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Roberto Bogomolni:
Roberto Bogomolni's research focuses on the mechanisms of light energy
conversion and light signal transduction in biological systems, and
their evolution. Light is the primary source of energy in the biosphere
as well as the stimulus that provides environmental information to
living organisms. In the archaebacterium halobacterium halobium, both
light energy conversion and light signal transduction are carried out
by a family of intrinsic membrane proteins that contain retinal
chromophores. Two of these rhodopsinlike proteins, bacteriorhodopsin
(bR) and halorhodopsin (hR), are light-driven ion pumps (for protons
and chloride, respectively). They harvest light energy and store it as
a transmembrane electrochemical potential. In addition, H. halobium's
motility is modulated by light, which can have an attractant or
repellent effect, depending on wavelength. This primitive color-sensing
mechanism enables the cell to migrate into an environment optimal for
light absorption by bR and hR. The sensory photoreceptors are two
additional retinal pigments, the sensory rhodopsins I and II (sR-I and
sR-II), which are chemically similar to bR and hR but do not function
as electrogenic ion pumps.
Functional characterization of these systems involves the measurement
of light-driven ion translocation kinetics, stoichiometries, and
quantum efficiencies in the intact cell and in cell membranes, or in
purified pigments reconstituted into lipid vesicles. Cell swimming
behavior and phototaxis are studied using computerized infrared video
tracking techniques. In addition to conventional biochemical procedures
for protein purification and sequencing, Bogomolni's group uses a
variety of spectroscopic techniques to characterize the chromoproteins,
their chromophores, and their photochemical reactions. These include
absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy; laser flash photolysis in the
ultraviolet, visible, and IR ranges; linear and circular dichroism; and
resonance Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. These
studies are carried out in the native pigments and in chemically and
genetically modified forms produced in the laboratory.
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Gabe Mednick: Refuses to write up a minibio because he is a busy busy man.
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Rafael Silverman y de la Vega: research interests include:
Computational chemistry of LOV domains, vibrational spectroscopy of LOV
domains, and his hobbies include Mycology and general beach bummery. He
passed his qualifying exam, and now all he has to do is write a thesis.
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Our Undergraduate Research Assistants:
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Conner Powell:
A major in Bioengineering with the biomolecular concentration and a minor in bioinformatics, Conner has worked in the Bogo lab for
about a year and enjoys surfing and skating.
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Lon Blauvelt: A Bioengineering major with the biomolecular concentration and a bioinformatics minor. Lon has worked
in the Bogo lab for about a year and enjoys hiking and reading.
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