Michelle F. Gaudette
Lecturer
Molecular Biology, Gene Regulation of Development

B.A., Washington University in St. Louis -1980
PhD., The Johns Hopkins University - 1988

Research Interests

I am interested in control of gene expression during development. I have worked in collaboration with Jan A. Pechenik, Ph.D., of the Biology Department, and sponsored three Hughes summer projects and one independent semester research project (using a different model system). Using Crepidula fornicata, a marine mollusk, as the experimental system, we explored the molecular mechanisms underlying major developmental transitions-specifically, the transition from larva to juvenile/adult. Our initial experiments, carried out with the assistance of a summer student (sponsored by the Hughes Summer Fellowship Program), demonstrated that a 2-hour exposure to 32oC promoted a significant increase in metamorphosis over control treatments. To investigate whether the heat-shock family of genes are actually involved in metamorphosis, a second Hughes student and I created a genomic library in lambda phage. The following summer, with the help of another summer fellow, I screened this genomic library by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for genes that contained heat shock response element (hre) sequences. These are conserved control sequences located upstream of all heat shock genes. I plan to isolate and characterize the heat shock genes in C. fornicata. It is possible that small heat shock proteins play a role in developmental transitions. I also hope to identify novel genes, controlled in parallel with the heat shock genes, which may be the developmental triggers.

Courses

Bio 3: Fundamentals of Biology
Bio Bio 46A: Cell Biology (summer session)
Bio 13L: Cells & Organisms, Lab coordinator
Bio 53: Experiments in Genetics
Bio 53WW: Experiments in Genetics-optional writing workshop
Bio 152: Biochemistry & Cellular Metabolism
Bio 50: Experiments in Molecular Biology

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