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LOUIS SHERMAN

Professor
HANS 131A
494-8106

CV: Link

Cyanobacteria have become wonderful and versatile model organisms for the study of photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation and responses to environmental stresses. Our research can help answer questions involved with environmental concerns, alternative energy uses (i.e., solar energy), and health concerns such as microbial toxins and the design of new drugs. The genomic sequence of one favorite cyanobacterium was completed a few years ago, and we now have the task of trying to determine the function of each of its 3,264 genes, ultimately to understand how a cell functions. The lab has successfully constructed microarrays ("gene chips")--this is an important technique in biology and all of the genes in an organism can be spotted on a glass slide about the size of a microscope slide. These microarrays are great for studying the activity of genes; this technique, along with the ability to make mutations in virtually every gene, is a key way for determining gene function under different environmental conditions. The genome sequence of another of our favorite cyanobacteria has recently been completed. This unicellular organism shows robust metabolic and circadian rhythms and performs photosynthesis and N2-fixation at different times of the day and night. This organism is key to a large project aimed at understanding the regulation of such processes and the assembly of membrane complexes. The genomes of 6 more Cyanothece species are being sequenced at DOE and will aid us in identifying important genes and processes for alternate energy uses.

Education

B.S., University of Chicago, 1965

Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1970

Postdoc, Cornell University, 1972

Professional Faculty Research

(microbiology) Photosynthetic membranes - structure, function, and assembly in cyanobacteria; functional genomics and impact of environmental factors on photosynthesis; analysis of global regulation with microarrays; regulation of photosynthesis and N2-fixation in unicellular cyanobacteria.

Awards

  • Lady Davis Fellowship, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

Other Activities

Grant Review/Study Section

  • DOE
  • NSF
  • USDA
  • NIH

Faculty Presentations

  • Metabolic rhyhms and their regulation in the diazotrophic cyanobacterium Cyanothece Dept. of Plant Sciences, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel, Jan. 7, 2005.
  • Differential gene expression in response to stresses and mutation in the cyanoacterium Synechocystis, Silberman Research Institutes, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel, Jan. 10, 2005.
  • The role of redox chemistry in the regulation of the Manganese Stabilizing Protein of Photosystem II in Cyanobacteria.  FIBR Workshop on Redox Control in Photosynthetic Organisms, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, June 1-3, 2005.
  • The unicellular, diazotrophic cyanobacterium Cyanothece--genomic sequence and metabolic rhythms.  Marine Cyanobacteria: Evolution, Function and Genomes.  Stockholm, Sweden, August 24-27, 2005.
  • Genome Sequence Analysis of Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142, a Unicellular Nitrogen-fixing Cyanobacterium.  1st Annual Finishing the Genome in the Future Meeting, Santa Fe, NM, May 4-5, 2006.
  • Sigma factors and environmental regulation of global gene expression in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.  Invited Talk at the 12th International Symposium on Phototrophic Prokaryotes, Pau, France, August 27 - Sept. 1, 2006.
  • Genetic Transformation and Mutagenesis in the Unicellular Diazotrophic Cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142.  12th International Symposium on Phototrophic Prokaryotes, Pau, France, August 27 - Sept. 1, 2006.
  • Microarray Analysis of the Genome-Wide Response to Alkaline pH in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.  12th International Symposium on Phototrophic Prokaryotes, Pau, France, August 27 - Sept. 1, 2006.
  • Genomics and Systems Biology analysis of Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142, a unicellular, diazotrophic cyanobacterium with robust metabolic rhythms.  Plenary lecture, 15th International Nitrogen Fixation Congress, Cape Town, South Africa, Jan. 21-28, 2007.
  • The role of sigma factors in controlling global gene expression in light/dark transitions in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.  9th Cyanobacterial Molecular Biology Workshop, Delavan, Wisconsin, June 7-10, 2007.
  • Metabolic regulation of the cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 when grown in light/dark or in continuous light.  9th Cyanobacterial Molecular Biology Workshop, Delavan, Wisconsin, June 7-10, 2007.
  • Complete genome sequence of Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142.  DOE Joint Initiative Meeting "finishing Genomes in the Future."  Santa Fe, NM, June 16-20, 2007.
  • Regulatory and structural changes throughout a day in the life of a cyanobacterium - Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142.  Avron-Minerva Symposium on Photosynthesis, Jerusalem, Israel, Nov. 25-28, 2007.
  • The Genus Cyanothece, unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacteria that produce O2, fix N2 and that have highly versatile metabolic systems.  General Society for Microbiology, UK, Annual Meeting, Symposium on Cyanobacteria: What are they and what do they do?  Edinburgh, Scotland, April 1-5, 2008.

Conferences

  • FIBR Workshop on Redox Control in Photo Organisms, St. Louis, MO, June 2005
  • Marine Cyanobacteria: Evolution, Function and Genomes, Stockholm, Sweden, August 2005
  • Grand Challenge on Membrane Biology Workshop, PNNL, Pasco, WA, November 2005
  • 6th NCSE Conf: Energy for a Sustainable and Secure Future, January 2006
  • AAAS Meeting and Symposium on Grand Challenges, St. Louis, MO, February 2006
  • 1st Annual Finishing Genomes in the Future Meeting, Santa Fe, NM, May 2006
  • 106th ASM Meeting, Orlando, FL, May 2006
  • 12th International Symposium on Phototrophic Prokaryotes, Pau, France, August 2006
  • 15th International Nitrogen Fixation Congress, Cape Town, South Africa, January 2007
  • Membrane Biology Grand Challenge Workshop, St. Louis, MO, April 2007
  • 9th Cyanobacterial Workshop on Molecular Biology, Delavan, WI, June 2007
  • 2nd Annual Finishing Genomes in the Future Meeting, Santa Fe, NM, June 2007
  • Avron-Minerva Symposium on Photosynthesis, Jerusalem, Israel, November 2007
  • Society for General Microbiology, Edinburgh, Scotland, April 2008