Alumni
Profiles of Success
Don Lee Tucker Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Universities Space Research Association, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX.
Ph.D. Biology 1999, Purdue
Don Lee Tucker graduated from Oklahoma State University with a B.S. in Secondary
Science Education prior to attending Purdue to earn a Ph.D. in Biology. While
working toward his degree, he was the recipient of a Purdue Research Foundation
Grant for two years. Knowing he would need to further his experience and education
to eventually earn a professorship, Don has pursued post-doctoral work since
graduation.
Don's first post-doctoral position was at the University of Oklahoma in the Department of Botany and Microbiology. He worked in the laboratory of Dr. Tyrrell Conway, whom he was introduced to by a friend at Purdue. "His research interested me," states Don, "because he was starting a new laboratory at the University of Oklahoma to work in the new field of functional genomics."
In Dr. Conway's lab, Don studied the acid shock response system in E. coli. This system is required for E. coli to pass safely through the stomach on its way to colonize the intestine. He explains, "Specifically, we determined the effect of the transcription factor YhiX (also referred to as GadX), which is involved in regulating a number of acid response genes using microarray technology. Numerous activities were involved in performing this research. Some of these tasks included culture growth curves, RNA isolation, gene mutations, cloning, gel analysis of gene manipulations, array hybridizations, and analysis of array data that involved long hours at the computer. Other tasks included chemical and substrate preparation, culture maintenance, and the documentation of experimental data."
From Oklahoma he moved to the University of Houston, where he had a post-doctoral position with Dr. George Fox in 2002. Don is continuing research he started with Dr. Fox in his current position at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX for the Universities Space Research Association. The research project involves the analysis of bacteria in a low-shear modeled microgravity (LSMMG) environment using physiological techniques and functional genomic analysis. Previous research has identified bacterial adaptations to LSMMG and microgravity including increased growth rates, greater final cell concentrations, increased virulence, and greater resistance to antibiotics and stresses. These physiological changes are of concern to NASA due to potential bacterial dangers during long-term manned space missions. Bacterial physiological responses to low-shear environments may also have important medical implications.
Don feels that the education and experience he received at Purdue has proved invaluable to his career. "I gained valuable experience with a multitude of equipment and materials not available at many other universities," he states. "Even more importantly, the interactions between the extensive Biology department faculty gave me experience in gaining outside perspectives and advice from scientists in other research fields."
To those seeking post-doctoral work, Don advises, "a good post-doc should involve research that stretches your skills as a scientist and gives you an opportunity to publish a number of research papers." He further recommends that "taking a post-doc similar to, but not the same as your previous research can increase the breadth of your knowledge, thereby increasing your hiring potential in industry or academia." He also believes post-docs should not set firm timelines for themselves. "Publish your papers and decide what you want to do (academia or industry), and work towards that goal. It's also important to network, both as a student and a post-doc. These connections can be important in finding a job and in future research collaborations." Finally, although a Ph.D. is hard work, Don encourages students, "Don't ever give up. The result is worth it."