Peter Russell

Reed College
Biology Department
Portland, OR 97202
Office B106
Lab B104
tel. 503-777-7220
fax. 503-777-7773
email: yeast@reed.edu

Teaching Fall of 2008:
Biology 361: Genetics

Teaching Spring of 2009:
Biology 102: Introductory Biology (genetics section)
Biology 431: Molecular Virology (seminar course)

RESEARCH

Research Projects
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We are a molecular genetics lab. using budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (photo below) as a model host to identify and characterize host genes involved in pathogenic RNA plant virus gene expression.

Our general research goal is to obtain an understand of virus-host interactions at the molecular level. Specifically, we are studying Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), which is a plant pathogenic, single-stranded RNA virus. Our primary research focus is to identify and characterize host genes for the virus sequence-programmed stop-codon readthrough event involved in expression of the capsid proteins of this virus.

Researchers in the Lab.
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Anita Bennett - Senior Research Assistant

Reed College undergraduate researchers:
- 2008 summer student: Andrew Lyon
- 2007/2008 thesis student: Rachel Bond
- 2007 summer students: Angela Gibbs, Ben Greenberg
- 2007 (spring) independent research students: Aroon Karra, Brooke Moyers
- 2006/2007 thesis student: Amy Campbell
- 2006 summer students: Angela Gibbs, Jayne Gaubatz, Aroon Karra

TEACHING

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An upper-division genetics lecture/laboratory course, the genetics section of the introductory biology course or an advanced molecular genetics lecture course, a molecular virology seminar course, and advising senior thesis research students and independent research students.

Related to my teaching, I am the author of a genetics textbook that has gone through many editions. The present editions are iGENETICS: A MOLECULAR APPROACH (2e) and iGENETICS: A MENDELIAN APPROACH (1e) (both (c) 2006, Benjamin/Cummings). A shorter version, ESSENTIAL iGENETICS is (c) 2003. I am also one of the authors of an introductory biology textbook, BIOLOGY: A DYNAMIC SCIENCE, by Russell, Wolfe, Hertz, and Starr ((c) 2008, Thomson/Brooks Cole). Covers of the present editions are below.

PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION

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EDUCATION/FACULTY APPOINTMENTS

SELECTED RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

SELECTED RECENT SENIOR THESES

PERSONAL PAGE

EDUCATION/FACULTY APPOINTMENTS

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B.Sc., University of Sussex in Biology, 1968

Ph.D., Cornell University in Genetics, 1972

Biology faculty of Reed College, 1972­present; currently Professor of Biology (Genetics).

SELECTED RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

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Bennett, A. M., A. R. Norris, A. Limnander de Nieuwenhove & P. J. Russell. 2002. Replication of a linear mini-chromosome with terminal inverted repeats from the Kluyveromyces lactis linear DNA plasmid k2 in the cytoplasm of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Plasmid (in press)

Russell, P. J., A. M. Bennett, Z. Love, & D. M. Baggott. 1997. Cloning, sequencing and expression of a full-length cDNA copy of the M1 double-stranded RNA virus from the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Yeast 13:829-836.

Russell, P. J., S. J. Hambidge, & K. Kirkegaard, 1991. Direct introduction and transient expression of capped and non-capped RNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Nucl. Acids Res. 19:4949-4953.

Court, D. A., A. J. F. Griffiths, S. R. Kraus, P. J. Russell & H. Bertrand, 1991. A new senescence-inducing mitochondrial linear plasmid in field-isolated Neurospora crassa strains from India. Curr. Genet. 19:129-137.

SELECTED RECENT SENIOR THESES

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2008
BOND, RACHEL. Promoter-regulated effects of TIS11 overexpression on the rate of Barley yellow dwarf virus stop codon readthrough in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

2007
CAMPBELL, AMY. The effect of mutated host ribosomal protein genes on Barley yellow dwarf virus stop codon readthrough in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

2006
CHEN, HSIN-CHIEH (Candy). The effect of STU2 overexpression on Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) ORF 3 stop codon readthrough efficiency in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

CORAY, DORIEN SKYE. What does this have to do with goats: Identifying host genes involved in stop codon readthrough in Barley yellow dwarf virus.

SWANSON, LINDSAY. Effects of overexpressed host genes STU2 and YHR213W-A on Barley yellow dwarf virus stop codon readthrough in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

2005
BOECK, MAX. A cellular pirate's sword: Identification of two yeast tRNA genes that enhance Barley yellow dwarf virus's programmed stop codon readthrough event.

NEWTON, KELLY. Identification of host factors involved in Barley yellow dwarf virus programmed stop codon readthrough in the model organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

SKORCHEVA, ILIYANA. Effects of a distal viral sequence and of an overexpressed host gene on Barley yellow dwarf virus stop codon readthrough in yeast.

PERSONAL PAGE

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Click HERE to learn of activities I do outside of research and teaching.

Maintained by the Reed College Biology Department
Last Modified Aug 2008
Questions/Comments to yeast@reed.edu