| Personal data: | Professional Address: |
| Date of Birth: 14 July 1959 | Division of Biology |
| Place of Birth: New York, NY | Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences |
| Citizenship: United States of America | Illinois Institute of Technology |
| Marital Status: Single | 3101 South Dearborn Street, Room 182 |
| Chicago, IL 60616 | |
| Telephone: (312)567-3458, x3459 | |
| FAX: (312)567-3494 | |
| e-mail: garfinkl@charlie.cns.iit.edu |
Research Interests
Molecular and developmental genetics of germline sex determination in Drosophila melanogaster. Structure, function, expression, and evolution of genes involved in female germline development.
Education and Positions Held
September 1976-June 1980: Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut. B.A. cum laude with University Honors and High Honors in biology (biochemistry). Honors thesis: "Gene Expression and Cell Interactions: The Protein Synthesis Response to Costimulation in the Ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila." Advisor: Dr. Jason S. Wolfe.
August 1980-February 1988: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California. Ph.D. in molecular biology. Dissertation: "Structural and Functional Studies of the 68C Glue Protein Gene Cluster of Drosophila melanogaster." Advisor: Dr. Elliot M. Meyerowitz.
March 1988-July 1990: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio. Postdoctoral research fellow in Drosophila molecular and developmental genetics. Sponsor: Dr. Anthony P. Mahowald.
August 1990-July 1993: The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Postdoctoral research associate in Drosophila molecular and developmental genetics. Sponsor: Dr. Anthony P. Mahowald.
September 1991-July 1993: The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Lecturer, Biological Sciences Collegiate Division.
August 1993-present: Division of Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois. Assistant Professor of Biology.
Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research, 1979.
Peirce Prize in biology, Wesleyan University, 1980.
Hawk Prize in biochemistry, Wesleyan University, 1980.
National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship (molecular biology): Award, 1980; Tenure at the California Institute, October 1980-September 1983.
National Research Service Award Predoctoral Traineeship (molecular and cellular biology): institutional award 1T32 GM07616 to the California Institute, October 1983-June 1985.
National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Traineeship (developmental biology): institutional award 1T32 HD07104 to Case Western Reserve University, March 1988-March 1990.
American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Genetics Society of America.
Phi Beta Kappa, elected 1980.
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. Associate Member, 1980. Member, 1993.
Society for Developmental Biology.
January 1978-June 1980: Department of Biology, Wesleyan University.
In the laboratory of Dr. Jason Wolfe I showed that the specific cell-cell interaction that precedes conjugation in the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila causes the rapid induction of a limited set of new proteins to be synthesized by the mating cells. Cell-cell contact, rather than the "mating factor" secreted by the cells, was shown to be required for the induced set of proteins to appear. The induction did not require transcription. The work resulted in an undergraduate Honors thesis.
August 1980-February 1988: Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology.
In the laboratory of Dr. Elliot Meyerowitz I studied the structure and function of the salivary gland glue protein gene cluster at 68C in Drosophila melanogaster. I determined the nucleotide sequence of 6751 genomic DNA base-pairs from the gene cluster, and the precise structures for the three glue protein mRNAs, Sgs-3, Sgs-7, and Sgs-8, encoded at the locus. This work showed that the three genes are evolutionarily related to one another; in spite of this, no probable regulatory sites could be seen as sequence homologies in or near all three genes. I analyzed the cis-acting sequences required for expression of Sgs-7 and Sgs-8. These genes are divergently transcribed, with 475 base-pairs between the two transcription initiation sites. Gene fusions, P-element-mediated transformation of the germline, in vitro mutagenesis, and transient expression assay in the developing animal were used to test the intergenic region for regulatory sequence elements. The clustering of this gene pair is not a vestige of their evolutionary history, but is related to the presence of a tissue- and stage-specific enhancer element within the intergenic region that regulates both genes.
March 1988-July 1993: Department of Genetics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago.
In the laboratory of Dr. Anthony Mahowald I cloned the ovo locus. This X-chromosome gene is specifically required in female Drosophila embryos for the survival during gastrulation and thereafter of the germline cells, and for their proper differentiation into oocyte-nurse cell clusters. Genetic analysis shows that the germline function of ovo is in a regulatory hierarchy controlling germline sex determination, including X-chromosome dosage compensation, and apparently regulates other genes involved in somatic cell-germline cell interactions. Using a combination of transposon tagging mutagenesis, construction and screening of a bacteriophage lambda library of insertion-mutant Drosophila genomic DNA and cosmid library chromosome walking I isolated 60 kilobases of genomic DNA from the locus. ovo mutations are clustered within a 7-kb region, which is transcribed to yield a 5-kb poly(A)+ RNA in the adult female germline. This RNA is stored in the egg, decays following fertilization but is retained in germline precursor cells, and is eventually replaced by a second partly overlapping transcript whose temporal and spatial distributions are consistent with a second known, overlapping, genetic function called shavenbaby. The svb-ovo gene region thus makes use of alternative RNA splicing to code for at least two zinc-finger-containing proteins that are likely to be transcription factors.
August 1993-present: Division of Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology.
I have set up my own research laboratory to continue the analysis of the svb-ovo gene region and its protein products. My research students and I are conducting several related projects. We are completing the determination of the precise structural relationship between svb and ovo, as prelude to a series of promoter-cDNA-minigene fusion experiments that shall correlate protein isoform with genetic function. Our second project concerns the determination of the DNA sequences recognized by the zinc finger domains, and how the alternative amino-terminal domains influence DNA recognition. A third goal is to use site-directed mutagenesis for a detailed structure-function analysis of the Ovo protein. This goal will benefit from the discovery of putative ovo-cognate genes from other species, C. elegans in particular, for the design of altered proteins. A fourth project is the identification of downstream target genes and their contributions to germ cell function, using a number of in vitro biochemical approaches and gene-cloning strategies. The ovo system will provide important new data on the fundamental processes of how germline cells become functionally different from somatic cells, how genetic regulatory mechanisms function in germline cells, and on the cell-cell signalling that occurs between germline cells and somatic cells. In addition, ovo studies may provide new tools to control or eradicate insect pests that transmit human or animal diseases or which are destructive to plants.
Teaching Experience
Department of Biology, Wesleyan University. Teaching assistant in Biology 291, Biochemistry, fall semester 1979.
Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology. Teaching assistant in Biology 1, Introduction to Biology, winter terms 1981, 1982. Teaching assistant in Biology 122, Genetics, and Biology 123, Genetics Laboratory, spring terms 1983, 1984, 1985.
Biological Sciences Collegiate Division, The College, The University of Chicago. Organized and taught BioScience 231, Genetic Analysis of Development, autumn terms 1991, 1992.
Division of Biology, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology. Co-organized and co-taught Biology 445/531, Cell Biology, fall semester 1993.
Division of Biology, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology. Organized and taught Biology 114, Frontiers in Biology, spring semester 1994, 1995.
Division of Biology, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology. Co-taught Biology 445, Cell Biology, fall semester 1994.
Division of Biology, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology. Organized and taught Biology 446/533, Laboratory in Cell Biology, fall semester 1994.
Division of Biology, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology. Organized and taught Biology 526, The Gene and Cell in Development, spring semester 1995.
Division of Biology, Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology. Co-taught Biology 445, Cell Biology, fall semester 1995.
Division of Biology, Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology. Co-taught Biology 446/533, Laboratory in Cell Biology, fall semester 1995.
Division of Biology, Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology. Organized and taught Biology 315, Laboratory in Genetics, fall semester 1995.
Division of Biology, Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology. Organized and taught Biology 526, The Gene and Cell in Development, spring semester 1996.
Division of Biology, Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology. Co-taught Biology 445, Cell Biology, fall semester 1996.
Division of Biology, Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology. Co-taught Biology 446/533, Laboratory in Cell Biology, fall semester 1996.
Active Research Grants
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. Academic Research Enhancement Award Program. "Molecular Evolution of Germline Sex Determination Genes (1R15 GM52631-01)." Total direct costs of $70,000 and total indirect costs of $32,410 for two years beginning 1 July 1995.
American Cancer Society--Illinois Division, Chicago, Illinois. "Zinc-Finger Transcription Factors in Germline Sex Determination and Ovarian Tumor Formation (#94-49)." Direct costs of $31,820 per year and indirect costs of $3180 per year, for one year beginning 1 August 1994.
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. Competitive renewal of "Molecular Evolution of Germline Sex Determination Genes (GM52631)." Three years beginning 1 July 1997; budget details TBA. In preparation for 1 November 1996 deadline.
GARFINKEL, M.D. and J. Wolfe (1981) Alterations in gene expression induced by a specific cell interaction during mating in Tetrahymena thermophila. Exptl. Cell Res. 133: 317-324.
GARFINKEL, M.D., Pruitt, R.E. and E.M. Meyerowitz (1983) DNA sequences, gene regulation and modular protein evolution in the Drosophila 68C glue gene cluster. J. Mol. Biol. 168: 765-789.
Hofmann, A-M., GARFINKEL, M.D. and E.M. Meyerowitz (1991) Cis-acting sequences required for expression of the divergently transcribed Drosophila melanogaster Sgs-7 and Sgs-8 glue protein genes. Molec. Cell. Biol. 11: 2971-2979.
GARFINKEL, M.D., Lohe, A.R. and A.P. Mahowald (1992) Molecular genetics of the Drosophila melanogaster ovo locus, a gene required for sex determination of germline cells. Genetics 130: 791-803.
GARFINKEL, M.D., Wang, J., Liang, Y. and A.P. Mahowald (1994) Multiple products from the shavenbaby-ovo gene region of Drosophila melanogaster -- Relationship to genetic complexity. Molec. Cell. Biol. 14: 6809-6818.
Review Articles and Conference Reports
Meyerowitz, E.M., Crosby, M.A., GARFINKEL, M.D., Martin, C.H., Mathers, P.H. and K. VijayRaghavan (1985) The 68C glue puff of Drosophila. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. Quant. Biol. 50: 347-353.
Meyerowitz, E.M., Crosby, M.A., GARFINKEL, M.D., Martin, C.H., Mathers, P.H. and K. VijayRaghavan (1985) The 68C glue gene cluster of Drosophila. In: "Current Communications in Molecular Biology: Eukaryotic Transcription: The Role of Cis- and Trans-Acting Elements in Initiation; 2nd Conference on Eukaryotic Transcription, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, March 24-27, 1985." Edited by Y. Gluzman. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY. pp. 189-193.
Cherbas, L., Benes, H., Bourouis, M., Burtis, K., Chao, A., Cherbas, P., Crosby, M., GARFINKEL, M., Guild, G., Hogness, D., Jami, J., Jones, C.W., Koehler, M., Lepesant, J.-A., Martin, C., Maschat, F., Mathers, P., Meyerowitz, E., Moss, R., Pictet, R., Rebers, J., Richards, G., Roux, J., Schulz, R., Segraves, W., Thummel, C. and K. VijayRaghavan (1986) Structural and functional analysis of some molting hormone-responsive genes from Drosophila. Insect Biochem. 16: 241-248.
Meeting Abstracts and Papers Presented
GARFINKEL, M.D. and J. Wolfe (1980) Modification of protein synthesis by cellular interactions in Tetrahymena. J. Cell Biol. 87: 63a. Twentieth Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Meyerowitz, E.M., Crosby, M.A., Crowley, T.E., GARFINKEL, M.D., Martin, C.H. and P.H. Mathers (1984) Regulation of expression of the Drosophila 68C glue gene cluster. J. Cell. Biochem. Suppl. 8 (Part B): 23. ICN-UCLA Symposium on Molecular Biology of Development.
Meyerowitz, E.M., Crosby, M.A., GARFINKEL, M.D., Martin, C.H. and K. VijayRaghavan (1986) Cis and trans-acting regulators of the Drosophila melanogaster 68C glue gene puff. J. Cell. Biochem. Suppl. 10 (Part D): 19. ICN-UCLA Symposium on Molecular Approaches to Developmental Biology.
GARFINKEL, M.D. and E.M. Meyerowitz (1988) Cis-acting sequences required for expression of the divergently transcribed Drosophila melanogaster Sgs-7 and Sgs-8 glue protein genes. Twenty-Ninth Annual Drosophila Research Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Hofmann, A-M., GARFINKEL, M.D. and E.M. Meyerowitz (1989) Cis-acting sequences required for expression of the Sgs-7 and Sgs-8 glue genes of D. melanogaster. Eighth Annual European Drosophila Research Conference, Marseilles, France.
Hofmann, A-M., GARFINKEL, M.D. and E.M. Meyerowitz (1990) Cis-acting sequences required for expression of the Sgs-7 and Sgs-8 glue genes of D. melanogaster. Thirty-First Annual Drosophila Research Conference, Asilomar Conference Center, California.
GARFINKEL, M.D., Lohe, A.R. and A.P. Mahowald (1991) Molecular genetics of the Drosophila melanogaster ovo locus. Thirty-Second Annual Drosophila Research Conference, Chicago, Illinois.
Wang, J., GARFINKEL, M.D., Liang, Y. and A.P. Mahowald (1993) The structure of the ovarian transcripts of the ovo gene of Drosophila melanogaster. Thirty-Fourth Annual Drosophila Research Conference, San Diego, California.
Ad hoc anonymous reviewer for research manuscripts submitted to Analytical Biochemistry, BioTechniques, Developmental Genetics, Genes & Development, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Ad hoc anonymous reviewer for collegiate textbooks and accompanying educational software published by Prentice-Hall.
Standing departmental or institutional committees:
Biology Division Graduate Curriculum Committee. Autumn 1993-present.
Illinois Institute of Technology Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee. Autumn 1993-present.
Leader and Chief Author, Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences Ad hoc Committee on Armour College Development Initiatives. Autumn 1995-present.
Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences Graduate Curriculum Committee. Autumn 1995-present.
Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences Laboratory Space Utilization and Renovation Committee. Autumn 1995-present.
Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences Ad hoc Committee on Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. Autumn 1995-present.
Illinois Institute of Technology Main Campus Graduate Programs Committee. Autumn 1995-present.
Short-term departmental or institutional committees:
Illinois Institute of Technology Howard Hughes Program in Undergraduate Science Education Phase II Grant Proposal Task Group, Autumn 1993.
Ad hoc advisor to department chairman on plans for Ethernet local-area computer network for Biology Division faculty and staff offices in Life Sciences building. Spring 1994.
Ad hoc member, Research Visualization Center and Workstations Task Force of the Illinois Institute of Technology Special Department of Defense Computing Infrastructure Grant Committee, Autumn 1994.
Computer-Based Classrooms Subcommittee, Educational Software, Multimedia and Computer-Based Lecture Rooms Task Force of the Illinois Institute of Technology Special Department of Defense Computing Infrastructure Grant Committee, Autumn 1994.
Dean of Armour College Special Committee on Computing, October 1994.
Student degree examining committees:
Ph.D. oral comprehensive examining committee for Ms. Jacqueline Wall, Department of Psychology, November 1993.
M.S. thesis committee for Ms. Demet Sag, Division of Biology, December 1993.
Ph.D. oral comprehensive examining committee for Mr. Besim Ogretmen, Division of Biology, April 1994.
Ph.D. oral comprehensive examining committee for Mr. Mahipal Poria, Division of Biology, October 1994.
M.S. thesis committee for Mr. Suleyman Aydin, Division of Biology, May 1995.
M.S. thesis committee for Ms. Mildred Chaffin, Division of Biology, May 1995.
Ph.D. dissertation committee for Mr. Hikmet Geckil, Division of Biology, May 1995.
Ph.D. dissertation committee for Mr. Mahipal Poria, Division of Biology, May 1995.
Ph.D. oral comprehensive examining committee for Mr. Ja-Young Moon, Division of Biology, August 1995.
Ph.D. oral comprehensive examining committee for Ms. Miriam Boraz, Institute of Psychology, October 1996.
Doctoral dissertation committee:
Norman Davidson, Ph.D. Professor emeritus (active), Department of Chemistry 164-30, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125. Telephone: (818)395-6055.
Edward B. Lewis, Ph.D. Professor emeritus (active) and Nobel laureate, Division of Biology 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125. Telephone: (818)395-4941.
Elliot M. Meyerowitz, Ph.D. Professor, Division of Biology 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125. Telephone: (818)395-6889. FAX: (818)449-0756. e-mail: meyerowitze@starbase1.caltech.edu.
Carl S. Parker, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Chemistry 147-75, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125. Telephone: (818)395-abcd.
Barbara J. Wold, Ph.D. Professor, Division of Biology 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125. Telephone: (818)395-4916. FAX: (818)449-0756.
Postdoctoral research:
Edwin L. Ferguson, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, 920 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL 60637. Telephone: (312)702-8943. FAX: (312)702-3172. e-mail: elfergus@midway.uchicago.edu.
Peter J. Harte, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Genetics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106-4955. Telephone: (216)368-6417. FAX: (216)368-3432. e-mail: pjh3@po.cwru.edu.
Anthony P. Mahowald, Ph.D. Professor and Chair, Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, 920 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL 60637. Telephone: (312)702-2184, (312)705-5720. FAX: (312)702-4047, (312)702-3172. e-mail: am29@midway.uchicago.edu.
Helen K. Salz, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Genetics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106-4955. Telephone: (216)368-2879. FAX: (216)368-3432. e-mail: hks@po.cwru.edu.
Professorial position:
Timothy I. Morrison, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60616. (312)567-3480. FAX: (312)567-3494. e-mail: phys_morrison@minna.acc.iit.edu.
Robert M. Roth, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60616. (312)567-3481. FAX: (312)567-3494. e-mail: ia_roth@vax1.ais.iit.edu.
Carlo U. Segre, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60616. (312)567-3498. FAX: (312)567-3494. e-mail: segre@charlie.acc.iit.edu.
Benjamin C. Stark, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60616. (312)567-3488. FAX: (312)567-3494. e-mail: bstark@charlie.acc.iit.edu.
Other professional references:
Geoffrey M. Duyk, M.D., Ph.D. Director of Genomics, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 640 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02139-4815. Telephone: (617)374-9480, x218 or x303. FAX: (617)374-9379. e-mail: geoffrey_duyk@msmail.mpi.com.
Stuart K. Kim, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305. Telephone: (415)725-7671. FAX: (415)725-7739. e-mail: kim@cmgm.stanford.edu.
Tadmiri R. Venkatesh, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Biology, City College of New York, 138th Street and Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031. Telephone: (212)650-8469. FAX: (212)650-8585. e-mail: venky@scisun.sci.ccny.cuny.edu.
| To Departmental Home Page | To Research Overview | To Individual Projects | Web Sites of Scientific Interest | Garfinkel Personal Page |