Lab Alumni
Heidi Arjes
Postdoctoral Scientist, Jointly Advised by KC Huang, Stanford University and Gürol Süel, UCSD
PhD Student 2009-2014
PhD Student 2009-2014
Arjes, H.A., B. Lai, E. R. Emelue, A. Steinbach, and P. A. Levin. (2015) Mutations in the bacterial cell division protein FtsZ highlight the role of GTP binding and longitudinal subunit interactions in assembly and function. BMC Microbiology, 5:209 DOI 10.1186/s12866-015-0544-z..
Arjes, H. A. , A. Kriel, N. A. Sorto, J. T. Shaw, J. D. Wang and P. A. Levin. (2014) Failsafe mechanisms couple division and DNA replication in bacteria, Current Biology. 24(18): 2149-2155. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.07.055.
Amy Buscher
Forensic Scientist-DNA Analyst, Wisconsin State Crime Lab
Postdoctoral Scientist 2005-2007
Postdoctoral Scientist 2005-2007
Haeusser, D. P., A. C. Garza*, A. Buscher, and P. A. Levin. (2007) The division inhibitor EzrA contains a seven-residue patch required for maintaining the dynamic nature of the medial FtsZ ring, J. Bacteriol., 189: 9001-9010. (Cover image)
P.J. Buske
Postdoctoral Scientist, Dyche Mullins Lab, UC San Francisco
PhD student 2008-2013
PhD student 2008-2013
Buske, P. J., A. Mittal, R. V. Pappu, and P. A. Levin (2014) An intrinsically disordered linker plays a critical role in bacterial cell division, Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology (In press).
Hill, N. S., P. J. Buske, Y. Shi, and P. A. Levin, (2013) A moonlighting enzyme links Escherichia coli cell size with central metabolism, PLoS Genetics 9(7): e1003663.doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.10036
Buske, P. J. and P. A. Levin. (2013) A flexible C-terminal linker is required for proper FtsZ assembly in vitro and cytokinetic ring formation in vivo, Mol. Microbiol. PMID: 23692518.
Buske, P. J. and P. A. Levin. (2012) The extreme C-terminus of the bacterial cytoskeletal protein FtsZ plays a fundamental role in assembly independent of modulatory proteins, J. Biol. Chem., 287:10945-10957.
An Chun Chien
Special assistant to the President, TECA Engineering Pte. Ltd, Singapore
PhD student 2006-2012
PhD student 2006-2012
Chien, A-C, S. K. Zareh, Y. M. Wang and P. A. Levin. Changes in the oligomerization potential of the division inhibitor UgtP coordinate Bacillus subtilis cell size with nutrient availability, Mol. Microbiol. 2012 86:594-610. PMID: 22931116
Chien, A-C., N. S. Hill and P. A. Levin. (2012) Cell size control in bacteria, Current Biology, 22(9):R340-9.
Weart, R. B., A. H. Lee, A-C Chien, D. P. Haeusser, N. S. Hill and P. A. Levin. (2007) A metabolic sensor governing cell size in bacteria, Cell, 130:335-347. (Cover image)
Kate Fee
High School Research Assistant
While in the Levin lab, Kate combined microscopy and high throughput image analysis to determine the length and width of bacteria cultured under different nutrient conditions. Kate is currently attending UMKC's six year BS/MD program and working as a research assistant in Dr. Prachee Avasthi's laboratory at KUMC (http://www.avasthilab.org/).
Bruce Grossman
Media Master
Bruce is in charge of making sure the bacteria are fed, the buffers are made, and the glassware is clean. (AKA indispensable!).
Daniel Haeusser
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Canisius College, Buffalo NY
PhD student 2002-2008
PhD student 2002-2008
Haeusser, D. P., A. H. Lee, R. B., Weart and P. A. Levin. (2009) ClpX inhibits FtsZ assembly in a manner that does not require its ATP hydrolysis-dependent chaperone activity, J.Bacteriol., 191:1986-1991.
Haeusser, D. P. and P. A. Levin. (2008) The Great Divide: Coordinating cell cycle events during bacterial growth and division, Current Opinion in Microbiology, 11:94–99.
Haeusser, D. P., A. C. Garza*, A. Buscher, and P. A. Levin. (2007) The division inhibitor EzrA contains a seven-residue patch required for maintaining the dynamic nature of the medial FtsZ ring, J. Bacteriol., 189: 9001-9010. (Cover image)
Weart, R. B., A. H. Lee, A-C Chien, D. P. Haeusser, N. S. Hill and P. A. Levin. (2007) A metabolic sensor governing cell size in bacteria, Cell, 130:335-347. (Cover image)
Haeusser, D.P., R. L. Schwartz, A. M. Smith, M. E. Oates*, and P.A. Levin. (2004) EzrA prevents aberrant cell division by modulating assembly of the cytoskeletal protein FtsZ, Mol. Microbiol. 52:801-814.
Bisco Hill
Postdoctoral Scientist, Matt Welch Lab, UC Berkeley
PhD student 2007-2013
PhD student 2007-2013
Taheri-Araghi, S, S. Bradde, J. T. Sauls, N. S. Hill, P. A. Levin, J. Paulsson, M. Vergassola, and S. Jun, Cell-size control and homeostasis in bacteria, Current Biology (In press).
Hill, N. S., P. J. Buske, Y. Shi, and P. A. Levin. (2013) A moonlighting enzyme links Escherichia coli cell size with central metabolism, 9(7): e1003663. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.10036.
Chien, A-C., N. S. Hill and P. A. Levin. (2012) Cell size control in bacteria, Current Biology, 22(9):R340-9.
Hill, N. S., R. Kadoya, D. K. Chattoraj, and P. A. Levin. (2012), Cell size and the initiation of DNA replication in bacteria, PLoS Genet 8(3): e1002549. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1002549
Weart, R. B., A. H. Lee, A-C Chien, D. P. Haeusser, N. S. Hill and P. A. Levin. (2007) A metabolic sensor governing cell size in bacteria, Cell, 130:335-347.
Jesse Kao
Undergraduate Researcher
UStar Summer Scholar, 2015 SURF recipient
UStar Summer Scholar, 2015 SURF recipient
Current Research
Jesse is exploring the long term impact of carbon starvation on cell physiology and viability
Adrian Land
Senior Scientist, FDA Forensic Chemistry Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH
Postdoctoral Scientist 2011-2014,
Postdoctoral Scientist 2011-2014,
Publications
Land, A.D., P. Hogan, S. Fritz and P. A. Levin, (2015) Phenotypic variation is almost entirely independent of the host-pathogen relationship in clinical isolates of S. aureus, PLoS ONE, 10(6):e0129670. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129670. PMID: 26098551
Land, A. D., Q. Luo, and P. A. Levin, (2014) Functional domain analysis of the cell division inhibitor EzrA, PLoS ONE 9(7): e102616. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0102616.
Land AD, Tsui HC, and Winkler ME. Characterizations of Peptidoglycan Synthesis Mutants and the Identification of GpsB, a protein involved in septum formation in Streptococcus pneumoniae. In revision.
Sham LT, Tsui HC, Land AD, Barendt SM, Winkler, ME, Recent Advances in Pneumococcal Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis Suggests New Vaccine and Antimicrobial Targets. Curr Opin Microbiol. 2012 Jan 24
Land AD and Winkler, ME. Requirement for Pneumococcal MreC and MreD Is Relieved by Deletion of the Gene Encoding PBP1a. J Bacteriol. 2011 Aug;193(16):4166-79.
Barendt SM, Land AD, Sham LT, Ng WL, Tsui HC, Arnold RJ, Winkler ME. Influences of capsule on cell shape and chain formation of wild-type and pcsB mutants of serotype 2 Streptococcus pneumoniae. J Bacteriol. (2009 May);191(9):3024-40.
Amy Lee
Postdoctoral Scientist, Nislow Lab, University of British Columbia
Masters Student 2003-2005
Masters Student 2003-2005
Haeusser, D. P., A. H. Lee, Weart, R. B., and P. A. Levin. (2009) ClpX inhibits FtsZ assembly in a manner that does not require its ATP hydrolysis-dependent chaperone activity, J.Bacteriol., 191:1986-1991.
Weart, R. B., A. H. Lee, A-C Chien, D. P. Haeusser, N. S. Hill and P. A. Levin. (2007) A metabolic sensor governing cell size in bacteria, Cell, 130:335-347. (Cover image)
Qingwei Luo
Research Scientist, Jim Fleckenstein Lab, Washington University School of Medicine
Postdoctoral Scientist 2007-2011
Postdoctoral Scientist 2007-2011
Land, A. D. Q. Luo, and P. A. Levin, (2014) Functional domain analysis of the cell division inhibitor EzrA, PLoS ONE 9(7): e102616. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0102616.
Teran Mickens
Undergraduate Researcher, uSTAR Scholar
Research
While in the lab, Teran employed high-throughput image analysis to dissect the relationship between specific aspects of biosynthetic capacity and cell size
Brad Weart
Associate Professor of Biology, Grayson College, Denison, TX
PhD student 2001-2007
PhD student 2001-2007
Haeusser, D. P., A. H. Lee, Weart, R. B., and P. A. Levin. (2009) ClpX inhibits FtsZ assembly in a manner that does not require its ATP hydrolysis-dependent chaperone activity, J.Bacteriol., 191:1986-1991.
Weart, R. B., A. H. Lee, A-C Chien, D. P. Haeusser, N. S. Hill and P. A. Levin. (2007) A metabolic sensor governing cell size in bacteria, Cell, 130:335-347. (Cover image)
Weart, R. B., S, Nakano, B. E. Lane, P. Zuber, and P. A. Levin. (2005) The ClpX chaperone modulates assembly of the tubulin-like protein FtsZ, Mol. Microbiol., 57:238-249.
Weart, R. B. and P.A. Levin. (2003) Growth rate dependent regulation of FtsZ ring formation in Bacillus subtilis, J. Bacteriol. 185: 2826-2834
Zhizhou Yang
Undergraduate Researcher, SURF Recipient
Research
While in the lab Zhizhou explored determinants of cell size in the Gram positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis.
Publications
Vadia, S., J. L. Tse, Z. Yang,‡ R. Lucena, D. Kellogg, J. Wang, and P. A. Levin (2017) Fatty acid synthesis sets cell envelope capacity and dictates microbial cell size, Current Biology, in press. http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(17)30642-5
Jason Zuke
Graduate Student, University of Wisconsin Madison
As a Research Technician, Jason investigated the relationship between nutrient availability and physical properties of the bacterial cell surface in addition to keeping the lab well stocked and running smoothly!
Hill, N. S., J. Zuke, P. J. Buske, A-C Chien, and P. A. Levin (2018) A nutrient-dependent division antagonist is regulated post-translationally by the Clp proteases in Bacillus subtilis, BMC Microbiol 18:29-43. PMID: 29625553 doi.org/10.1186/s12866-018-1155-2