Coursework
Degree Works Curriculum & Transfer Equivalency Tool
To see the curriculum for your area of interest you’ll use the web program, Degree Works. This service is accessible even if you are not currently a student with Stockton University.
Current students exploring the various paths towards degree completion should access the "what if" option in their Degree Works through the portal.
Ranked within the Top 50 Best Bachelor's Degrees in Biology by Study.com
Faculty
Our faculty have diverse scholarly interests and a commitment to undergraduate education, providing a broad educational experience in the biological sciences, and opportunities for faculty mentoring and undergraduate research.
Matthew F. Bonnan
Matthew F. Bonnan
Program Chair Professor of Biology
Since the tender age of five, I have been fascinated by dinosaurs. It was never so much the treasure-hunter aspect of paleontology that attracted me to this science, but rather the thrill of reconstructing long-dead animals and breathing life into old bones. In other words, I am a zoologist and anatomist at heart who happens to be fascinated by dinosaurs. I see dinosaurs as living animals, and I want to reconstruct how these animals moved and behaved when their bones were still pulsing with blood. As time has gone by, I have come to have a
deep appreciation and fascination with all the backboned (vertebrate) animals, their collective natural history, and their evolution. I have come to realize that the questions about dinosaurs that I began to pursue in earnest in graduate school have a broader and more powerful context across our vertebrate family tree.
I have helped discover and describe three new species of dinosaurs with colleagues in South Africa, and have overseen nearly fifty undergraduate and graduate student research projects on vertebrate functional morphology and evolution.
Website/CV: matthewbonnan.com
Ph.D., Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University
B.S., Geological Sciences. University of Illinois
at Chicago
A.S., Earth Sciences, College of DuPage
Dinosaurs, Vertebrate Paleontology, Functional Morphology, Animal Kinematics
Biodiversity & Evolution (BIOL 1400)
Embryology (BIOL 3141)
Comparative Anatomy (BIOL 3150)
Vertebrate Animal Movement (BIOL 3112)
Vertebrate Paleontology (BIOL/GEOL 3242)
Dinosaurs (GNM 1040/2191)
Dinosaurs, Vertebrate Paleontology, Functional Morphology, Animal KinematicS
I am interested in three broad but interconnected areas of research: 1) the evolution of dinosaur locomotion, particularly in the giant, long-necked sauropod dinosaurs; 2) the evolution of an erect posture from a sprawled posture in dinosaurs and mammals; and 3) the evolution of pronation and supination in the forelimb of tetrapods. To these ends, I have utilized traditional anatomical approaches as well as state-of-the-art computer modeling to understand and infer how the limbs of both extinct and extant tetrapods have evolved and adapted. Currently, I have begun to utilize XROMM (X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology) to produce three-dimensional animations of small animal bones in vivo. My current research focuses on the three-dimensional kinematics of lizard and mammal forelimbs, as means to "reverse engineer" how early dinosaur and mammal relatives may have moved and stood.
Ullmann, P.V., M.F. Bonnan, and K.J. Lacovara. 2017. Characterizing the evolution of wide-gauge features in stylopodial limb elements of titanosauriform sauropods via geometric morphometrics. The Anatomical Record, DOI: 10.1002/ar.23607.
Bonnan, M.F., Shulman, J., Varadharajan, R., Gilbert, C., Wilkes, M., Horner, A., and Brainerd, E.. 2016. Forelimb kinematics of rats using XROMM, with implications or small eutherians and their fossil relatives. PLos ONE 11(3): e0149377. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0149377.
Bonnan, M.F. 2016. The Bare Bones: An Unconventional Evolutionary History of the Skeleton. Bloomington:
Indiana University Press.
528 pp.
McPhee, B.W., Bonnan, M.F., Yates, A.M., Neveling, J., and Choiniere, J.N. 2015. A new basal sauropod from the pre-Toarcian Jurassic of South Africa: evidence of niche-partitioning at the sauropodomorph-sauropod boundary? Scientific Reports 5: doi:10.1038/srep13224.
Xing, L., Lockely, M.G., Bonnan, M.F., Marty, D., Klein, H., Liu, Y., Zhang, J., Kuang, H., Burns, M.E., and Li, N. 2015. Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous trackways of small-sized sauropods from China: new discoveries, ichnotaxonomy and sauropod manus morphology. Cretaceous Research 56:470-481. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2015.06.014
Bonnan, M.F., Wilhite, D.R., Masters, S.L., Yates, A.M., Gardner, C.K., and Aguiar, A. 2013. What Lies Beneath: Sub-Articular Long Bone Shape Scaling in Eutherian Mammals and Saurischian Dinosaurs Suggests Different Locomotor Adaptations for Gigantism. PLoS ONE 8(10): e75216. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0075216
VanBuren, C.S. and Bonnan, M.F. 2013. Forearm posture and mobility in quadrupedal dinosaurs. PLoS ONE 8(9): e74842. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0074842
Yates, A.M., Wedel, M.J., and Bonnan, M.F. 2012. The early evolution of postcranial skeletal pneumaticity in sauropodomorph dinosaurs. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 57:85-100. http://dx.doi.org/10.4202/app.2010.0075
Yates, A.M., Bonnan, M.F., and Neveling, J. 2011. A new basal sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 33 (3): 610-625.
Bonnan, M.F., Sandrik, J.L., Nishiwaki, T., Wilhite, D.R., Elsey, R.M., and Vittore, C. 2010. Calcified cartilage shape in archosaur long bones reflects overlying joint shape in stress-bearing elements: Implications for nonavian dinosaur locomotion. The Anatomical Record, 293: 2044-2055.
Reiss, K.L., and Bonnan, M.F. 2010. Ontogenetic scaling of caudal fin shape in Squalus acanthias (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii): a geometric morphometric analysis with implications for caudal fin functional morphology. The Anatomical Record, 293:1184–1191.
Yates, A.M., Bonnan, M.F., Neveling, J., Chinsamy, A., and Blackbeard, M. 2009. A new transitional sauropodomorph from the Early Jurassic of South Africa and the evolution of sauropod feeding and quadrupedalism. Proceedings of the Royal Society, London, B: DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.1440.
Livingston, V.J., Bonnan, M.F., Elsey, R.M., Sandrik, J.L., and Wilhite, D.R. 2009. Differential limb scaling in the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and its implications for archosaur locomotor evolution. The Anatomical Record, 292: 787-797.
Bonnan, M.F., J.O. Farlow, and S.L. Masters. 2008. Using linear and geometric morphometrics to detect intraspecific variability and sexual dimorphism in femoral shape in Alligator mississippiensis and its implications for sexing fossil archosaurs. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 28(2): 422-431.
Bonnan, M.F. 2007. Linear and geometric morphometric analysis of long bone scaling patterns in Jurassic Neosauropod dinosaurs: their functional and paleobiological implications. The Anatomical Record, 290(9): 1089-1111.
Bonnan, M.F. and P. Senter. 2007. Were the basal sauropodomorph dinosaurs Plateosaurus and Massospondylus habitual quadrupeds?; pp. 139-155 in Barrett, P. M. and D.J. Batten (eds.), Evolution and palaeobiology of early sauropodomorph dinosaurs. Special Papers in Palaeontology, 77.
Bonnan, M.F. and A.M. Yates. 2007. A new description of the forelimb of the basal sauropodomorph Melanorosaurus: implications for the evolution of pronation, manus shape and quadrupedalism in sauropod dinosaurs; pp. 157-168 in Barrett, P. M. and D.J. Batten (eds.), Evolution and palaeobiology of early sauropodomorph dinosaurs. Special Papers in Palaeontology, 77.
Bonnan, M.F. 2006. REVIEW: Chinsamy-Turan: The Microstructure of Dinosaur Bone: Deciphering Biology with Fine-Scale Techniques. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 26(1): 233-234.
Bonnan, M.F. 2005. Pes anatomy in sauropod dinosaurs: implications for functional morphology, evolution, and phylogeny; pp. 346-380 in K. Carpenter and V. Tidwell (eds.), Thunder-Lizards: The Sauropodomorph Dinosaurs. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Bonnan, M.F. and M.J. Wedel. 2004. First occurrence of Brachiosaurus (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of Oklahoma. PaleoBios, 24(2): 13-21.
Bonnan, M.F. 2004. Morphometric analysis of humerus and femur shape in Morrison sauropods: implications for functional morphology and paleobiology. Paleobiology, 30(3): 444-470.
Bonnan, M.F. 2003. The evolution of manus shape in sauropod dinosaurs: implications for functional morphology, forelimb orientation, and sauropod phylogeny. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 23(3): 595-613.
Bonnan, M.F. 2001. The evolution and functional morphology of sauropod dinosaur locomotion. Ph.D. Dissertation, Northern Illinois University, 722 pp. UMI
Bonnan, M. F. 2000. The presence of a calcaneum in a diplodocid sauropod. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 20(2): 317-323.
Nathaniel Hartman
Nathaniel Hartman
Program Chair Associate Professor of Biology
BIOGRAPHY
B.A., Biology - Clark University, 2001 Ph.D., Biology - Wesleyan University, 2010 Postdoctoral Training - Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery
My background is in cellular neuroscience and molecular biology, with an expertise in developmental timing and stem cells. My graduate work at Wesleyan focused on the migration and integration of embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitors transplanted into the hippocampus. My postdoctoral work involved cellular and molecular analysis of the mTOR pathway in postnatal neurogenesis in mice. My current research goals are to investigate neural development and to mentor and train the next generation of neuroscientists. I draw upon my research experiences in classes to help the students engage with the material on a regular basis. I try to help students understand that science is a process that is constantly updating our overall understanding of the natural world. My laboratory is currently pursuing projects aimed at elucidating mechanisms of neural stem cell fate decisions in mice, focusing on the Akt and mTOR pathways.
Website/CV: Nathaniel Hartman Website
Ph.D., Wesleyan University
B.A., Clark University
Neurobiology, Developmental Biology, Stem Cells
Human Anatomy
Principles of Physiology
Stem Cells and Society
Neurobiology
Molecular mechanisms of neural stem cell fate decisions
Mahoney C, Feliciano DM, Bordey A, Hartman NW. Switching on mTORC1 induces neurogenesis but not proliferation in neural stem cells of young mice. In press.
Hartman NW, Lin TV, Zhang, L, Paquelet GE, Feliciano DM, Bordey A (2013) mTORC1 targets the translational repressor 4E-BP2, but not S6 Kinase 1/2, to regulate neural stem cell self-renewal in vivo. Cell Reports 5(2): 433-444.
Feliciano DM, Hartman NW, Lin TV, Bartley C, Kubera C, Hsieh L, Lafourcade C, O’Keefe RA, Bordey A (2013) A circuitry and biochemical basis for Tuberous Sclerosis symptoms: From Epilepsy to Neurocognitive deficits. Int J Dev Neurosci. 31(7):667-678.
Germain ND, Hartman NW, Cai C, Becker S, Naegele JR, Grabel LB (2012) Teratocarcinoma formation in embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitor hippocampal transplants. Cell Transplant. 21(8): 1603-11.
Lacar B, Herman P, Hartman NW, Hyder F and Bordey A. (2012) S Phase Entry of Neural Progenitor Cells Correlates with Increased Blood Flow in the Young Subventricular Zone. PLoS One 7(2): e31960.
Hartman NW, Grabel LB and Naegele JR (2011) Migration of Transplanted Neural Stem Cells in Experimental Models of Neurodegenerative Diseases. In: Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine. Springer Press, Part 3, 315-336.
Hartman NW, Carpentino JE, LaMonica K, Mor DE, Naegele JR and Grabel L (2010) CXCL12-mediated guidance of migrating embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitors transplanted into the hippocampus. PLoS One 5(12): e15856.
Ammon N, Hartman NW and Grabel L (2010) Directing differentiation of embryonic stem cells into distinct neuronal subtypes (Ulrich H, ed.). In: Perspectives of Stem Cells: From tools for studying mechanisms of neuronal differentiation towards therapy. Springer Press, 97-114.
Carpentino JE, Hartman NW, Grabel LB and Naegele JR (2008) Region-specific differentiation of embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitor transplants into the adult mouse hippocampus following seizures. J Neurosci Res 86(3):512-24.
Tara L. Harmer-Luke
Tara L. Harmer-Luke
Professor of Biology / BCMB
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Luke joined Stockton in 2004 after completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University where she studied chemoautotrophic bacteria at Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents. Prior to that, she earned her Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University studying transcriptional regulation in the arabinose operon in bacteria. She earned a B.A. in Biology with specialization in Marine Science at Boston University. She has conducted research at Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents, 2500 M below the surface of the Pacific Ocean by diving in the Deep Submergence Vehicle Alvin. Dr. Luke was also part of the shore-based science team for NOAA's telepresence-endabled 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas expedition, which involved exploring deep sea habitats using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV).
Ph.D. Johns Hopkins University,
Baltimore, MD
B.A. Boston University
Molecular Systematics, Bioinformatics, Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents, Marine Microbial Ecology, Underwater Technology, Molecular Biology, Transcriptional Regulation
Biodiversity and Evolution (BIOL 1400)
Genetics (BIOL 2110)
Genetics Laboratory (BIOL 2115)
Deep Sea Biology (BIOL/MARS 3333)
Underwater Robotics (MARS 3337)
Bioinformatics (BIOL4110)
Molecular Evolution (BIOL 4211)
Exploring the Deep Sea (GNM 2264)
Microbial Ecology, Underwater Technology, Molecular Biology, Transcriptional Regulation
My current research involving undergraduates focuses on molecular characterization of local marine ecosystems, including shipwrecks and artificial reefs off the coast of New Jersey.
Straub, P.F., Evert, S., Harmer Luke, T.L., and Sullivan, M.C. 2013. Mapping of Artificial Reef Habitats by Side Scan Sonar and ROV in the Northwester Mid-Atlantic Coastal Ocean. Proceedings of the Joint International Scientific Diving Symposium, American Academy of Underwater Sciences and European Scientific Diving Panel. 331-338
Bates, Amanda E., Harmer, Tara L., Roeselers, Guus, Cavanaugh, Colleen M. 2011. Phylogenetic Characterization of Episymbiotic Bacteria Hosted by a Hydrothermal Vent Limpet (Lepetodrilidae, Vetigastropoda). Biological Bulletin. 220: 118-127.
Straub, P.F. and T.L. Harmer Luke. 2008. DNA Sequencing of 18s Ribosomal RNA Genes of the Northern Star Coral (Astrangia
poculata) Collected from New Jersey Artificial Reefs. Proceedings of the American
Academy of Underwater Sciences 27th Symposium. 167-174.
Harmer, T.L., R.D. Rotjan, A.D. Nussbaumer, M. Bright, A.W. Ng*, E. DeChaine, and C.M.Cavanaugh.
2008. Free-living tubeworm endosymbionts found at deep-sea vents. Applied and Environmental
Microbiology. 74 (12): 3895-3898.
Scott, K.M., M. Henn-Sax, T.L. Harmer, D.L. Longo*, C.H. Frame*, and C.M. Cavanaugh. 2007. Kinetic Isotope Effect and Biochemical Characterization of Form IA RubisCO from the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus marinus MIT9313. Limnology and Oceanography. 52(5), 2199–2204.
Scott, K.M., S.M. Sievert, F.N. Abril, L.A. Ball, C.J. Barrett*, R.A. Blake, A.J. Boller, P.S.G. Chain, J.A. Clark, C.R. Davis, C. Detter, K.F. Do, K.P. Dobrinski, B.I. Faza, K.A. Fitzpatrick, S.K. Freyermuth, T.L. Harmer, L.J. Hauser, M. Hügler, C.A. Kerfeld, M.G. Klotz, W.W. Kong, M. Land, A. Lapidus, F.W. Larimer, D.L. Longo*, S. Lucas, S.A. Malfatti, S.E. Massey, D.D. Martin, Z. McCuddin, F. Meyer, J.L. Moore, L.H. Ocampo Jr., J.H. Paul, I.T. Paulsen, D.K. Reep*, R.L. Ross*, P.Y. Sato, P. Thomas, L.E. Tinkham, and G.T. Zeruth. 2006. The Genome of Deep-Sea vent Chemolithoautotroph Thiomicrospira crunogena XCL-2. Public Library of Science Biology. Vol. 4, No. 12, e383.
Schwedock, J., T.L. Harmer, K.M. Scott, H.J. Hector, A.P. Seitz, M.C. Fontana*, D.L. Distel, and C.M. Cavanaugh. 2004. Characterization and Expression of Genes from the RubisCO Gene Cluster of the Chemoautotrophic Symbiont of Solemya velum: cbbLSQO. Archives of Microbiology. 182:18-29.
Mix, L.J., T.L. Harmer, and C.M. Cavanaugh. 2004. Sequence of the Core Antenna Domain from the Anoxygenic Phototroph Heliophilum fasciatum: Implications for Diversity of Reaction Center Type I. Current Microbiology. 48:438-440.
Van Dover, C.L., S. E. Humphris, D. Fornari, C. M. Cavanaugh, R. Collier, S. K. Goffredi, J. Hashimoto,M. Lilley, A.L. Reysenbach, T. M. Shank, K. L. Von Damm, A. Banta, R. M. Gallant, D. Götz, D. Green, J. Hall, T.L. Harmer, L.A. Hurtado, P. Johnson, Z. P. McKiness, C. Meredith, E. Olson, I. L. Pan, M. Turnipseed, Y. Won, C. R Young III, R.C. Vrijenhoek . 2001. Biogeography and ecological setting of Indian Ocean hydrothermal vents. Science. 294:818-823.
Harmer, T.L., M. Wu, and R.F. Schleif. 2001. The role of flexibility in DNA looping-unlooping by AraC. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 98: 427-431.
Harmer, T.L., and R.F. Schleif. 2001. The C-terminal end of AraC tightly binds to the rest of its domain. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 276(7): 4886-4888.
Harmer, T.L. 2000. Connecting two AraC DNA binding domains with linkers. Ph.D. Thesis. Johns Hopkins University. 98 pp.
Widmaier, E.P., T.L. Harmer*, A.M. Sulak*, and T.H. Kunz. 1994. Further characterization of the pituitary- adrenocortical responses to stress in Chiroptera. Journal of Experimental Zoology. 269:442-449.
Michael Lague
Michael Lague
Associate Professor of Biology
BIOGRAPHY
Human evolution; skeletal biology; morphometrics; size & scaling; functional morphology
Dr. Lague's research focuses on the postcranial skeleton of early hominins (humans) such as Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and early Homo. Although fossil hominin specimens are all housed in African museums, Dr. Lague has amassed a large collection of 3D scans of fossil postcrania that can be used for collecting measurements (via a computer) and can be printed with a 3D printer. The 3D scan collection includes bones of modern primates (including modern humans) that can serve as a comparative context for investigating questions related to taxonomy and limb function in early hominins.
Michael Law
Michael Law
Associate Professor of Biology / BCMB
BIOLOGY
Born and raised in South Jersey, Dr. Law is a Stockton University alumnus who joined the faculty at Stockton in 2017. His Ph. D. work was performed at the University of Southern California focusing on the biophysical properties underlying protein-RNA interactions. Following his Ph. D., Dr. Law returned to New Jersey as a postdoctoral researcher at UMDNJ where he investigated transient transcriptional control during yeast meiotic differentiation. This project was funded by an NIH National Research Scholar Award. Shortly after his postdoc, Dr. Law started his independent research laboratory focused on understanding the roles of histone methylation during yeast cell fate decisions.
B.S. Biology, Stockton University, 2000
Ph. D. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, 2006
Molecular Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Biochemistry
Cells & Molecules
Genetics
Throughout their lifetimes, cells are constantly bombarded by an ever-changing environment. They integrate these environmental changes with information about themselves to make important decisions of cell fate. Mistakes in these processes can lead to developmental defects or cancer. Research in my laboratory is interested in understanding how cells integrate information about themselves and their environments to make the correct cell fate decision. Using the budding yeast S. cerevisiae as an experimental model, we are currently focusing on the roles of post-translational histone modifications in controlling yeast cell fates. To understand this question, we regularly employ genetic, molecular, biochemical, and genomic approaches.
Law, M. J. and M. A. Finger. 2017 The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cdk8 mediator represses AQY1 transcription by inhibiting Set1p-dependent histone methylation. G3 (Bethesda) Mar 10;7(3):1001-1010.
Lardenois A., E. Becker, T. Walther, M. J. Law, B. Xie, P. Demougin, R. Strich, and M. Primig. 2015 Global alterations of the transcriptional landscape during yeast growth and development in the absence of Ume6-dependent chromatin modification. Mol Genet Genomics. Oct; 290(5):2031-46.
Stuparevic I., E. Becker, M. J. Law, and M. Primig. 2015 The histone deacetylase Rpd3/Sin3/Ume6 compex repress an acetate-inducible isoform of VTH2 in fermenting budding cells. FEBS Letters Apr 2; 589(8): 924-32.
Liu Y., I. Stuparevic, B. Xie, E. Becker, M. J. Law, and M. Primig. 2015 The conserved histone deacetylase Rpd3 and the DNA binding regulator Ume6 repress BOI1’s meiotic transcript isoform during vegetative growth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Microbiol May; 96(4):861-74.
Becker E., Y. Liu, A. Lardenois, T. Walther, J. Horecka, I. Stuparevic, M. J. Law, R. Lavigne, B. Evrard, P. Demougin, M. Riffle, R. Strich, R. W. Davis, and M. Primig. 2015 Integrated RNA- and protein profiling of fermentation and respiration in diploid budding yeast provides insight into nutrient control of cell growth and development. J. Proteomics Apr 24;119:30-44.
Law M. J. and K. Ciccaglione. 2015 Fine-tuning of Histone H3 Lys4 Methylation During Pseudohyphal Differentiation by the CDK Submodule of RNA Polymerase II. Genetics Feb: 199(2): 631-42.
Lardenois A., I. Stuparevic, Y. Liu, M. J. Law, E. Becker, F. Smagulova, K. Waern, M. H. Guilleux, J. Horecka, A. Chu, C. Kervarrec, R. Strich, M. Snyder, R. W. Davis, L. M. Steinmetz, and M. Primig. 2014 The conserved histone deacetylase Rpd3 and its DNA binding subunit Ume6 control dynamic transcript architecture during mitotic growth and meiotic development. Nucleic Acids Research 43(1): 115-28.
Law, M. J., M. J. Mallory, R. L. Dunbrack Jr. and R. Strich. 2014 Acetylation of the transcriptional repressor Ume6p allows efficient promoter release and timely induction of the meiotic transient transcription program in yeast. Mol Cell Biol 34(4): 631-42.
Law, M.J., Lee D. S., Lee C. S., Anglim P. P., Haworth I. S., and Laird-Offringa, I.A. 2013. The role of the C-terminal helix in the interaction of U1A protein with U1hpII RNA. Nucleic Acids Research 41(14): 7092-100.
Mallory M.J.#, Law, M.J.#, Sterner D.E., Berger S.L., Strich R. 2012. Gcn5p-dependent acetylation induces
degradation of the meiotic transcriptional repressor Ume6p. Mol Biol Cell. 23(9):1609-17.
#equal contributions to manuscript
Cooper, K.F., Krasley E. Scarnati M.S., Mallory M.J., Jin C., Law M.J., Strich R. 2012. Oxidative stress-induced nuclear to cytoplasmic relocalization is required for Not4-dependent cyclin C destruction. J Cell Sci. 125:1015-26.
Mallory, M. J., M. J. Law, and R. Strich. 2010 Sin3p mediates the meiotic transcription program in yeast Euk. Cell 9:1835-1844.
Law, M.J., Rice, A.J., Lin, P., Laird-Offringa, I.A. 2006. The role of RNA structure in the interaction of U1A protein with U1hpII RNA. RNA 12: 1-11.
Law, M.J., Linde, M.E., Chambers, E.J., Oubridge, C., Katsamba, P.S., Nilsson, L., Haworth, I.S., Laird-Offringa, I.A. 2006. The role of positively charged amino acids and electrostatic interactions in the complex of U1A protein and U1 hairpin II RNA. Nucleic Acids Res 34:275-285.
Law, M.J., Chambers, E.J., Katsamba, P.S., Haworth, I.S., Laird-Offringa, I.A. 2005. Kinetic analysis of the role of the tyrosine 13, phenylalanine 56, and glutamine 54 network in the U1A/U1hpII interaction. Nucleic Acids Res 33:2917-2928.
Peter F. Straub
Peter F. Straub
Professor of Biology / BCMB
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Straub is currently a Professor of Biology at Stockton University. He received post-doctoral training in molecular biology from Washington University in St. Louis after completing a Ph.D. at the University of Delaware, College of Ocean, Earth and Environment. Dr. Straub has been a visiting researcher at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries laboratory in Sandy Hook and a seasonal Scientist at the Mt Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Salisbury Cove, ME. Dr. Straub currently is involved in research using sonar to map and remove marine debris such as lost crab traps from local bays and waterways (http://www.wecrabnj.org/).
Website/CV: Underwater Science
Ph.D., Marine Studies, University of Delaware (1990)
M.S., Marine Studies, University of Delaware (1985)
B.S., Marine Science, Stockton University (1980)
Coastal and Estuarine biology, genetics, scientific diving, sonar and underwater mapping
Cells & Molecules
Genetics
Botany
Medical Botany
Biotechnology
Scientific Diving
Tropical Marine Biology
Caribbean Biology
Marine Survey Methods
Tide Marsh Ecology
Coastal and Estuarine environments. Mapping underwater habitats with sonar. Underwater operations with scuba diving and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV). Genetics of marine organisms.
Straub, P.F., S.D. Nagiewicz, V.J. Capone, D. Lieb and S.P. Evert, (2015). Mapping the 1860 Wreck
of the US Coast Survey Vessel Robert J. Walker. In: Lobel, L. K. ed. Diving for Science
2015: Proceedings of the 34thAmerican Academy of Underwater Sciences Symposium. September
28th-October 3, 2015, Key West, FL. American Academy of Underwater Sciences. Dauphin
Island, AL, pgs. 100-106. ISBN 978-0-9962343-0-6
Straub, P.F., S. Evert, T.L. Luke and M.C. Sullivan (2013). Mapping of artificial reef habitats
by side scan sonar and ROV in the northwestern mid-Atlantic coastal ocean. In: Lang
M. and M.D.J Sayer, eds. Proceedings of the AAUS/ESDP Curacao Joint Interantional
Scientific Diving Symposium, October 24-27, 2013, Curacao. American Academy of Underwater
Sciences. Dauphin Island, AL, pgs: 331-338. ISBN: 978-0-9800423-7-5. NJSG-13-843.
Straub, P. F. and T. L. Harmer Luke (2008) DNA sequencing of 18s ribosomal RNA genes of the Northern
Star Coral (Astrangia poculata) collected from New Jersey artificial reefs. In: In:
Brueggeman P, Pollock NW, eds. Diving for Science 2008. Proceedings of the American
Academy of Underwater Sciences 27th Symposium. Dauphin Island, AL: AAUS.pgs: 167-174.
ISBN 978-0-9800423-2-0
Melissa Zwick
Melissa Zwick
Associate Professor of Biology
Ph.D., Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky
B.S., Biology, State University of New York at Plattsburgh
Cells and Molecules (BIOL 1200)
Medical Terminology (BIOL 2010)
Principles of Physiology (BIOL 2150)
Scientific Literacy (BIOL 2600)
Neurobiology (BIOL 3600)
Advanced Human Physiology (BIOL 4150)
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Student-Centered Active Learning, Neurobiology, Physiology
My graduate training is in cellular neurobiology but I have recently shifted to a hypothesis-driven research program focused on understanding how innovative teaching techniques can facilitate student learning. This area of research falls under the broader umbrella of scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL).I am particularly interested in the effects of student-directed projects and activities on long-term knowledge retention and student attitudes towards science. My current projects focus on 1) using team-based, project-based approaches in teaching neurobiology; 2) identifying techniques to help students learn to read, cite, and paraphrase scientific literature; and 3) using an inquiry-based, student-directed physiology experiment to increase core STEM competencies and science process skills (experimental design, hypothesis formulation, data analysis, generation and interpretation of graphs).
Zwick M, Springer ML, Guerrero JK, DiVentura D, York KP. 2019. An Activity to Promote Recognition
of Unintentional Plagiarism in Scientific Writing in Undergraduate Biology Courses.
Journal of microbiology & biology
education 20(2). https://www.asmscience.org/content/journal/jmbe/10.1128/jmbe.v20i2.1751
Zwick, M. 2018. The Design, Implementation, and Assessment of an Undergraduate Neurobiology Course using a Project-Based Approach. Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education 16(2), A131.
Wang S, Davis BM, Zwick M, Waxman SG, Albers KM. 2006. Reduced thermal sensitivity and Nav1.8 and TRPV1 channel
expression in sensory neurons of aged mice. Neurobiology of Aging 27:895–903.
Woodbury CJ, Zwick M, Wang S, Lawson JJ, Caterina MJ, Koltzenburg M, Albers KM, Koerber HR, Davis BM.
2004. Nociceptors lacking TRPV1 and TRPV2 have normal heat responses. Journal of Neuroscience
24:6410–6415.
Zwick M, Molliver DC, Lindsay J, Fairbanks CA, Sengoku T, Albers KM, Davis BM. 2003. Transgenic
mice possessing increased numbers of nociceptors do not exhibit increased behavioral
sensitivity in models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Pain 106:491–500.
Zwick M, Davis BM, Woodbury CJ, Burkett JN, Koerber HR, Simpson JF, Albers KM. 2002. Glial
cell line-derived neurotrophic factor is a survival factor for isolectin B4-positive,
but not vanilloid receptor 1-positive, neurons in the mouse. Journal of Neuroscience
22:4057–4065.
Zwick M, Teng L, Mu X, Springer JE, Davis BM. 2001. Overexpression of GDNF induces and maintains
hyperinnervation of muscle fibers and multiple end-plate formation. Experimental Neurology
171:342–350.
Opportunities
Local Internships
Washington, D.C. Internship
Semester Abroad
Research
Teaching Certificate
Independent Study
Minor
Certificate Programs
The Biology Program also offers a number of opportunities for students to get involved in various areas of interest outside of the classroom.
Careers
Biology program alumni report that the largest employment niche for graduates has been the research and development laboratories of pharmaceutical companies and other industries, university research labs and clinics. Graduates also find employment in other industrial and commercial niches (such as pharmaceutical sales) and in the public sector as teachers or as technicians in federal, state, or county laboratories and agencies. Other Biology graduates go on to professional or graduate school, and several are now faculty members at major universities.
Potential Careers
The Student Career Center is available to guide you through your career development journey - from CV writing, interview prep, or general guidance. Visit them today!
