Curriculum Vitae                        05/20/2003

 

Richard W. Mercier

 

Home Address:                         134 Stonemill Rd., Storrs CT 06268

Phone:                        (860) 486-3435 (office)

                        (860) 486-1604 (lab)

                        (860) 429-6827 (home)

                        E-mail rmercier@canr.cag.uconn.edu

 

Personal:                        Born December 29, 1962; Littleton, MA

                        US citizen; married

 

Education:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Ph.D.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Cell Biology/Plant Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs CT, Sept 1995 - July 1998

                        M.S.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, Aug
1990 - Sept 1995

                        B.S.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  General Biology, Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture, Doylestown, PA, 1986-1990 Graduated Suma Cum laude

 

Research and Professional Experience:

                        Aug 2003 - Present                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Assistant Professor Research Associate Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Center for Drug Discovery

                           Aug 2000 - Aug 2003                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Dr. Alexandros Makriyannis, University of Connecticut, Pharmacy Department

                        July 1998 - Aug 2003                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Dr. Gerald. A. Berkowitz, University of Connecticut, Department of Plant Science

                        Aug 1990 - July 1998                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Research Assistant in the laboratory of Prof. Dr. Johann P. Gogarten, University of Connecticut, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology

                        Aug 1990 - July 1998                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Teaching Assistant in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Connecticut in: General Biology; Techniques in Molecular and Cell Biology; Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology

                        May 1990 - Aug 1990                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Research Technician in the laboratory of Dr. Danialla Santoli, Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology, Philadelphia PA

                        April 1988 - Aug 1989                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Landscape Design and Maintenance, Paul's Professional Landscaping, Morrisville, PA

                        Jan 1987 - Jan 1988                        Horticulturist, Moon Nurseries, Yardley, PA

 

Honors and Fellowship Awards:

                        Recipient of support from nih National Research Service Award Institutional Research Training Grant; Training Program in Medications Development for Drugs of Abuse, Aug 2000 - Aug 2003

                        University of Connecticut Research Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, May 1996

                        University of Connecticut Research Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship,
Jan 1996 - May 1997

                        National Science Foundation Travel Award Fellowship for participation in the NATO-ASI on Plant Molecular Biology, Mallorca, Spain, May 1993

                        Graduated fifth highest GPA (3.96) class of 1990, Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture, Doylestown, PA, Deans List recognition 1986 - 1990

 

Topics of Research:

                        Current Research: incorporating molecular biology and electrophysiology in the structure/function analyses of plant and animal ion transport systems.

                        Analyses of the interactions between cannabinoid receptors and their ligands in search of efficacious pharmocological agents.

                        Thesis Research: utilizing a molecular biology approach towards elucidating the role of apoplastic invertase -in higher plants- in the partitioning of assimilated carbon to importing organs

 

Research Interests & Techniques:

                        Molecular and Cell Biology; Molecular Genetics; Cannabinoid Biochemistry; Membrane Transport; Electrophysiology; Carbohydrate Transport; Metabolic Properties of the Cell Wall; Molecular Evolution; Electron Microscopy Immunocytochemistry

 

Scientific Meetings Attended:

                        UConn Agricultural Biotechnology Symposium, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, June 20-21, 1998

                        NATO Advanced Study Institute on Plant Molecular Biology, Mallorca, Spain, May 10-19, 1993 (Poster - Apoplast invertase: a dissection of its role in photosynthate partitioning)

                        American Society of Plant Physiologists Annual Meetings: (see below for poster/presentation abstracts)
Pittsburgh, PA, Aug 1-5, 1992
Minneapolis, MN, July 31-Aug 4, 1993
Baltimore, MD, July 24-28, 1999
San Diego, CA, July 15-19, 2000
Providence, RI, July 21-25, 2001
Denver, CO, Aug 3-7, 2002

                        North East American Society of Plant Physiologists Annual Meetings:
Smith College, Northampton, MA, April 26-27, 1991 (Poster - Role of cell wall invertase in carbohydrate partitioning)
University of New Hampshire, Durham, April 24-25, 1992 (Poster - Role of cell wall invertase in carbohydrate partitioning)
University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, April 23-24, 1995 (Poster - Cloning and characterization on an apoplastic invertase from Arabidopsis)
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, May 1-2, 1998
University of New Hampshire, Durham, April 24-25, 1999 (Poster - First functional characterization of a plant cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channel by oocyte expression and voltage clamp analysis)
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, April 7-8, 2000 (Poster - Phylogenetic and structural analyses of functional domains within plant cyclic nucleotide gated channels)

                        UConn, UMass Annual Plant Physiology Meetings 1991-1998

 

Societal and Association Memberships:

                        American Society of Plant Physiologists

                        Northeast Organic Farming Association; held position of secretary for the Certification Committee of the Connecticut chapter, Nov 1998-April 2001

 

Publications:

                        Boa-Guang, H., Mercier, R. W., Leng, Q., Berkowitz G. A. (2003) Plants do it differently. A new basis for potassium/sodium selectivity in the pore of an ion channel. Plant Physiology in press

                        Hua, B-G., Mercier, R. W., Berkowitz, G. A. (2003) Functional interaction of calmodulin with a plant cyclic nucleotide-gated calcium channel. Plant Physiol. & Biochem. in press

                        Mercier, R. W., Berkowitz, G. A. (2002) Potassium channels. Plant Physiology 3rd. ed., online essay 6.1, Taiz, L., Zeiger, E., Sinauer Associates Inc.

                        Mercier R.W., Leng Q., Hua. B-G., Berkowitz G. A. (2002) Plant K+ channel proteins. In, P. Imas, ed, Importance of potassium in nutrient management for sustainable crop production in India. International Potash Institute. 242-261

                        Leng, Q., Mercier, R. W., Hua, B-G., Fromm, H., Berkowitz, G. A. (2002) Electrophysiological analysis of cloned cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels. Plant Physiol. 128: 400-410

                        Berkowitz, G. A., Zhang, X., Mercier, R. W., Leng, Q., Lawton, M. (2000) Co-expression of calcium-dependent protein kinase with the inward rectified guard cell K+ channel KAT1 alters current parameters in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Plant Cell Physiol. 41: 785-790

                        Leng, Q., Mercier, R. W., Yao, W., Berkowitz, G. A. (1999) Cloning and first functional characterization of a plant cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channel. Plant Physiol. 121: 753-61

                        Mercier, R. W., Gogarten, J. P. (1995) A second cell wall invertase gene in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Phisiol. 107: 659-660

                        Mercier, R. W., Gogarten, J. P. (1993) Invertase encoding cDNA from oat: Letter to the editor. Plant Molec. Biol. 23: 229-230

 

Abstracts and Presentations:

                        Zielinski, R., Berkowitz, G., Lemtiri-Chlieh, F., Mercier, R., Ditzler, M., Harish, A., (2003) CNGC2-CaM interaction, a paradigm for Ca 2+ and cNMP-modulated signaling. abstract # 24004 Invited Oral Presentation at the American Society of Plant Biologists annual meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, July 2003

                        Rabinowitz, N. M., Mercier, R. W., Gaxiola, R. A., Berkowitz, G. A. Functional characterization of inwardly K-conducting plant cyclic nucleotide-gated channels using a trk1, trk2 yeast mutant. abstract # 1285 Poster presented at the American Society of Plant Biologists annual meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, July 2003

                        Mercier, R. W., Li, C., Makriyannis, A., Berkowitz, G. A. (2003) Electrophysiological analysis of anandamide/capsaicin hybrid analogs in Xenopus oocytes expressing VR1: discovering therapeutic agents in pain prevention. abstract # 1295 Poster presented at the American Society of Plant Biologists annual meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, July 2003

                        Mercier, R. W., Kastal, E., Sutyak, K. E., Maclean, I., Berkowitz, G. A. (2003) Undergraduate student involvement in bioinformatics: genetic analysis of T-DNA insertional mutant plants as an education tool. abstract # 15 Poster presented at the American Society of Plant Biologists annual meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, July 2003

                        Rabinowitz, N., Mercier, R.W., Lemtiri-Chlieh, F., Berkowitz, G.A. (2002) Molecular modeling of a plant cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel pore: possible influence of acid residues on calcium binding and block of current. abstract # 262 Invited Oral Presentation at the American Society of Plant Biologists annual meeting, Denver, CO, Aug 2002

                        Kastal, E., Mercier, R.W., Hua, B-G., Berkowitz, G.A. (2002) Divining protein function from structure: modeling and functional analysis reveals a new pore architecture as a molecular basis for selective K over Na permeation in ion channels. abstract # 91 Poster presented at the American Society of Plant Biologists annual meeting, Denver, CO, Aug 2002

                        Kastal, E., Berkowitz, G. A., Mercier, R.W. (2002) Listening to and learning from the symphony of life; an undergraduate educational experience in the world of protein structure/function. abstract # 3 Poster presented at the American Society of Plant Biologists annual meeting, Denver, CO, Aug 2002

                        Mercier, R. W., Makriyannis, A., Berkowitz, G. A. (2001) Employing the nociceptor associated mammalian vanilloid receptor channel VR1 as a model for testing the analgesic properties of botanical and endogenous compounds. abstract # 157 Poster presented at the American Society of Plant Biologists annual meeting, Providence, RI, July, 2001

                        Hua, B-G. Mercier, R. W., Leng, Q., Berkowitz, G. A. (2001) Voltage clamp analysis of a plant ion channel with a unique conductance profile. abstract # 138, Poster presented at the American Society of Plant Biologists annual meeting, Providence, RI, July, 2001

                        Mercier, R. W., Berkowitz, G. A. (2000) Phylogenetic analysis and structural comparisons of functional domains of plant cyclic nucleotide gated channels. abstract # 735, Poster presented at the American Society of Plant Physiologists annual meeting, San Diego, CA, July 2000

                        Mercier, R. W., Leng, Q., Berkowitz, G. A. (2000) Reevaluation of the molecular basis of ion selectivity in potassium channels. abstract # 753, Poster presented at the American Society of Plant Physiologists annual meeting, San Diego, CA, July 2000

                        Leng, Q., Mercier, R. W., Kaplan, B., Fromm, H., Berkowitz, G. A. (2000) Voltage clamp analysis of cloned plant cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels. abstract # 754, Poster presented at the American Society of Plant Physiologists annual meeting, San Diego, CA, July 2000

                        Leng, Q., Mercier, R. W., Berkowitz, G. A. (1999) Cloning and functional characterization of a new class of plant ion channels activated by cyclic-nucleotide. abstract # 13002, Invited Oral Presentation at the American Society of Plant Physiologists annual meeting, Baltimore, MD, July 1999

                        Leng, Q., Mercier, R. W., Berkowitz, G. A. (1999) First functional characterization of a plant cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channel by oocyte expression and voltage clamp analysis. abstract # 758, Poster presented at the American Society of Plant Physiologists annual meeting, Baltimore, MD, July 1999

                        Chaivisuthangkura, P., Mercier, R. W., Gogarten, J. P. (1994) The role of cell wall bound acid invertase in photosynthate partitioning. Plant Physiology 105: supplement, abstract #639, Poster presented at the American Society of Plant Physiologists annual meeting, Portland, OR, Aug 1994

                        Mercier, R. W., Chaivisuthangkura, P., Gogarten, J. P. (1993) The role of apoplastic invertase in photosynthate partitioning. Plant Physiol. 102: supplement, abstract #220, Poster presented at the American Society of Plant Physiologists annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN, Aug 1993

                        Mercier, R. W., Soileau, C., Gogarten, J. P. (1992) The role of cell wall bound acid invertase in regulating the flow of photosynthate. Plant Physiol. 86: Supplement, abstract #487, Poster presented at the American Society of Plant Physiologists annual meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, Aug 1992

 

 

References

Dr. Alexandros Makriyannis
Professor of Medicinal Chemistry
and Molecular and Cell Biology
Director of Center for Drug Discovery
University on Connecticut
School of Pharmacy
375 Fairfield Road, Unit 2092
Storrs, CT 06269
phone: (860) 486-2133
fax: (860) 486-3089
E-Mail: makriyan@uconnvm.uconn.edu

 

Dr. Gerald A. Berkowitz
Professor of Horticulture
Department Head
University on Connecticut
Department of Plant Science
1376 Storrs Rd, Unit-4067
Storrs, CT 06269
phone: (860) 486-2925
fax: (860) 486-0682
E-Mail: gberkowi@canr1.cag.uconn.edu

 

Dr. Johann P. Gogarten
Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology
University of Connecticut
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
75 North Eagleville Road, Unit-3044
Storrs, CT 06269
phone: (860) 486-4061

Fax: (860) 486-1784

E-Mail: gogarten@uconnvm.uconn.edu

 

Dr. Wolf-Dieter Reiter
Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology
University of Connecticut
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology,
Life Science Annex, Room 509
75 North Eagleville Road, Unit-3125
Storrs, CT 06269-3125
Telephone: (860) 486-5733
Fax: (860) 486-4331
E-Mail: wdreiter@uconnvm.uconn.edu