Teaching Interests

BSC 412/512L Medical Entomology Lab
BSC 469/569L Developmental Biology Lab
BSC 478/578L Molecular Biology Lab
BSC 486/586L Immunology and Serology Lab
BSC 489/589L Environmental Ecology Lab
CHE 420L Principles of Biochemistry Lab

Research Interests

The focus of my research is in utilizing the model eukaryote Saccharyomyces cerevisiae to further our understanding of fundamental metabolic pathways. Environmental and cellular stresses have profound effects on gene regulation in eukaryotic organisms, ranging from complex mammals such as humans to the simplest organisms such as yeast. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an ideal microorganism used to investigate gene regulation, both in mapping regulatory networks and resolving the dynamics of signal transduction pathways. The evolutionary process tends to conserve basic mechanisms of biological processes from lower to higher organisms, and with this benefit, yeast research can be valued as one of the most cost effective manners to investigate different aspects of gene regulation in eukaryotic systems. The depth of knowledge of the intracellular pathways within yeast combined with a completed genome sequence, allows for rigorous research in elucidating fundamental cellular principles and their key components. My research has largely focused on three areas of nutrient utilization: the Retrograde system, NCR (nitrogen catobolite repression)-sensitive gene expression, and carbon metabolism.

Representative Publications

Rai R., Daugherty JR., Tate J., Buford TD., Cooper TG. “Synergistic operation of four cis-acting elements mediate high level DAL5 transcription in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.” FEMS Yeast Res. 2004 Oct;5(1):29-41.

Kulkarni A., Buford TD., Rai R., Cooper TG. “Differing Responses of Gat1 and Gln3 phosphorylation and localization to rapamycin and methionine sulfoximine treatment in S. cerevisiae.” FEMS Yeast Res. 2005 Oct.

Sarma NJ, Haley TM, Barbara KE, Buford TD, Willis KA, Santangelo GM. “Glucose-responsive regulators of gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae function at the nuclear periphery via a reverse recruitment mechanism.” Genetics. 2007 Mar;175(3):1127-35 Epub2007 Jan 21.