John A. Flaspohler
Assistant Professor                                              812 6th Ave. S.
Biology Department                                            Moorhead MN 56562
Concordia College
901 8th St. S
Moorhead MN 56562
(218) 299-3808


EDUCATION


B.S.    Microbiology                     The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor                                     1984

Ph.D.  Molecular Immunology     Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry                 1991
                                                       University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Postdoctoral Fellowship                Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie                                             1991-1993
                                                       University of Heidelberg, Germany

Postdoctoral Fellowship                Seattle Biomedical Research Institute                                      1994-1997
                                                       University of Washington

Associate Scientist                        Seattle Biomedical Research Institute                                     1997-1999
                                                        University of Washington

Assistant Professor of Biology     Concordia College                                                                 1999-present

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PROFESSIONAL TRAINING


Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant,
Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry,
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA                     1984-1991
Thesis title: “Transcription termination in the mouse immunoglobulin gamma
2a and gamma 2b heavy chain genes”
Thesis advisor: Christine Milcarek, Ph.D.
Investigated developmental transcriptional regulation in the immunoglobulin heavy chain genes using mouse tumor cell models.

Postdoctoral Fellow,
Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie,
University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany                                                1991-1993
Advisor: Christine Clayton, Ph.D.
Studied developmental transcriptional regulation of surface coat protein gene expression in the African parasite Typanosoma brucei.
 

Postdoctoral Fellow,
Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington                               1994-1997
Postdoctoral Scholar,
Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health and
Community Medicine, University of Washington                                            1994-present
Advisor: Marilyn Parsons
Identified and characterized genes involved in biogenesis of the glycosome organelle in pathogenic Leishmania parasites.

Associate Scientist                                                                                           1997-present
Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
Identification and characterization of genes involved in biogenesis of the glycosome organelle in pathogenic Leishmania parasites.  Project management and supervision.

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TEACHING



Formal Teaching

1985-1990    Taught Medical Microbiology laboratory course, University of Pittsburgh
                      School of Medicine

1989-1990     Provided lectures in undergraduate Immunology course, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

1992-1993    Taught undergraduate Molecular Biology laboratory course in both
                     German and English, University of Heidelberg, Germany

1994, 1999    Provided lectures in protozoan cellular biology as part of Advanced
                      Biochemistry course, Seattle Pacific University

1998             Provided lecture in Molecular Parasitology course, University of Washington

1999            Guest lecturer in Control of Eukaryotic Gene Expression course.
                       Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela

1999             Taught general Microbiology lecture/laboratory course at Seattle Central Community College

1999-present   Vertebrate Biology, Microbiology and Immunology/Parasitology,
                        Concordia College, Moorhead MN

Informal Teaching/Training

1987-1991     Supervised one undergraduate student researcher and one graduate student
                      researcher in independent research projects, University of Pittsburgh
                      School of Medicine

1988-1990     Advised graduate students as president of Biomedical Graduate Student
                      Organization, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

1994-1999    Trained and supervised two undergraduate students in independent research
                      projects, trained and supervised three research associates and one masters’
                      student in independent research projects, Seattle Biomedical Research
                      Institute
1999-present  Summer undergraduate research, Concordia College, Moorhead, MN

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PUBLICATIONS-ARTICLES


Flaspohler, J.A. and C. Milcarek.  1990.  Myelomas and lymphomas expressing the Ig gamma 2a heavy chain gene have similar transcription termination regions.  J. Immunol. 144:2802-2810.

Flaspohler, J.A. and C. Milcarek.  1992.  Use of In Vitro-transcribed RNAs as immobilized targets during RNA:RNA hybridization.  BioTechniques 13(1):68-72.

Flaspohler, J.A., D. Boczkowski, B.L. Hall, and C. Milcarek.  1995.  The 3’-untranslated region of membrane exon 2 from the gamma 2a immunoglobulin gene contributes to efficient transcription termination.  J. Biol. Chem. 270(20):11903-11911.

Biebinger, S., S. Rettenmaier, J. Flaspohler, C Hartmann, J. Peña-Diaz, L.E. Wirtz, H.R. Hotz, J.D. Barry, and C. Clayton.  1996.  The PARP promoter of Trypanosoma brucei is developmentally regulated in a chromosomal context.  Nucleic Acids Res. 24(7):1202-1207.

Flaspohler, J.A., W.L. Rickoll, S.M. Beverley, and M. Parsons.  1997.  Functional identification of a Leishmania gene related to peroxin 2 reveals common ancestry of glycosomes and peroxisomes.  Mol. Cell. Biol. 17(3):1093-1101.

Hotz, H.R., S. Biebinger, J. Flaspohler, and C. Clayton.  1998.  PARP gene expression: control at many levels. Molec. Biochem. Parasitol. 91(1):131-143.

Flaspohler, J.A., K. Lemley, and M. Parsons.  1999.  A dominant negative mutation in the GIM1 gene of Leishmania donovani is responsible for defects in glycosomal protein localization. Molec. Biochem. Parasitol. 99(1):117-128.

Mannion-Henderson, J., J.A. Flaspohler, K.R. Lemley, W.L. Rickoll and M. Parsons.  2000.  Isolation and characterization of Leishmania mutants defective in glycosomal protein import.  Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 106(2): 225-237.

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ABSTRACTS


Flaspohler, J.A. and C. Milcarek (1986) Mapping the transcription termination region of the murine immunoglobulin gamma 2b gene. Presented at the 26th annual meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology:167, Washington D.C.
Flaspohler, J.A. and C. Milcarek (1988) Transcription termination in the murine immunoglobulin gamma 2b and gamma 2a genes. Presented at RNA Processing meeting:56, Cold Spring Harbor, NY.
Flaspohler, J.A. and C. Milcarek (1990) Transcription termination and the regulation of murine immunoglobulin gamma 2a and gamma 2b gene expression. Presented at RNA Processing meeting:91, Cold Spring Harbor, NY.
Flaspohler, J.A. and C. Milcarek. (1991)  Transcription termination and poly(A) site usage in the murine gamma 2b and gamma 2a heavy chain genes.  Presented at the 20th annual Transcription Initiation and Elongation meeting, Keystone symposium, Keystone, CO.  J. Cell. Biochem. Suppl. 1991. 15G:235.
*Janz, L., J. Flaspohler, M. Hug, and C. Clayton (1991)  Characterization of the promoters for major surface protein transcription in trypanosomes.  Presented at Molecular Parasitology meeting II:2, Woods Hole, MA.
Flaspohler, J.A., S. Biebinger, C. Hartmann, B. Paust, S. Rettenmaier, H.R. Hotz, L. Wirtz, J. Barry and C. Clayton. (1995) Developmental regulation of surface antigen gene transcription in T. brucei. Molecular Parasitology meeting VI:24, Woods Hole, MA.
*Flaspohler, J.A., S. Beverley and M. Parsons (1995)  Identification of a L. donovani sequence which rescues a cell line defective in glycosomal compartmentalization. Presented at Molecular Parasitology meeting VI, Woods Hole, MA.
*Flaspohler, J.A., K. Radford, S. Beverley, and M. Parsons (1996) Glycosome biogenesis:  Complementation analysis identifies a Leishmania sequence homologous to peroxisome assembly factor 1. Presented at Molecular Parasitology meeting VII:6, Woods Hole, MA.
*Flaspohler, J.A, K. Radford, W. Rickoll and M. Parsons (1997)  A mutation in the GIM1 gene: A dominant negative role in glycosome biogenesis?  Presented at Molecular Parasitology meeting VIII, Woods Hole, MA.
Flaspohler, J.A., K. Lemley, J. Stevens, and M. Parsons (1998)  Characterization of a dominant negative mutation affecting glycosome biogenesis in Leishmania donovani.  Presented at Molecular Parasitology meeting XI, Woods Hole, MA.
Parsons, M., J. Mannion-Henderson, J. Stevens, and J. Flaspohler (1999)  Genetic approaches to Leishmania cell biology and biochemistry.  Presented at International training and research in emerging infectious diseases Asian workshop on Intracellular Pathogens, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
* Indicates abstract presented as plenary talk

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ORAL PRESENTATIONS


Flaspohler, J.A., N. Cochran and M. Parsons (1994) Towards identification of genes involved in glycosome biogenesis in L. donovani. Presented at Seattle Protozoology conference, Seattle, WA.
Flaspohler, J.A., K. Radford, S. Beverley, and M. Parsons (1996) Identification of a Leishmania DNA sequence which rescues a L. donovani cell line defective in glycosomal biogenesis. Presented at Seattle Protozoology conference, Seattle, WA.
Flaspohler, J.A., K. Radford, W. Rickoll, S. Beverley, and M. Parsons (1997) The GIM1 gene of Leishmania donovani is homologous to the peroxin 2 family of proteins and represents the first identified gene involved in glycosome biogenesis. Presented at Seattle Protozoology conference, Seattle, WA.
Flaspohler, J.A., J. Mannion, J. Stevens, C. Crudder and M. Parsons (1999) The GIM1 gene of Leishmania donovani: Involvement in glycosome import/biogenesis.  Presented at Seattle Protozoology conference, Seattle WA.
Further oral presentations are indicated by * in Abstracts section above

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INVITED LECTURES


1999 Seminar entitled “Glycosome biogenesis in Leishmania donovani” presented at the Universidad de Caracas and the Universidad de los Andes, Merida, Venezuela
2000 Seminar entitled “Genetic analysis of organelle biogenesis in the parasitic protozoan Leishmania donovani” presented at the Microbiology Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
2001 Seminar entitled “A human parasite of worldwide importance: Genetic
dissection of organelle biogenesis in Leishmania donovani” presented at the Biology department, Moorhead State University, Moorhead MN, USA
2001  Seminar “The enemy within: Genetic studies on Leishmania: A parasitic pathogen of humans worldwide.” Presented a Concordia College Faculty Colloquia series.

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AWARDS, GRANTS


1984-1991  University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Department of Molecular
                   Genetics and Biochemistry Dean’s Fellowship/Teaching Assistant Fellowship

1996-1999  Awarded 3-year National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Fellowship
                    for proposal entitled “Glycosome deficiency and biogenesis in Leishmania
                   donovani”
                   Fellowship #1 F32 AI09318-01A1

1996         Kenneth Warren  award for outstanding presentation by a young
                    investigator at Molecular Parasitology meeting VII, Woods Hole, MA

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